POWER Digest [October 2024]
News briefs curated by POWER’s editors for August and September 2024.
China Completes World’s Largest Pumped Storage Facility
China has completed the 3.6-GW Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station in Hebei province. Operated by the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), the plant’s final turbine unit was activated on Aug. 11, 2024, concluding more than a decade of construction that began in June 2013. The project, built in two phases, features a dozen 300-MW reversible pump-turbine units. ANDRITZ Hydro supplied two variable-speed generators for the second phase. The generators have a nominal capacity of 330 MVA in generator mode and 345 MVA in pump mode. Gezhouba Group secured the main construction contract in 2014. The project is designed to balance renewable energy from Mongolian wind and solar parks. It connects to the Beijing-Tianjin-North Hebei grid.
According to the International Hydropower Association (IHA), China continues to lead the world in new hydropower development. In 2023, the country brought 6.7 GW of new capacity into service, including more than 6.2 GW of pumped storage hydropower. The addition of the Fengning station now puts China on track to expand its pumped storage capacity to 80 GW by 2027. China has outlined a broader goal of reaching a total hydropower capacity of 120 GW by 2030. More than 200 GW of installed pumped hydro capacity at more than 400 projects is operational worldwide, IHA noted. Fengning’s capacity surpasses the 1985-completed Bath County Pumped Storage Station, a 3-GW facility located in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. The Bath facility is owned by a consortium that includes Dominion Energy and Alleghany Power System.
SUBLIME Energie Unveils New On-Farm Biogas Liquefaction Technology
Emerging from the Energy Environment Processes Center (CEEP) at the prestigious engineering school Mines Paris-PSL, startup SUBLIME Energie has developed a unique technology: biogas liquefaction. After a successful proof of concept in 2020, the company worked on the engineering, manufacturing, and commissioning of its first demonstrator at CEEP. Following the necessary technical validations, SUBLIME Energie is designing a second demonstrator to be installed at the Gazéa methanization site in Côtes-d’Armor, in France’s Bretagne region, in 2025. The first commercial series installation is planned for the end of 2026, pooling production from about 10 methanizers. By efficiently transporting and pooling the biogas production of several farms, it reduces their initial investment and operating costs, thus opening up access to untapped biomass deposits, increasing the resilience of farms and territories, and offering a decarbonization path for the agricultural and transport sectors.
Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Now Fully Complete
The fourth and final unit at the 5.6-GW Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant commenced commercial operation on Sept. 5, marking the completion of the much-watched multi-unit APR1400 reactor project. The plant, which is in the Al Dhafra of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf, began construction in July 2012. It now generates 25% of the United Arab Emirates’ electricity needs, producing 40 TWh per year. The plant’s owner, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp., said the plant contributes to regional decarbonization. “Despite growing demand, consumption of natural gas for power generation is at a 13-year low in Abu Dhabi because of the significant contribution that Barakah is now making to Abu Dhabi’s energy mix,” it noted. It added: “85% of the clean energy certificates managed by [Emirates Water and Electricity Co.] are powered by Barakah, which are used by companies such as ADNOC, EGA, and Emirates Steel Arkan to produce greener products that can be sold at a premium, providing a unique competitive advantage for Abu Dhabi-based companies.”
Iraq Launches Four New Gas Units
Iraq has launched the construction of four new gas-fired power units that will add a total of 614 MW to the national grid. One project involves adding a 125-MW combined cycle unit at the South Baghdad Gas Fired Power Plant. The country also launched the construction of two combined cycle units, a combined 362 MW, at the Mansuriyah Gas Fired Power Station in Diyala province, and the addition of a 125-MW combined cycle unit at Akkas Gas Fired Power Station in Anbar province. Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani in a statement emphasized the projects will “provide electricity without the need for additional fuel. This will reduce natural gas imports and help in addressing the needs of areas with higher energy demand, with a target production of 4,000 MW from combined cycle operations.” The statement also highlighted the government’s approach to adopting an economic model that ensures fairness between the state and investors and regulates consumption. The model is slated to be applied to plans Al-Sudani recently announced to add 10 GW soon to address the country’s growing demands.
South Korea Lifts Hold on Nuclear with Approvals for Shin Hanul 3 and 4
South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission has approved the construction of Shin Hanul nuclear reactors 3 and 4. The measure marks the official end to South Korea’s anti-nuclear policy pursued by the previous Moon Jae-in administration. The $8.8 billion project, spearheaded by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), had been put on hold owing to the policy. KHNP applied for construction approval to build the two 1.4-GW APR1400 reactors in 2016. Doosan Enerbility Co. is slated to build the reactors. The government anticipates Unit 3 could come online by 2032 and Unit 4 by 2033. South Korea’s 11th Basic Plan for Long-Term Electricity Supply and Demand calls for the construction of up to three new nuclear plants by 2038 alongside South Korea’s first small modular reactor by 2035.
Vattenfall Begins Operating Two More Offshore Wind Farms in Denmark
Vattenfall in September inaugurated two offshore wind farms, the 176-MW Vesterhav Nord and the 168-MW Vesterhav Syd. The almost identical wind farms located about 10 kilometers off the Danish west coast comprise a total 41 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 8.4 MW. Each turbine tower stands at 100 meters and each turbine blade is 81.4 meters long. Operations and service will be carried out from Vattenfall’s service facility at Hvide Sande Port.
Adani Snags Crucial Transmission Project for Major Indian Renewable Park
Adani Energy Solutions Ltd. (AESL), India’s largest private transmission and distribution company, has acquired the Khavda Phase-IV Part-A transmission project, a project that is designed to transmit 7 GW of renewable energy. The Rs 4,091 crore ($488 million) project will span 298 kilometers, connecting Khavda RE Park in Gujarat to the national grid via 765-kV double circuit lines to Lakadia and Bhuj, with a transformation capacity of 4,500 MVA. AESL plans to commission the project within 24 months on a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) basis. Khavda will be “the world’s largest renewable energy park, with a planned generation capacity of 30 GW,” the company said. “The award of this project to AESL boosts the availability of critical transmission infrastructure required for evacuation of clean energy. The Adani Group’s focused approach will also ensure the transformation of Khavda from a barren stretch of land into a landmark in India’s net zero journey.” ■
—Sonal Patel is a senior editor for POWER.