Page 11 - AsiaElec Week 04

AsiaElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AsiaElec
Chinese coal imports jump 7% in 2019
Chinese coal imports jumped 7% last year to 300mn tonnes as international prices for the fuel plunged to levels too attractive to resist, despite government intentions to keep foreign purchases flat.
The world’s biggest coal consumer managed to squeak its total imports in under an unofficial import goal thanks to a plunge in December volumes to just 2.8mn tonnes, comprehensive customs data showed on Thursday, confirming preliminary estimates from last week.
December’s imports were down from nearly 21mn tonnes in November and 73% lower than the same month last year.
“We think that likely understates the true [2019] increase in China’s imports,” said Commonwealth Bank commodities analyst Vivek Dhar in a note. “We suspect that cargo timings were deliberately delayed, particularly in December, so as to count towards the 2020 coal import quota.”
Chinese customs restrictions are mainly aimed at manipulating domestic coal prices into a range that supports the country’s miners without raising energy costs excessively, analysts say.
TECHNOLOGY
Siemens to acquire 99%
stake in India’s C&S Electric
Limited
Siemens has struck a deal to acquire 99% of C&S Electric Limited to meet growing electrification needs.
The acquisition of the New Delhi-based firm will strengthen Siemens’ position as a key supplier of low-voltage power distribution and electrical installation technology in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
The scope of the acquisition comprises the Indian operations of C&S Electric’s low- voltage switchgear components and panels, low and medium voltage power busbars
as well as protection and metering devices businesses.
Other businesses of the company such as medium voltage switchgear and package sub-station, lighting, diesel generating
sets, EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and the Etacom busbars business will be retained by the owners.
Cedrik Neike, member of the managing board of Siemens AG and CEO Smart Infrastructure, said: “Safe, intelligent and reliable electrification is the backbone of economic and societal development.
“Joining forces with C&S Electric allows us to bring a more comprehensive portfolio that addresses the needs of a very important market. Siemens is committed to significantly improving access to reliable and efficient power supply in India.
“This latest investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our offering in high growth markets in Asia.”
NUCLEAR
Kansai Electric begins
extracting MOX fuel from
nuclear plant
Kansai Electric Power Co. started removing spent mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel from the No. 3 reactor at its Takahama nuclear power plant here on January 27, but a disposal method has yet to be determined.
It is the first time Kansai Electric has removed spent MOX fuel from any of its reactors.
Shikoku Electric Power Co. began the first such MOX fuel-removal operation at the No. 3 reactor of its Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture earlier this month.
The Takahama plant’s No. 3 reactor has
been undergoing a regular safety inspection since Jan. 6. Eighty-one of the reactor’s 157 fuel assemblies will be removed, including 8 MOX assemblies.
The process is expected to be completed by January 29.
The MOX fuel will be kept in a pool at the nuclear plant along with uranium fuel rods.
The reactor currently has 28 MOX fuel assemblies. The 8 units being removed were introduced in December 2010.
The remaining 20 units will continue to be used for commercial operations of pluthermal power generation that started in January 2011.
The Takahama plant’s No. 3 and No. 4 reactors, the Ikata plant’s No. 3 reactor and the Genkai nuclear power plant’s No. 3 reactor in Saga Prefecture, operated by Kyushu Electric Power Co., currently use MOX fuel for pluthermal power generation.
Kansai Electric also plans to use its Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture for the project.
HYDRO
Hydropower can help Nepal
reduce trade deficit with
India
Co-operation between India and Nepal in the hydropower sector would help the Himalayan nation reduce huge trade deficit with India, a top Indian diplomat said on January 27.
Charge d’Affaires of Embassy of India, Nepal Ajay Kumar while addressing a programme organised by Nepal India Friendship Society in Kathmandu to mark the 71st Republic Day of India said the relations between the two nations were established by “our forefathers, so we need to work together to strength and continuously nurture” them.
India has been providing assistance to Nepal since the time of its independence in whatever way it can and it is ready today to help Nepal in realising the dream of a prosperous Nepal, Kumar said.
Nepal and India are working together in the area of hydropower, which is important for economic point of view as the surplus electricity of Nepal could be exported to India which would be instrumental in reducing Nepal’s huge trade deficit with India, he pointed out.
Hydropower plays a particularly important role in Nepal’s economic future because of the scale of its potential. It is estimated that Nepal has the economically viable potential to put
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