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less carbon-intensive fuels such as ammonia and power stations, it added.
hydrogen at its thermal power plants (TPPs). JERA was originally set up to import LNG,
The company said it planned to start a pilot but it has also branched out into power gener-
programme to use ammonia as a fuel with coal in ation, taking over many of TEPCO and Chubu
mixed combustion at its Hekinan TPP in central Electric Power’s power plants in 2019.
Japan by 2030 and hoped to achieve 20% use of It has a 25% interest in the UK’s 173MW
ammonia at its coal-fired power plants by 2035. Gunfleet Sands wind farm. It intends to take a
Other measures include improving the effi- major role in the Japanese offshore sector when
ciency of gas-fired power plants and burning Tokyo holds its next wave of bidding rounds.
hydrogen in mixed combustion at gas-fired
Samsung regrets involvement
with Vietnam’s Vung Ang 2
P SAMSUNG executives have gold the South planned for Vietnam as power demand rises, is
Korean parliament that its reputation has been expected to emit more than 200mn tonnes per
damaged by its involvement in building the year (tpy) of greenhouse gases (GHGs) over its
1,200MW Vung Ang 2 coal-fired power plant in 30-year lifespan.
Vietnam. Investing in coal abroad contrasts with the
Body Meanwhile, Samsung C&T vice-pres- new South Korean government’s recent declara-
ident Oh Se-chul said that Samsung C&T, the tion of a climate emergency, and its commitment
subsidiary building the plant, would not build to a so-called Korean Green New Deal, which is
any more coal plants after Vung Ang 2. intended to prevent 12.3mn tonnes of emissions.
He acknowledged that Samsung had had to South Korea has been named among the
face international boycotts and protests, such world’s top three financiers of overseas coal
as demonstrations at Samsung mobile phone power, providing some $10bn between 2008
shops worldwide, as well as opposition from and 2018.
shareholders. Coal is now seen as a risky investment by
The comments came as South Korean many investors with the cost of renewables
National Assembly legislator Soyoung Lee, of the falling.
ruling Democratic Party of Korea, questioned Indeed, the South Korean government’s own
Samsung Electronics vice-president Kim Suk-ki Korea Development Institute (KDI) has warned
in addition to vice-president Oh Se-chul. that Vung Ang 2 could lose money as the cost of
The two were speaking after state-owned renewables falls.
KEPCO confirmed that it had bought a “sub- This could mean KEPCO would have to be
stantial stake” in the Vung Ang 2 scheme. bailed out by the South Korean taxpayer.
As well as Samsung C&T and KEPCO, the In June, the KDI calculated that Vung Ang 2
country’s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construc- was at risk of losing around $158m over its life-
tion is also involved. time, which could cost KEPCO $80mn.
The Vung Ang 2, one of many coal projects
P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 41 14•October•2020
