Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 36

AsiaElec NUCLEAR AsiaElec
Rosatom targets two reactors in Uzbekistan
RUSSIA
RUSSIA’S Rosatom is close to signing a com- mercial contract to build two nuclear reactors in Uzbekistan, Rosatom deputy CEO and head of international business Kirill Komarov told Reu- ters at the World Nuclear Association (WNA) annual conference on September 6.
Last September, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement on the con- struction of a two-block nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan with a capacity of 1,200 MW per block in partnership with Rosatom. The agree- ment was a precursor to eventually signing a commercial contract that specifies the price, construction timing and other key points.
“We have a very good chance to sign a com- mercial contract for the construction of the plant within a short time period,” Komarov said.
Uzbekistan has previously said it would con- struct a nuclear power plant by 2028. Uzbek officials have held meetings with Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev to discuss nuclear energy
development in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is the seventh largest uranium
producer, with a 2018 output of 2,404 tonnes - however, it does not plan to process its own ura- nium into fuel and will rely on Russia to buy fuel for its first nuclear power plant.
It is estimated the project will cost $11bn, mostly financed by Russia. Uzbekistan is expected to pour the first concrete no earlier than 2020.
The nuclear power plant will allow Uzbeki- stan to reduce its reliance on natural gas for gen- erating electricity and redirect volumes of gas for production of chemicals and other value-added goods for export. Rosatom has already built reac- tors in China and India and is currently building more.
The move into Uzbekistan is another example of Rosatom’s ambitions to break into new nuclear markets worldwide. The company has been talk- ing to Bangladesh and Pakistan, although its plans for Vietnam have been put on hold.™
RENEWABLES
Ørsted commissions second phase of Taiwan’s Formosa 1 wind farm
TAIWAN
ØRSTED has begun commissioning the second phase of Taiwan’s Formosa 1 offshore wind farm, with first power generated on September 5.
Ørsted said that the second phase of Formosa 1 would comprise 20 Siemens Gamesa 6MW off- shore wind turbines. 10 of these have now been installed, and six of them have started gradually generating power.
The start-up marks a new milestone for Tai- wan’s offshore wind industry and marked the first step towards achieving the government’s ambitions of installing 5.7 GW offshore wind by 2025.
Wind turbine commissioning is the last stage before the completion of an offshore wind farm. The 20 turbines of the second phase of For- mosa 1 are anticipated to be fully operational within the next two months after they each com-
plete 10 to 14 days of testing.
“Together with our joint venture partners,
JERA, Macquarie Capital and Swancor, we’ll keep devoting our efforts to building Taiwan’s first offshore wind farm on time and within budget,” said Matthias Bausenwein, Formosa 1 chairman and president of Ørsted Asia-Pacific.
“Formosa 1 is committed to producing signif- icant amounts of clean energy and contributing to Taiwan’s energy transition.”
The Formosa 1 offshore wind farm includes two phases: two 4MW wind turbines were installed in October 2016 for the first phase and officially entered commercial operation in April 2017. The second phase involves the installation of 20 6MW wind turbines.
Formosa 1 is located approximately 2-6km off the coast of Miaoli County. When complete, Formosa 1’s total generating capacity will stand at 128 MW, enabling it to supply 128,000 Tai- wanese households with clean renewable energy.
The Formosa 1 offshore wind farm is owned by Ørsted (35%), JERA (32.5%), Macquarie Capital (25%) and Swancor Renewable Energy (7.5%).
Ørsted’s is also developing the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a projects off Taiwan, located 35-60km off the coast of Changhua County at water depths of 30-35 metres.
In total, Ørsted has obtained site exclusivity on four offshore wind sites with a planned total generation capacity of 2.4GW. ™
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Week 36 10•September•2019