Page 11 - AsiaElec Week 03

AsiaElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AsiaElec
talks with other suppliers for the construction of the nuclear plant.
The project was agreed on by the Japanese and Turkish governments in 2013. A consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had been conducting a feasibility study until March for the construction of a 4,500MW plant in Sinop.
Regarding Turkey’s other nuclear projects, Dönmez said that the construction license
for the second unit of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was given in August 2019 and the construction is expected to start soon.
He added that the application for the third unit’s construction was completed last year, but the Nuclear Regulatory Authority is currently evaluating a limited work permit that will allow preparatory work.
An intergovernmental agreement was signed between Turkey and Russia in May 2010 for Akkuyu NPP, the first nuclear plant of Turkey that will have four VVER-1200 power reactors with a total installed capacity of 4,800MW.
ENERGY TRANSITION
IEA warns failure to address
climate could threaten oil
and gas profits
The IEA has warned that oil and gas companies are facing a critical challenge as the world increasingly shifts towards clean energy transitions.
Fossil fuels drive the companies’ near-term returns, the IEA said as it launched its Oil and Gas Industry in Energy Transitions report at the World Economic Forum.
Any failure to address growing calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could threaten their long-term social acceptability and profitability, it warned, adding that the oil and gas industry now needed to make clear what clean energy transitions mean for it – and what it can do to accelerate clean energy transitions.
While some oil and gas companies have taken steps to support efforts to combat climate change, the industry as a whole could play a much more significant role through its engineering capabilities, financial resources and project-management expertise, the report said.
“No energy company will be unaffected by clean energy transitions,” said Dr Fatih Birol. “Every part of the industry needs to consider how to respond. Doing nothing is simply not an option.”
The landscape of the oil and gas industry is diverse, meaning there is no single strategic response but a variety of approaches depending on each company’s circumstances.
“The first immediate task for all parts of the industry is reducing the environmental footprint of their own operations,” Birol said.
“As of today, around 15% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from the process of getting oil and gas out of the ground and to consumers. A large part of these emissions can be brought down relatively quickly and easily.”
Reducing methane leaks to the atmosphere is the single most important and cost-effective way for the industry to bring down these emissions.
But there are ample other opportunities to lower the emissions intensity of delivered oil and gas by eliminating routine flaring and integrating renewables and low-carbon electricity into new upstream and LNG developments.
“Also, with their extensive know-how and deep pockets, oil and gas companies can play a crucial role in accelerating deployment of key renewable options such as offshore wind, while also enabling some key capital-intensive clean energy technologies – such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage and hydrogen – to reach maturity,” Birol added.
“Without the industry’s input, these technologies may simply not achieve the scale needed for them to move the dial on emissions.”
SOLAR
Masdar invests in 145
MW floating PV plant in
Indonesia
Abu Dhabi-based renewables developer Masdar and Indonesian state electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) are to build a 145MW floating PV plant in Indonesia, one of the world’s largest.
The plant is Masdar’s first floating PV project and is its first investment in Southeast Asia, will be located on the Cirata reservoir in West Java, 100km southeast of Jakarta.
“The Cirata floating PV project is a monumental renewable-energy project
for Indonesia, and the biggest floating PV [project] in Southeast Asia,” said PLN boss Zulkifli Zaini.
“It will improve the capability of the Java-Bali power system and also increase the renewable energy mix in Indonesia.
“The potential of similar projects is endless and we anticipate construction should begin soon, aiming for commercial operation in 2022.”
The two companies signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project. Masdar is developing the plant with Pembangkitan Jawa-Bali, a subsidiary of PLN.
Masdar chairman Sultan bin Ahmad Al Jaber, who is also minister of state of the United Arab Emirates, added: “Leveraging innovative solutions such as this floating solar PV project will be critical to the nation
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