Page 15 - AsiaElec Week 30 2021

AsiaElec NEWS IN BRIEF AsiaElec

COAL facility - construction of which began in 2010 (PV) farm is expected to start operations
- had been scheduled to start up later this year. around the spring of 2023, JDC said in its
IEEFA: In the Philippines, However, the construction of additional safety press release.
measures is taking longer than expected.
Once up and running, the PV plant will
coal’s demise makes way utilities Tokyo Electric Power Company and be able to generate enough power to meet
RFS is a joint venture established by
the annual demand of some 5,000 local
for a renewable energy Japan Atomic Power Company in November households and offset 8,400 tonnes of carbon
dioxide (CO2) per year. Japanese utility
2005. It is constructing the Recyclable Fuel
boom Storage Centre (RFSC) to store the highly Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and
radioactive fuel assemblies from the utilities’
Distribution Co Inc will purchase the output.
The Philippines’ energy sector is on the brink boiling water and pressurised water reactors At present, JDC Corp has 12 solar power
of rapid change, with fossil fuels struggling to in dry storage casks until they are reprocessed plants with a total power generation output
maintain relevance and a renewable energy at the Rokkasho plant, under construction of 96 MW. These parks can produce enough
industry poised for takeoff. about 50 kilometres away. A mix of recovered clean electricity to power approximately
Much of the country’s progress on clean uranium and plutonium oxides - where the 36,000 local households, the firm noted.
energy and climate goals is due to the plutonium is never separated - would then be
exceptional work of local activists applying recycled into fresh mixed-oxide nuclear fuel at
pressure on policymakers to accelerate the the J-MOX nuclear fuel manufacturing plant,
clean energy transition, the IEEFA was told at alongside Rokkasho. WIND
its 2021 Energy Finance Conference. In March 2007, RFS applied to the Japanese
Located on the Pacific Typhoon Belt and government for a licence to construct the WPD, with Singapore’s
the Ring of Fire—an area of intense seismic facility. On 27 August 2010, the joint venture
activity—the Philippines is highly susceptible announced that it had received approval from Levanta to build Vietnamese
to increasingly frequent and severe natural the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
disasters, as well as the costly impacts of slow- for the design and construction of the RFSC. onshore wind farm
onset climate events like sea level rise and A ground-breaking ceremony for the
drought. facility was held four days later. It was German renewables developer WPD has
Despite this vulnerability to climate originally expected to begin operating in July partnered with Levanta Renewables of
change, the share of high-emission, coal-fired 2012 with an initial capacity of 3000 tonnes Singapore to develop the Kon Plong onshore
power capacity in the Philippines’ generation of used fuel, with plans to later increase this wind energy project in Vietnam. The project,
mix has climbed since 2008—ironically when capacity to 5000 tonnes. The fuel will be held planned for a total capacity of up to 103.5MW,
the country’s keystone Renewable Energy Act within steel casks for up to 50 years. was initiated by Levanta, and has moved
was passed. Coal now contributes 57% of the Construction work of the initial storage forward with support from Vietnamese
country’s power, and domestically produced building was eventually completed in partners. The partnership with WPD is aimed
natural gas is responsible for another 19%. August 2013. However, in December 2013, at driving the next development stage.
Meanwhile, the share of renewables has new safety standards for nuclear fuel cycle The Kon Plong project has been included
dropped steadily to 21%, which includes just facilities based on the lessons learned from the in Vietnam’s “Power Development Plan 7”, and
2% from variable renewables like wind and Fukushima Daiichi accident were introduced is therefore well positioned to receive central
solar. by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority government support for further development
THE GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER, (NRA). RFS was required to conduct further moves.
HAS MAINTAINED AN AMBITIOUS assessments for the facility’s ability to The wind farm is located 780 km southeast
NATIONAL TARGET OF A 35% SHARE withstand earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, in the central
OF CLEAN ENERGY in the generation mix and tornadoes. The company submitted its highlands of Kon Tum Province. Construction
by 2030, which could require an additional initial design and construction programme is expected to start as early as 2022. Wind
20GW of renewables. In its first Nationally document to the NRA in March 2016 and measurements have confirmed attractive wind
Determined Contribution to the Paris the regulator approved its safety plans for the resources at the site.
Agreement, announced in April, the country facility on 11 November last year. “Vietnam’s potential for wind energy is a
pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) key element in the country’s plan to double
emissions by 75% by 2030, largely contingent its use of renewable energy to meet rapidly
on the availability of external financing. growing electricity demand this decade and to
IEEFA WIND reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Sudhir
Nunes, co-founder and managing director of
JDC Corp breaks ground Levanta Renewables. “With the Kon Plong
NUCLEAR project, together with WPD and our other
partners, we aim to help meet this demand
Start-up of Japanese used on 12.6-MW solar park in while supporting Vietnam’s energy transition.”
Miyazaki
Hans-Christoph Brumberg, APAC head
fuel store delayed apanese construction and civil engineering of business development at WPD, adds:
“Our market entry in Vietnam is part of the
Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company Ltd (RFS) company JDC Corporation (TYO:1887) expansion of our activities in the Asia-Pacific
now expects its interim used fuel storage announced that it held a groundbreaking region.”
facility in Mutsu, Aomori prefecture, to begin ceremony for a 12.6-MW solar park in Japan’s
operating in fiscal year 2023 (ending March Miyazaki prefecture.
2024), World Nuclear News reported. Located in a 39-hectare (96.3 acres) area in
Following several previous delays, the the municipality of Nobeoka, the photovoltaic

Week 30 28•July•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P15