Page 6 - AsiaElec Week 28 2021

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Kazakhstan launches China-

backed small hydropower plant

CHINA THE China International Water Management “The construction of a hydroelectric power
and Energy Corporation-backed construction station is a landmark project for East Kazakh-
of a small Turgusun hydroelectric power plant stan. Its implementation will create regional
(HPP) has been completed in East Kazakhstan generating capacities for the production of cheap
Region, Kazakh Invest national investment pro- alternative electricity and cover the volumes
motion company said in a statement on July 9. purchased from outside. At the same time, the
The construction of a hydroelectric power costs of transporting electricity that is one of the
plant with a capacity of 24.9 MW on the Tur- most expensive components of the tariff will be
gusun River began in 2016. The power plant’s excluded,” a representatives of the Chinese com-
launch is set to reduce the cost of electricity pro- pany was quoted as saying.
duction and “reduce deficit by 78mn kWh per China International Water Management and
year”, according to the statement. The project Energy Corporation is a Chinese consulting
envisages construction of a reservoir with an company, which operates in the field of con-
area of 60 hectares adjacent to the HPP. Con- struction and engineering, specialising in the
struction of several more hydroelectric power construction of water supply and hydropower
stations on the Turgusun River is set to follow. facilities.

COAL

Adani Group to expand coal capacity

INDIA INDIA’S Adani Group is doubling its coal-fired will transition to carbon negative “by carefully
power capacity to 24 GW and expanding its coal balancing our energy migration,” Gautam Adani
production to 132mn tonnes per year (tpy). said on June 30 at the India Global Forum,
A new report by Australian environmental although he did not provide a timeline.
think-tank Market Forces said that Adani would Adani added that a shift away from cheaper
also team up with France’s TotalEnergies to purse fossil fuels “should not crush the aspirations of
oil and gas projects. the thousands that lack electricity.” Coal cur-
The Australia-based organisation, a vocal rently contributes to almost 70% of India’s elec-
critic of Adani’s Carmichael coal project in tricity production, though that share has been
Queensland, said its analysis was based on data declining.
from across several Adani holdings. Market Forces’s Brait said the report was
The expansion plans show that the company partly prompted by conversations with banks,
is making a significant negative contribution to including Barclays and Credit Suisse Group,
global warming rather than preparing for the which said they were willing to finance Adani
energy transition, said Pablo Brait, a campaigner because it was a company transitioning to clean
at Market Forces. energy.
The findings may increase scrutiny on the State Bank of India, the nation’s largest lender,
India-based group and its founder, who is rap- has not decided whether to help finance the
idly rising up the ranks of Asia’s richest people Carmichael mine following mounting pressure
and earlier this year signed one of the continent’s from climate activists and investors, Bloomberg
biggest clean energy loans with 12 global banks. reported in April.
While almost all of Adani’s coal assets are “A lot of finance sector companies are increas-
in India – where the government says it can’t ingly making pledges around climate change and
prioritise eliminating emissions without suffi- fossil fuels, but Adani is really a test of those com-
cient financing from richer nations – it is fac- mitments,” Brait said. “Because if you are still
ing mounting pressure from activists and some prepared to support a company that’s so heav-
investors over the Carmichael project. ily invested in new fossil fuels, then you need to
Adani had said in June that it was looking at re-examine your commitments and make sure
ways to reduce its emissions. The conglomerate they have some teeth.”™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 28 14•July•2021