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GENERATION support the commodity as its usage drops in Barakah NPP, with four Korean APR-1400
most of the developed world in a transition reactors, began in 2012. Barakah 1 was
India steps on gas as coal to cleaner or renewable energy sources, completed in 2018. The UAE’s Federal
Bloomberg reported.
Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR)
use for power generation jumped 57% to a record in the fiscal year issued a 60-year operating licence to Nawah
Pakistan’s coal-fired power generation
in February 2020. Fuel loading was completed
slows through June, according to data from the in early March. Construction of unit 2 was
completed earlier in July. Construction of
government’s National Electric Power
Indian power plants used the most gas in Regulatory Authority. Coal accounted for Barakah 3 and 4 are 92% and 85% complete,
at least 3-1/2 years in the June quarter, as about a fifth of total output, backed by while the construction of the Barakah Plant as
operators along the west coast snapped supplies from the country’s first coal mine in a whole is now 94% complete.
up cheap LNG imports that have become its Thar region, developed as part of China’s Since receipt of the operating licence and
competitive against coal, government data Belt and Road plan. the completion of fuel assembly loading in
showed, Reuters reported. Coal is set to expand further as China March 2020, Nawah, the Joint Venture nuclear
Power producers say the trend is likely pushes funds into building more power operations and maintenance subsidiary
to continue until at least September, and plants in the country and mines to feed them. of Enec and the Korea Electric Power
perhaps beyond, providing a bright spot for Pakistan is one of the flagship markets for Corporation (Kepco), has been progressing
LNG sellers as demand elsewhere falls due to China’s Belt and Road initiative, with more through a comprehensive testing programme,
a global economic slowdown sparked by the than $70 billion of projects including coal prior to completing the start-up of unit 1.
coronavirus pandemic. and liquefied natural gas fired power plants Enec CEO Mohamed Ibrahim Al
Gas consumption by power plants rose helping the nation end decades of electricity Hammadi said: “Despite the recent global
11.7% to 104.83 million standard cubic metres shortfalls. challenges, our team has demonstrated
per day (mmscmd) in the three months to “China has been cutting back on coal at outstanding resilience and commitment to the
end-June from the same period last year, data home but it has no compunction about using safe delivery of unit 1. We are now another
from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) coal in things that it funds outside of China,” step closer to achieving our goal of supplying
showed. said James Dorsey, a senior fellow at the S. up to a quarter of our Nation’s electricity
Imports accounted for 37.4% of overall gas Rajaratnam School of International Studies in needs and powering its future growth with
consumption by power plants, up from 35% a Singapore. “Chinese can be willing but they safe, reliable, and emissions-free electricity.”
year ago. need a partner to go along with them. In this Once the unit is connected to the grid,
Lower spot prices are making natural gas case it’s the Pakistani government.” the nuclear operators will continue with a
“lucrative” for power plants, according to Belt and Road progress has slowed recently process of gradually raising the power levels
India’s largest gas importer Petronet LNG Ltd, with overseas energy spending last year - Power Ascension Testing (PAT). Enec said
which recently cancelled a tender to buy long- dropping to the lowest in a decade, dogged the systems of unit 1 will be continuously
term LNG. by accusations that China is luring poor monitored and tested as the unit proceeds
“I do believe there is some coal switching countries into debt traps for its own political towards full electricity production in line with
taking place and imported coal-based power and strategic gain. China’s President Xi Jinping all regulatory requirements and the highest
plants may not be competitive vis a vis spot has publicly urged more clean energy as part international standards of safety, quality and
LNG (consuming power plants),” Vivek of the programme, and the plan found new security.
Mittal, general manager for marketing at life in Pakistan recently with an agreement to ENEC
Petronet, said on a recent conference call. build two hydro-power generation projects.
India’s imports of spot gas more than Until 2016, Pakistan had just one coal-
doubled in the June quarter from a year ago burning power plant. It now has at least nine WIND
to the highest in at least 14 quarters, while and more are in the making. The first target of
purchases under long-term contracts slumped these plants has been to replace expensive fuel Australia’s Murra Warra 2
by over a third to the lowest in the same oil-based generation facilities that burdened
period, a Reuters analysis of the available data the nation’s economy with heavy costs and wind farm reaches financial
showed. pollution.
close

RES and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group
COAL-FIRED GENERATION NUCLEAR have reached financial close for the second
stage of the 209MW Murra Warra Wind Farm
Pakistan’s coal-fired power UAE’s Korean-built Barakah near Horsham, Western Victoria, with its sale
to global private markets investment manager
generation sees record NPP opens Partners Group.
RES has been awarded the construction
jump, thanks to China push The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and asset management contract with GE
providing 38 Cypress 5.5-158 turbines for the
(Enec) on 1 August announced that its
Chinese funding has helped coal take off in operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah project.
Pakistan. Coal’s surge in the South Asian Energy Company (Nawah) had successfully GE’s subcontractor Zenviron will also
nation is symbolic of the difficult choice started up unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear work on the project. Construction will get
that the region’s developing countries face Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafrah underway later this year, with the project
as they seek affordable energy to support Region of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab slated to be completed by mid-2022. The first
economic growth while trying to limit chronic Emirates (UAE). turbine will be delivered in mid-2021, GE
air pollution. Asian demand is expected to Construction of the UAE’s $22.4 billion said.

Week 31 05•August•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P13