pwr_october-2024 - 14

GLOBAL MONITOR
in increasing flexibility in thermoelectric power plants. To keep
up with system variability driven by renewable intermittency,
coal and gas plants are facing conditions that require frequent
cycling, it noted. " This change can significantly reduce plant
performances, damage components, and reduce service life, "
it said. " One of the possible applications of the MGTES is its
integration into the steam section of existing thermoelectric
power plants. In such plants-Rankine cycle or [combined
cycle gas turbine]-the MGTES can be used to reduce the
minimum load and to offer a backup thermal power to be used
when needed. "
When a power plant operates at its minimum load, the MGTES
is designed to store a part of the thermal energy produced
by the steam generator and " return the stored energy when
demand increases and it is profitable to operate the plant normally, "
it said. The stored heat essentially becomes " a reserve
of available power to produce more steam to feed the powerblock,
increasing the power at which the plant works. "
-Sonal Patel is a senior
editor for POWER.
POWER Digest
China Completes World's Largest Pumped Storage Facility.
China has completed the 3.6-GW Fengning Pumped Storage
Power Station, in Hebei province. Operated by the State Grid
Corp. of China (SGCC), the plant's final turbine unit was activated
on Aug. 11, 2024, concluding more than a decade of
construction that began in June 2013. The project, built in two
phases, features a dozen 300-MW reversible pump-turbine
units. ANDRITZ Hydro supplied two variable-speed generators
for the second phase. The generators have a nominal capacity
of 330 MVA in generator mode and 345 MVA in pump
mode. Gezhouba Group secured the main construction contract
in 2014. The project is designed to balance renewable
energy from Mongolian wind and solar parks. It connects to
the Beijing-Tianjin-North Hebei grid. According to the International
Hydropower Association (IHA), China continues to
lead the world in new hydropower development. In 2023, the
country brought 6.7 GW of new capacity into service, including
more than 6.2 GW of pumped storage hydropower. The
addition of the Fengning station now puts China on track to
expand its pumped storage capacity to 80 GW by 2027. China
has outlined a broader goal of reaching a total hydropower
capacity of 120 GW by 2030. More than 200 GW of installed
pumped hydro capacity at more than 400 projects is operational
worldwide, IHA noted. Fengning's capacity surpasses
the 1985-completed Bath County Pumped Storage Station,
a 3-GW facility located in Virginia's Allegheny Mountains. The
Bath facility is owned by a consortium that includes Dominion
Energy and Alleghany Power System.
SUBLIME Energie Unveils New On-Farm Biogas Liquefaction
Technology. Emerging from the Energy Environment
Processes Center (CEEP) at the prestigious engineering school
Mines Paris-PSL, startup SUBLIME Energie has developed a
unique technology: biogas liquefaction. After a successful proof
of concept in 2020, the company worked on the engineering,
manufacturing, and commissioning of its first demonstrator at
CEEP. Following the necessary technical validations, SUBLIME
Energie is designing a second demonstrator to be installed
at the Gazéa methanization site in Côtes-d'Armor, in France's
Bretagne region, in 2025. The first commercial series installation
is planned for the end of 2026, pooling production from
about 10 methanizers. By efficiently transporting and pooling
the biogas production of several farms, it reduces their initial
investment and operating costs, thus opening up access to
untapped biomass deposits, increasing the resilience of farms
and territories, and offering a decarbonization path for the agricultural
and transport sectors.
Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Now Fully Complete. The
fourth and final unit at the 5.6-GW Barakah Nuclear Energy
Plant commenced commercial operation on Sept. 5, marking
the completion of the much-watched multi-unit APR1400 reactor
project. The plant, which is in the Al Dhafra of the Emirate
of Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf, began construction in July
2012. It now generates 25% of the United Arab Emirates' electricity
needs, producing 40 TWh per year. The plant's owner,
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp., said the plant contributes
to regional decarbonization. " Despite growing demand, consumption
of natural gas for power generation is at a 13-year
low in Abu Dhabi because of the significant contribution that
Barakah is now making to Abu Dhabi's energy mix, " it noted.
It added: " 85% of the clean energy certificates managed by
[Emirates Water and Electricity Co.] are powered by Barakah,
which are used by companies such as ADNOC, EGA, and
Emirates Steel Arkan to produce greener products that can be
sold at a premium, providing a unique competitive advantage
for Abu Dhabi-based companies. "
Iraq Launches Four New Gas Units. Iraq has launched
the construction of four new gas-fired power units that will
add a total of 614 MW to the national grid. One project involves
adding a 125-MW combined cycle unit at the South
Baghdad Gas Fired Power Plant. The country also launched
14
www.powermag.com
POWER | October 2024
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