China Energy/Power Technology, Strategic Layout of Resources: News & Discussions

[TaiShang]

China's crude oil output sees sharp drop
Xinhua, September 19, 2016

China's crude oil output fell 9.9 percent year on year in August, the biggest monthly drop since 2003 as refineries slashed production amid sluggish global oil prices, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday.

Imports, on the other hand, have trended upward after private refineries were given permission to import crude last year.

In the first eight months, China's crude oil imports rose 13.5 percent compared with the same period last year, while refined oil output gained 2.1 percent.

China's oil giants plan to reduce oil output due to flagging prices. Sinopec, the largest oil refiner in China, and PetroChina, the largest oil and gas producer, have both lowered their oil production targets for 2016.

On Sunday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) decided to lower retail prices of gasoline and diesel, tracking subdued global crude oil prices due to market worries about an agreement on freezing production, rising yields in countries including Iran and weak U.S. demand.

"The prices will likely remain low in the short term, fluctuating between 40 to 50 U.S. dollars per barrel," said NDRC researcher Zhao Gongzheng.

 

[ahojunk]

Northeast China builds first nuclear power plant
(Global Times) 08:24, September 21, 2016

China has finished constructing its first nuclear power station in Northeast China as part of an "aggressive" nuclear power development strategy amid continuing debate over the industry's safety and security.

The first phase of the Hongyanhe nuclear power station, located in Donggang township, Liaoning Province was completed on Tuesday. The station, which was initiated in 2007, is the first nuclear power station and the biggest energy investment project in Northeast China.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, over 75 percent of the devices used in the first phase were domestically made, including key equipment like vapor generators and turbo dynamos, said Liao Weiming, general manager of Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co Ltd, which runs the station.

The first phase of the project consists of four power generation units, with an installed capacity of up to 1.118 million kilowatts per unit.

"The project will help Northeast China in many ways including economic revival, diversification of energy sources and low-carbon and green development," Liao said.

With about 30 power generating units in use and some 20 under construction, China is going through an "aggressive development phase" in the nuclear industry, Gui Liming, an expert on China's nuclear safety systems at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times.

"Nuclear power is cheaper and more stable compared to other clean energy sources like wind and solar power. It is currently the most suitable energy source for China, which has high electricity usage due to its large population and scale of economy," Gui said.

China on Friday said it will build over 60 nuclear plants in the next 10 years, Reuters reported.

Zheng Mingguang, vice president and chief nuclear designer at China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), said at least two new reactors will be built every year by each of China's three major nuclear companies - SNPTC, China National Nuclear Corporation and China General Nuclear Power Corporation.

However, the government's decision to expand the nuclear industry seems to go against an international trend under which countries like Germany and Switzerland have vowed to halt any construction of nuclear plants after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

"Germany will instead import nuclear power from France after its domestic plants expire," Gui said. "Unlike Germany, China cannot afford to produce electricity from gas or oil, as it would be too expensive, and it doesn't have a neighbor that can generate enough electricity to satiate its demand."

"Moreover, China's existing nuclear plants are safer than that in Fukushima, while those under construction will be even safer than current ones," according to Gui.

Drawing lessons from the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, China's third-generation nuclear reactors were upgraded by adding better safety systems.

Lingering safety concerns

Wang Zuoyuan, a research fellow at the Radiation Protection and Nuclear Medicine Safety Institute of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, raised concerns over the necessity of building more nuclear plants.

"The average operating rate of the 30 plants in use is just 75 percent," Wang told the Global Times, adding that improving the utilization of existing ones was more practical than blindly building new ones.

Wang also drew attention to the process of nuclear waste management, saying that China lacks professional equipment, and a nuclear power station has to store all the waste by itself.

But Gui said that the waste will be transported to a processing factory under CNNC in Gansu Province after 15 years, when the radiation level drops to a safe level.

More process factories would be built along with the expansion of the nuclear industry, he noted.

Meanwhile, building nuclear facilities remains a touchy subject among the Chinese public, who fear such facilities might pose environmental and health risks.

On August 10, a joint China-France nuclear fuel recycling project in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province was suspended by local authorities due to strong protests from local residents.

China has to expand its nuclear industry while taking public concerns into account, Gui said.

The Legislative Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, published a management regulation draft on its official website to solicit opinions.

The regulation states that local governments should conduct risk assessment for nuclear power plant construction and hold public hearings to solicit public opinion on the site of the plant.

 

[cirr]

Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid reactor

 

[cirr]

22/09/2016

Major breakthroughs in the development of China LEAd-based Reactor(CLEAR-1, 麒麟-1):

我国铅基快中子反应堆研发获重大突破

“麒麟一号”有望让第四代核能实现工程化

http://news.sciencenet.cn/sbhtmlnews/2016/9/316286.shtm

World beating 4th generation nuclear reactor

@Bussard Ramjet

 

[TaiShang]

TODAY IN ENERGY: Wednesday, September 28, 2016
EIA

China expected to account for more than half of world growth in nuclear power through 2040

EIA's International Energy Outlook 2016 (IEO2016) projects that total global nuclear generation will increase by 73% through 2040, from 2.6 trillion kilowatthours in 2015 to 4.5 trillion kilowatthours in 2040. Countries that are not a part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (non-OECD countries) account for 86% of this increase, with China alone making up more than 54% of total growth. China's growing nuclear fleet is expected to produce more than 1.2 trillion kilowatthours of electricity annually by 2040.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2016 and Monthly Energy Review (United States), and International Energy Outlook 2016 (all other countries)

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2016 and Monthly Energy Review (United States), and International Energy Outlook 2016 (all other countries)

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=28132&src=email

 

[艹艹艹]

China’s nuclear reactor component breaks up US monopoly
(People's Daily Online) 14:45, September 29, 2016

[File photo]

After years of intensive research and testing, China has manufactured its first sealing ring for reactor pressure vessels (RPV) on Sept. 26, marking the end of U.S. dominance in the component's production.

China’s National Energy Administration dispatched a team of nuclear experts on Sept. 26 to test the country’s first domestically manufactured C-shaped sealing rings, which were employed in the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. The component, which is a crucial part of the RPV, was proven to meet the standards for nuclear security, Thepaper.cn reported.

Due to technical difficulties in manufacturing C-shaped sealing rings, China had been importing the component from the U.S. As the only country capable of manufacturing RPV sealing components, the U.S. had a monopoly on the international market for RPV sealing rings, and was therefore able to run the price up. A set of sealing rings made in the U.S.costs 3 to 4 million RMB, while its Chinese counterpart costs just over 300,000 RMB,according to Thepaper.cn.

“After we produced our own C-shaped sealing rings, an American company reduced the price of their products by 50 percent, which is an unprecedented move since they used to raise the price 15 percent annually,” said Li Xinggen, director of Ningbo Tiansheng Sealing Pack, in an interview with China Nuclear Industry Magazine. Li’s company has successfully manufactured the C-shaped sealing rings.

http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0929/c90000-9121700.html

 

[艹艹艹]

China eyes new project after Hinkley
By Cecily Liu,Chris Peterson (China Daily) 08:06, September 30, 2016

Power plant design would get major boost if it passes Britain’s stringent approval process

China will submit its indigenous nuclear technology to the United Kingdom government’s rigorous assessment program with a view to getting approval in five years — and to use it to build a power station at Bradwell, on the English east coast.
The announcement by China General Nuclear Corp Chairman He Yu was made on Thursday.

It came just after CGN, the French utility EDF and the UK government signed a final agreement on another project that is earlier in the pipeline, the UK’s 18 billion pound ($23.4 billion) Hinkley Point power plant, giving it the definitive green light. CGN will finance one-third of that investment.

The Hinkley Point project is seen as a precursor for plans to introduce Chinese nuclear technology.If Chinese technology passes GDA assessment, the Bradwell plant could be the first nuclear project in a developed market to use a Chinese design

As a part of the contracts signed on Thursday, CGN and EDF would also jointly invest in Sizewell and Bradwell, proposed UK nuclear projects. CGN would be the majority shareholder in Bradwell, which plans to use China’s third generation nuclear technology Hualong One.
Being the majority investor in Bradwell, with a 66.5 percent share, means CGN will bear responsibility for the project and its financial returns will be higher, He said.

The UK’s General Design Assessment, which determines if a new nuclear technology can be used in the UK, is known to be the world’s most rigorous. Currently only France’s European Pressurized Reactor design has GDA approval. The US’ AP1000 technology is still pending GDA approval. France’s EPR model is being used for Hinkley Point.

“Once Hualong One passes GDA, it will boost more countries’ confidence and push forward Hualong One’s global market development,” He said.
Bradwell’s technology will be modeled on Hualong One technology deployed at Guangxi Fangchenggang Phase II power station.
CGN established a GDA project department in February 2015 to work on the regulatory process; technical preparation for the GDA assessment process was completed by this July.

The new UK government, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, took all sides by surprise in July when she said she needed more time to assess the project. Approval came two weeks ago, with the extra condition that Hinkley and other foreign-funded nuclear plants cannot change hands without the government’s agreement.
An EDF board meeting on Sept 27 confirmed that EDF is happy with the extra condition.

Hinkley will begin construction in 2019 with a view to start operating in 2025. It will satisfy 7 percent of the UK’s energy needs.

Lady Barbara Judge, former chairwoman of UK Atomic Energy Authority, said China has good technical nuclear capabilities. “I have great respect for the nuclear projects all over China,” she said.

Andrew Shepherd, senior energy and infrastructure analyst at BMI Research, said “rigorous and robust assessment of China’s own domestically designed reactor by UK regulators would certainly give China’s nuclear export plans a significant boost.”

He said CGN will increase efforts to communicate with greater emphasis on “transparency” with the UK public about its technology in order to build trust.
He said CGN is currently in advanced stages of preparing nuclear investments in Romania. Other areas being considered include the Czech Republic, Southeast Asian countries, South Africa, and Turkey.

Contact the writer at cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com

http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0930/c90000-9121875.html

 

[TaiShang]

Due to technical difficulties in manufacturing C-shaped sealing rings, China had beenimporting the component from the U.S. As the only country capable of manufacturing RPVsealing components, the U.S. had a monopoly on the international market for RPV sealingrings, and was therefore able to run the price up. A set of sealing rings made in the U.S.costs 3 to 4 million RMB, while its Chinese counterpart costs just over 300,000 RMB,according to Thepaper.cn.

Great development. One more leg taken off from the economic fundament on which US hegemony stands.

 

[JSCh]

Friday, September 30, 2016, 09:39
Parties sign final deal on Hinkley nuclear project
Power plant design would get major boost if it passes Britain's stringent approval process

By Chris Peterson and Cecily Liu in London

This photo taken on 29th, Sept. 2016 shows parties from China, Britain and France signing the final agreement on the Hinkley Point nuclear project in London. (Photo / Xinhua)​

China will submit its indigenous nuclear technology to the United Kingdom government's rigorous assessment program with a view to getting approval in five years - and to use it to build a power station at Bradwell, on the English east coast.

The announcement by China General Nuclear Corp Chairman He Yu was made on Thursday.

It came just after CGN, the French utility EDF and the UK government signed a final agreement on another project that is earlier in the pipeline, the UK's 18 billion pound (US$23.4 billion) Hinkley Point power plant, giving it the definitive green light. CGN will finance one-third of that investment.

The Hinkley Point project is seen as a precursor for plans to introduce Chinese nuclear technology.

If Chinese technology passes GDA assessment, the Bradwell plant could be the first nuclear project in a developed market to use a Chinese design

As a part of the contracts signed on Thursday, CGN and EDF would also jointly invest in Sizewell and Bradwell, proposed UK nuclear projects. CGN would be the majority shareholder in Bradwell, which plans to use China's third generation nuclear technology Hualong One.

Being the majority investor in Bradwell, with a 66.5 percent share, means CGN will bear responsibility for the project and its financial returns will be higher, He said.

The UK's General Design Assessment, which determines if a new nuclear technology can be used in the UK, is known to be the world's most rigorous. Currently only France's European Pressurized Reactor design has GDA approval. The US' AP1000 technology is still pending GDA approval. France's EPR model is being used for Hinkley Point.

"Once Hualong One passes GDA, it will boost more countries' confidence and push forward Hualong One's global market development," He said.

Bradwell's technology will be modeled on Hualong One technology deployed at Guangxi Fangchenggang Phase II power station.

CGN established a GDA project department in February 2015 to work on the regulatory process; technical preparation for the GDA assessment process was completed by this July.

The new UK government, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, took all sides by surprise in July when she said she needed more time to assess the project. Approval came two weeks ago, with the extra condition that Hinkley and other foreign-funded nuclear plants cannot change hands without the government's agreement.

An EDF board meeting on Sept 27 confirmed that EDF is happy with the extra condition.

Hinkley will begin construction in 2019 with a view to start operating in 2025. It will satisfy 7 percent of the UK's energy needs.

Lady Barbara Judge, former chairwoman of UK Atomic Energy Authority, said China has good technical nuclear capabilities. "I have great respect for the nuclear projects all over China," she said.

Andrew Shepherd, senior energy and infrastructure analyst at BMI Research, said "rigorous and robust assessment of China's own domestically designed reactor by UK regulators would certainly give China's nuclear export plans a significant boost."

He said CGN will increase efforts to communicate with greater emphasis on "transparency" with the UK public about its technology in order to build trust.

He said CGN is currently in advanced stages of preparing nuclear investments in Romania. Other areas being considered include the Czech Republic, Southeast Asian countries, South Africa, and Turkey.

-----#####-----
​

UK regulator prepared for Hualong One
27 September 2016

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has the expertise and resources it needs should it receive a request from government to assess China's Hualong One reactor design, its chief nuclear inspector, Richard Savage, said today. ONR's chief executive, Adriènne Kelbie, added that she sees no need for wholesale change at the organisation and that recruitment of inspectors and other staff is on target. They spoke to World Nuclear News during the International Atomic Energy Agency's 60th General Conference being held this week in Vienna.

More -> UK regulator prepared for Hualong One

 

[ahojunk]

China General Nuclear acquires Belgium's largest onshore wind farm
(CRI Online) 15:53, September 30, 2016

A worker checks solar panels at a solar energy plant. [Xinhua]​

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has signed an agreement in Paris with Belgium's Windvision to take over Esperance wind farm on Thursday.

Esperance has a total capacity of 81 megawatts, which is the largest ongoing onshore wind farm in Belgium.

This is a new step taken by CGN to expand in the European market after the UK and France.

CGN started its European subsidiary in France in 2014, mainly focusing on investment and acquisition of renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy.

Currently, CGN owns over 8.7 million kilowatts of overseas new energy holding capacity, mainly distributed in Asia, Europe and Middle East.

CGN is one of the enterprises with the largest holding capacity overseas.

Some other CGN projects / assets​

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site is seen near Bridgwater in Britain, September14, 2016.​

Sept. 22, 2015. An offshore platform for pile sinking in Rudong offshore windpower project of China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) in Rudong County of Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) signed an agreement worth $2.27 billion to acquire the entire power assets of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), November 2015.​

 

[Three_Kingdoms]

Congratulations on this landmark co-operative business venture for all the parties China-UK-France

Business Secretary Greg Clark (pictured middle) signs the £18billion deal to build Hinkley Point C with EDF chairman Jean-Bernard Levy (left) and He Yu, chairman of CGN (right) in London today

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...h-Chinese-officials-London.html#ixzz4LmX0dP6M
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[aswin]

soon china will be the benchmark for developing countries. way to go. keep rocking.

 

[JSCh]

China to Build World's Largest Solar Power
By Charissa Echavez | Sep 30, 2016 07:00 AM EDT

Photovoltaic power panels stand at Abaste's El Bonillo Solar Plant while wind turbines spin at a wind farm on the background on December 2, 2015 in El Bonillo, Albacete province, Spain. (Photo : Getty Images)

China will soon become the home to the world's largest solar power as China Minsheng New Energy Investment Co. is set to develop a 2 gigawatts solar farm in the Ningxia region.

The private investor group will allocate $2.34 billion to install an estimated 6 million solar panels that will cover 4,607 hectares of land. Upon completion, it will produce a total capacity of 2 gigawatts, surpassing the scale of photovoltaics in place in Thailand at the end of 2015, according to Bloomberg.

"The opportunities are huge" for solar development in China, Wang Jian, executive vice president of China Minsheng New Energy Investment Co., said.

The new Ningxia plant will be the fruit of China's ambitious plan to shift to 20 percent renewable energy by the end of the decade, the ZME Science reported. In just five years, investment increased nearly threefold to $111 billion from just $39 billion. Moreover, the solar power's electric capacity increased 168 times and wind power quadrupled.

Meanwhile, Minsheng New Energy, established by China Minsheng Investment Corp in October 2014, said it plans to allocate 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) to increase its photovoltaic power generation capacity to 12 gigawatts over the next five years.

As of June, the company has finished at least 50 percent of the Ningxia project and an estimated 380 megawatts have already been connected to the grid, Fan Cheng, deputy head of CM Guangfu (Ningxia) Investment Company, a unit of Minsheng New Energy, said.

Once completed, the Ningxia plant is anticipated to generate 2.73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the 400-megawatt power produce by coal-fired plant.


China to Build World's Largest Solar Power : Society : Chinatopix

 

[onebyone]

October 06, 2016
china, energy, future, nuclear, world

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China's power consumption in August rose 8.3 percent from a year ago because of increased cooling demand due to high temperatures.

China's power consumption reached 563.1 billion kilowatt hours (kwh) in August, said Zhao Chenxin, spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Power consumption totalled 3.89 trillion kwh in the first eight months of 2016, up 4.2 percent from the same period last year.

China's manufacturing sector unexpectedly expanded in August, with the official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising to 50.4, the fastest pace in nearly two years.

Monthly imports in August also unexpectedly rose for the first time in nearly two years and industrial output increased at the fastest rate in fives years.

The rapid rise in August power consumption reversed the recent negative growth in thermal power production, with power generated from coal and natural gas rising 7.7 percent from a year ago in August, the NRDC's Zhao said.

Hydropower output climbed 5.8 percent while nuclear power production increased 20.1 percent during August.

The NDRC also approved 25 fixed-asset investment projects in August with a total value of 196.6 billion yuan ($29.48 billion), which are mainly transportation, water conservancy and energy projects.






Most of Japans reactors are still shutdown
http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/10/chinas-nuclear-energy-production.html

 

[beijingwalker]

China leads energy efficiency improvements around the world

By Tereza Pultarova

Published Monday, October 10, 2016

In 2015 the world’s energy efficiency improved by 1.8 per cent, a record high, but it still falls short of levels required to reverse climate change.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the improvements were the most obvious in developing countries, with China being the 2015 energy efficiency champion.

In 2015, the economy of the east Asian superpower squeezed out of one energy unit 5.6 per cent of its gross domestic product more than a year earlier. The 2014 improvement amounted to 3.1 per cent. While China’s economy grew by 6.9 per cent in 2015, primary energy demand increased by only 0.9 per cent – the lowest rate since 1997.

Singlehandedly, China improved the world’s energy efficiency average by 0.4 per cent. However, the global improvement, which took place despite the drop in energy prices, is not enough, according to IEA. In its Energy Efficiency Market Report 2016 the agency said the global economy needs to be improving its energy efficiency by 2.6 per cent a year to meet climate change targets.

The 2015 improvement, though, is three times as high as the average rate seen over the past decade.

“Energy efficiency is the one energy resource that all countries possess in abundance,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA executive director. “I welcome the improvement in global energy efficiency, particularly at a time of lower energy prices. This is a sign that many governments push the energy efficiency policies, and it works.”

The past year's progress indicates that global energy efficiency policies have the desired effect. For example, car fuel economy standards helped save 2.3 million barrels of oil a day, equivalent to 2.5 per cent of the global oil supply.

Such savings were achieved despite the collapsing price of oil driving up demand for inefficient light duty trucks. In the US alone, sales of these vehicles have reached an all-time high of 9.5 million. Thanks to valid fuel economy standards these vehicles were 9 per cent more efficient than in 2010.

Further areas of improvement included housing standards and more efficient lighting technologies.

According to IEA, the agency member states saved $540bn in energy costs in 2015 as a result of energy efficiency improvements achieved since 2000.

Efficiency standards now cover 30 per cent of energy use globally, up from 11 per cent in 2000.

According to IEA, over a third of all emissions reductions needed to reach climate goals by 2040 have to come from energy efficiency policies.
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/ar...-improved-in-2015-with-china-leading-the-way/