pwr_august-2024 - 13

GLOBAL MONITOR
the Three Gorges Group, whose megapower
projects have mostly focused on
hydropower. The company owns five of
the largest 12 hydropower stations built
or under construction in the world. The
China Three Gorges Renewables Group,
listed in June 2021, has spearheaded
several noteworthy projects, including
onshore and offshore wind projects, solar
PV projects, and hybrid projects. The
integrated project stems from the 2-GW
Ulanqab demonstration project in Inner
Mongolia. That project integrates 1.7
GW of wind power, 300 MW of solar PV,
and a 550-MW energy storage system.
Indian Government Greenlights
Transmission Projects to Transmit 9
GW of Renewable Power. India's government
approved two transmission
projects in late June to transmit 9 GW
of renewable power from the western
state of Rajasthan and the southern
state of Karnataka. The Inter-State
Transmission System (ISTS) projects,
worth a combined $1.63 billion, are part
of the government's plans to implement
500 GW of new renewables capacity
by 2030. About 200 GW is already connected,
the government said. The ISTS
projects will be implemented through
tariff-based competitive bidding. According
to the Ministry of Power, one
project, which will evacuate 4.5 GW
within the Rajasthan Renewable Energy
Zone (REZ), is slated to be completed
within two years. The Karnataka project
is a " system strengthening scheme "
that will also evacuate 4.5 GW of renewable
power from the Koppal area
and Gadag area. That project is scheduled
to be completed by June 2027.
Japan's NRA Approves Extended
Operation for Ohi 3 and 4 Under New
Law. Marking a first under a new law
passed in April, Japan's Nuclear Regulation
Authority (NRA) on June 26 approved
long-term facility management
plans for Kansai Electric Power Co.'s
Ohi 3 and Ohi 4 nuclear power plants
in Fukui Prefecture. The measure will
allow the two pressurized water reactor
(PWR) units-a combined 1,180
MW-to extend their operation beyond
the standard 40-year limit. Lawmakers
approved the GX Decarbonization Power
Supply Bill on April 26, maintaining
existing provisions that allow nuclear
reactors to operate up to 60 years. The
law designates nuclear power as a key
component of the country's baseload
electricity generation. Under the law,
nuclear operators must submit a management
plan to extend operations beAugust
2024 | POWER
yond 30 years and perform a technical
evaluation of plant deterioration. The
new policy permits reactors to operate
for more than 60 years by excluding offline
inspection periods from their total
service life. It also requires periodic
regulatory approval every 10 years for
reactors in use for 30 years or longer.
The Ohi 3 and 4 reactors are the first to
gain such approval under the new law.
Ohi 3, grid-connected in June 1991, can
now run until December 2031, while
Ohi 4, connected in June 1992, can run
until February 2033. " We will endeavor
to enhance the safety and reliability of
the plants by actively acquiring the latest
domestic and overseas knowledge
and information, and by reflecting them
in plant designs and the maintenance of
facilities, " Kansai said in a statement.
Two Swedish Nuclear Plants Eyeing
80-Year Operation. The owners
of the Forsmark and Ringhals nuclear
power plants in Sweden issued a directional
decision on June 17 to extend
their operating lifetime from 60 to 80
years. The 3.2-GW three-unit Forsmark
plant, which came online between
1980 and 1985 in Uppsala County, is
owned 66% by Vattenfall and 25.5%
by Mellansvensk Kraftgrupp (a partnership
between Fortum and Uniper).
The 3.2-GW two-unit Ringhals plant in
Halland County, which came online between
1981 and 1983, is owned 70%
by Vattenfall and 30% by Uniper. The
companies have invested up to $5 billion
to replace or renovate systems and
components at the two plants, including
turbines, condensers, generators,
control systems, switchyards, power
lines, and infrastructure. " After the extensive
modernizations that have been
carried out in the past, we see good
prospects for extending the operating
life up to 20 years, " said Torbjörn Wahlborg,
senior executive vice president
of Generation in the Nordic region at
Vattenfall. Extending the operating
life of the five reactors by 20 years
" could provide a total of more than 800
TWh of fossil-free electricity, which is
roughly equivalent to today's Swedish
electricity consumption for six years, "
Vattenfall noted. The companies now
plan to embark on an " in-depth investigation
phase, " which will include " detailed
cost calculations and an analysis
of identified risks in terms of expertise
and suppliers, among other things. " A
final investment decision may come
soon after, likely in the 2030s. ■
-Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor.
www.powermag.com
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