Thursday, February 13, 2014

Hong Kong To Get 80% of Daya Bay Nuclear Plants Electricity

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

Hong Kong-based power utility China Light and Power (CLP), which already takes 70% of the output from the Daya Bay nuclear power plant in mainland China, has agreed to take another 10%.

I and the Center team met with CLP in the Spring of 2007.  We went on to visit the Daya Bay nuclear facility too.

Simeon Cheng, Norris McDonald, Dr. Gail Kendall, Zhang Xiaoping & Derry Bigby

The company has been exploring ways to ease projected tariff increases on fossil fuels. One of the measures discussed has been the supply of an additional amount of electricity from the Daya Bay plant, which already meets about one-quarter of Hong Kong's electricity demand.  Tariffs on fossil fuels are expected to significantly rise by 2018, increasing the costs of coal and gas.

CLP has now reached an agreement to increase the proportion of electricity supplied by Daya Bay to Hong Kong from 70% to 80% of the plant's output over the next five years.

Derry Bigby, Zhang Xiaopin & Norris McDonald

Daya Bay lies 50 kilometres to the northeast of Hong Kong in mainland China's Guangdong province and was the first commercial nuclear power plant to open in China. Its two 944 MWe French-designed pressurized water reactors have been in service since 1994. It is 75% owned by China General Nuclear (CGN), while CLP holds the remaining 25% through its Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Co Ltd subsidiary. In September 2009, CLP's arrangement to take 70% of Daya Bay's output was extended to 2034.  The plant is managed and operated by the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations and Management Co (DNMC), which also manages and operates the four reactors at the adjacent Ling Ao plant.  (World Nuclear News, 2/13/2014)

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