SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The eastern Chinese coastal province of Zhejiang has approved the construction of a new 7 billion yuan ($1.10 billion) coal-fired power plant with 2 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity, the state firm in charge of the project said on Wednesday.
The Zhejiang Energy Group said the Phase 2 Project of the Liuheng Power Plant would consist of two highly efficient “ultra-supercritical” units and would help balance energy supply and demand in the province.
The group said the new project would also serve Zhejiang’s low-carbon transition by boosting efficiency, with generation rates at 254 grams of coal per kilowatt-hour, much lower than the national average of 302.5 grams.
China has been under fire for continuing to approve new coal plants. The world’s biggest source of climate-warming greenhouse gas will not cut coal use until after 2025, according to a pledge by President Xi Jinping last year.
Researchers with the State Grid Corporation expect another 150 GW of new coal-fired power capacity to be built over the 2021-2025 period, bringing the total to 1,230 GW.
($1 = 6.3607 yuan)
(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
