China shuts down two 100MW coal plants

BEIJING, CHINA - The planned shutdown of two 100-megawatt (MW) coal-fired units in Huadian Kunming Power Plant in Kunming, the capital city of southwestern China's Yunnan province, was completed June 19.

The cooling tower, measuring 70 meters tall and 80 meters in diameter, was dismantled after an order given by Yun Gongmin, the new General Manager of China Huadian Corporation (Beijing).

So far, China Huadian has shut down 300 megawatts (MW) of small thermal power units in Yunnan province ahead of schedule, accounting for 28.6% of the total installed capacity scheduled to be shut down in Yunnan during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10).

Accelerating the shutdown of small thermal power units is an important measure to realize scientific and clean development in the electric power industry of China, and for energy conservation and emissions reduction, Zhang Guobao, Director of the State Energy Bureau, said at the ceremony.

The plant was a key project built during China's First Five-Year Plan. On May 31, the two 100-MW units at the plant were disconnected from the grid, more than two years ahead of schedule. This is also the second batch of small thermal power units shut down by China Huadian in Yunnan following the shutdown of four 25-MW coal-fired units at the Huadian Xunjiansi Power Plant in June 2007.

The shutdown of the two units could help China Huadian reduce the sulfur dioxide emissions by 12,000 metric tons, soot by 990 metric tons and nitride by 2,614 metric tons per year. It would also save up to 300,000 metric tons of standard coal every year by converting its equivalent output to a 600-MW unit.