CLP increases Daya Bay offtake

Thursday, 13 February 2014

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%.

The company has been exploring ways to ease projected tariff increases on fossil fuels, a CLP spokesperson told World Nuclear News. 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.

Energy-hungry Hong Kong will get more of its electricity from Daya Bay

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.

The CLP spokesperson said, "This arrangement requires no additional investment or new infrastructure, nor does it require Daya Bay to increase generation capacity."

The South China Morning Post reported CLP data showing that per unit costs for nuclear were HKD0.47 ($0.06) in November 2013, compared with HKD0.27 ($0.03) for coal and HKD0.68 ($0.09) for gas. Tariffs on fossil fuels are expected to significantly rise by 2018, increasing the costs of coal and gas.

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.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News