WCA March 2013

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14 Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2013
China’s wind farms were expected
to generate over 100 billion kWh of
energy by the end of 2012, vice
director of the national energy
administration Liu Qi, told the China
Windpower conference in Beijing in
November.
Wind power continues to have “a
huge growth potential and room for
market expansion,” he added,
warning that there is a need to
address the phenomenon of
abandoning wind in some regions,
and curtailment by grid operators.
“The rapid development of wind
power is facing challenges in
adapting to and integrating with the
current electricity system.
“In certain areas with grid
curtailment, the traditional energy
system, management system and
policies cannot fully meet the
requirements of new energy
development such as wind power,”
Liu explained.
Under China’s renewable energy law,
all wind power produced is required
to be consumed by grid operators.
In reality, however, more than 20 per
cent is wasted in some areas, with
grid companies claiming they do not
have sufficient capacity to absorb
more wind power.
China will work to strengthen the
electric power system and improve
policies to support the industry, said
Liu: “It will also promote the full
acquisition of wind energy produced
in the country.”
China surpassed the US last year to
become the country with the most
installed wind power capacity at
62.5GW, but there has long been a
significant gap between the number
of installed wind farms and the
projects actually connected to the
electricity grid.
All powered up, but nowhere to go . . .
Kuwait aims for 15% ‘green’ electricity
Kuwait is aiming to source 15 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy
sources by 2030.
The country is currently on target for one per cent of its electricity from solar and
wind energy by 2015, according to the Emir of Kuwait, Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah.
Kuwait relies heavily on oil for power generation, but according to the
International Renewable Agency (IRENA), the country has approximately 70MW
of installed renewable energy capacity.
Of this capacity, PV accounts for 10MW and concentrated solar power accounts
for 50MW. The remaining 10MW is accounted for by wind.
Several Middle Eastern countries have begun to move towards renewables.
Qatar recently announced that it will obtain 16 per cent of its electricity from solar
by 2018, and Saudi Arabia recently disclosed that its long-term goal is to be
powered entirely by renewable energy.
The Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group from Anhui Province, China, has
ordered a complete Contirod casting and rolling plant for the production of
copper wire rod.
The high-performance line, from SMS Meer, can produce 225,000 tons of
copper wire rod per year from cathodes, and is intended to further strengthen
Tongling’s position in the copper business.
The Contirod line is designed for a capacity of 35 tons per hour, and will be
one of the largest integrated copper casting and rolling plants in China.
The line comprises a gas control system on the SMS shaft furnace for melting
copper cathodes and a modular Hazelett twin-belt caster. The casting
cross-section is 90mm x 70mm, followed by the rolling line with a 12-stand
rolling mill.
The enormous reduction in the cross-sectional area from the cast ingot to the
wire rod creates a very fine-grained material microstructure.
“The modern and energy-efficient technology such as the gas control system
and the variable-frequency drives make the plant one of the most
cost-effective of its kind,” claims Thomas Schatz, project manager at SMS
Meer. Commissioning of the line is expected in autumn 2013.
SMS Meer GmbH – Germany
Website:
Tongling orders Contirod® plant