WCA March 2013

All powered up, but nowhere to go . . .

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 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

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,

Tongling orders Contirod ® plant

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 : www.sms-meer.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2013