China Taps Homegrown Gas to Power Grid With New Sichuan Plant
China has brought a major new gas-fired power plant online in its southwestern Sichuan province, leveraging local shale gas resources of more than 400 mcm/a to enhance electricity grid stability during peak demand periods.
The second unit of Sichuan Huadian Neijiang Gas Power Innovation Demonstration Project completed a 168-hour trial run on Dec. 8 and officially commenced operations. This milestone marks the full commissioning of the plant, which features two F-class gas turbines with a combined capacity of 950 megawatts.
The project is strategically significant for Sichuan's energy supply. With an estimated annual power output of 2.38 billion kilowatt-hours, it is expected to play a crucial role in meeting winter electricity demand. The plant will consume approximately 403 mcm of natural gas per year, sourced primarily from local shale gas fields via supply agreements with CNPC's Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company.
This initiative effectively creates a localized "gas-to-power" supply chain within Neijiang City, converting locally extracted fuel into electricity for the grid. As Sichuan's first major gas-fired power project located in a core load center that is also a key gas-producing region, it is designated as a vital peaking power facility.
The first of the two 475-MW gas-steam combined cycle units began operations on July 25. The total investment in the project reached 2.14 billion yuan.
All information provided by SCI is for reference only, which shall not be reproduced without permission.
Please click "Read more" for the full article.
