Qasim coal-fired plant generated 945 million kwh in March, breaking the record of the same type of power stations while also reaching the maximum monthly generating capacity.
Guo Guangling, general manager of power plant, told Gwadar Pro that 660MW generator units have constantly operated at 100% capacity during March, generating 30 million kwh of electricity per day.
The 940 million kwh is the maximum monthly capacity the project can produce, which is possible to be achieved only by operating at full capacity for a full month without any production pause. This data also breaks the previous record of the same type of power stations.
Indicated by the electric power department, in March, Qasim Power Station generated about 9.8% of domestic net on-grid electricity, which is equivalent to a year’s electricity consumption for about 400,000 average households here.
When asked, whether the units in Qasim capable of long-term operating at full capacity, Guo Guangling said, “Indeed, even in China, the same type units don’t constantly run at full capacity where load rates are around 50%. However, the units in Qasim, thanks to the strict regular maintenance procedures and higher reliability, are still stable and well-performing after such a long time of full-load operation.”
After reaching the maximum generating capacity, the plant has turned its attention to being more environment-friendly. “High-generating capacity, or high-efficiency power generation, to some extent, exactly means eco-friendly as far as a coal-fired power plant.”
The traditional power stations in Pakistan are costly and cause great pollution to the environment. This fact has aroused controversy and repulsion on coal-fired electricity midst people. However, its uniqueness and importance decides that it cannot be completely replaced, at least in the short term. In this case, higher efficiency of power generation, what Qasim is striving for, means lower pollution to the environment.
Guo pointed out that Qasim’s units use seawater secondary circulation for cooling and seawater desalination for water supply, and adopt environmental protection technologies such as limestone-gypsum desulfurization.
“That’s why emission indexes of Qasim coal-fired plant are far better than local and World Bank environmental protection standards,” he said. “In the future, Qasim will continue to strive for the solution of domestic power shortage and sustainable development.
Originally published at Daily times