Pre-feasibility study for Asian Super Ring to be ready in Q3 - ministry
KRASNOYARSK. March 2 (Interfax) - The development of the preliminary feasibility study for the project to export electricity from Russia to the Korean Peninsula and to Japan, the so-called Asian Super Ring, will be completed in the third quarter of 2015, according to Energy Minister Alexander Novak's presentation for the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum.
There are plans to both develop grid infrastructure and build generating facilities in Russia.
The Russian companies that will be involved in the project to build an energy bridge to Japan are Inter RAO , RAO Energy System of East (ES of East) and RusHydro .
The project calls for the construction of a coal-fired power plant with capacity of about 1 GW near the town of Uglegorsk; the construction of the second and third phases of Sakhalinskaya GRES-2 with the addition of 240 MW of electricity capacity, bringing the plant's total electricity capacity to 360 MW; modernization of Sakhalinskaya GRES and extension of the plant's service life; the modernization of the Nogliksk hydropower plant with expansion of installed capacity; and the construction of additional 220 kV power lines in the southern part of Sakhalin Island.
This will make it possible to export about 400 MW of electricity to Japan, the presentation states.
After the pre-feasibility study is discussed by the Energy Ministry working group, a decision will be made on the advisability of proceeding with the detailed elaboration of the technical part of the project and its subsequent implementation, including measures to develop energy capacity in the region.
However, Novak said at the forum that Japan has not yet passed legislation that would permit imports of electricity.
Sakhalin Region Governor Alexander Khoroshavin estimated the cost of building the bridge at $5.5 billion-$6 billion.
ES of East and RusHydro are the Russian parties responsible for the project to build an energy bridge to the Korean Peninsula.
Electricity could be supplied to South Korea either through North Korea, possibly using existing infrastructure, or by laying a cable along the bottom of the Sea of Japan (about 600 km).
Russia would export backup capacity from a power plant in Primorye, the Vostochnaya combined heat-and-power plant, which will be completed in 2015. There are plans to build 110 kV and 220 kV power lines to the city of Hasan.
This would make it possible to export up to 200 MW of electricity to North Korea as early as in 2016. In future, the possibility of increasing exports by building a 500 kV power line and new generating capacity in Primorye is being considered.