Pukchang power station
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Pukchang power station (북창 화력발전 연합기업소) is an operating power station of at least 1600-megawatts (MW) in Pukchang, South Pyongan, North Korea with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Bukchang power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Pukchang power station | Pukchang, Pukchang, South Pyongan, North Korea | 39.586142, 126.305072 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 10, Unit 11, Unit 12, Unit 13, Unit 14, Unit 15, Unit 16, Unit 17, Unit 18, Unit 19, Unit 2, Unit 20, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9: 39.586142, 126.305072
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | mothballed | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1971 |
| Unit 10 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1975 |
| Unit 11 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1975 |
| Unit 12 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1975 |
| Unit 13 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1984 |
| Unit 14 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1984 |
| Unit 15 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1984 |
| Unit 16 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1984 |
| Unit 17 | operating | coal: lignite | 100 | subcritical | 2018 |
| Unit 18 | operating | coal: lignite | 100 | subcritical | 2018 |
| Unit 19 | operating | coal: lignite | 100 | subcritical | 2018 |
| Unit 2 | mothballed | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1971 |
| Unit 20 | operating | coal: lignite | 100 | subcritical | 2018 |
| Unit 3 | mothballed | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1971 |
| Unit 4 | mothballed | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1972 |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1972 |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1972 |
| Unit 7 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1975 |
| Unit 8 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1975 |
| Unit 9 | operating | coal: lignite, fossil liquids: fuel oil | 100 | subcritical | 1975 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 10 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 11 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 12 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 13 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 14 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 15 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 16 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 17 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 18 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 19 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 20 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
| Unit 9 | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100%] | Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex [100.0%] |
Background
The Pukchang power station is North Korea's largest power plant. It began operating in 1971; the initial units were built as part of an economic and technology exchange agreement with the Soviet Union. Other units were added in subsequent years.[1] It appears to be a combined heat and power (CHP) plant.[2]
The power station was proposed in 1961. It underwent various phases of construction:[3][4][5]
- Phase One (units 1-6): Units 1 to 3 were put into operation in 1971, with a power generation capacity of 300 MW; In 1972, the capacity increased to 600 MW with the operation of Units 4 to 6.
- Phase Two (units 7-12): Between 1973 and 1975, units 8 [sic] to 12 (and presumably unit 7) were reportedly put into operation, and the power station’s capacity expanded to 1,200 MW.
- Phase Three (presumably units 13-16): Construction of a 400 MW expansion began in 1978 and was completed in 1984.
- Phase Four (units 17-20): Between 2015 and 2017, with the support of used equipment from China, the construction of units 17 to 20 reportedly added any additional 400 MW of capacity at the power station (presumably coal).
The latest expansion (Phase Four) appears to match with a 2014 government announcement that they were constructing another thermal power plant near the Pukchang Thermal Plant Complex to supplement its power.[6]
Planet imagery from 2015 to 2021 also shows new development east of the original power station. A small new plume is visible starting around 2018.
In December 2018, the power station held an expansion completion ceremony.[7][8] No capacity figures are mentioned in these announcements, only one source referred to 400MW for Units 17-20.[5]
According to one summary, the power station consumed 5 million tonnes of coal one year, with 90% of coal and 10% of fuel oil.[3][5]
Updated 2020 report from the Korean Development Bank (Volume 1) reported the plant's capacity at 1,600MW with sixteen 100MW units in operation.[9] This is confirmed in several other sources.[10][11] It is not clear whether some older units were mothballed or retired after the commissioning of additional capacity in 2018. It is presumed that that 4 older units were mothballed.
In May 2024, the North Korean government's website reported that the power station had increased the efficiency of its boilers and generators, but the increased capacity was not specified.[12] Reporting in July 2024 stated that the power station had increased the number of boilers in operation as well as the annual number of days in operation, but did not reference specific statistics.[13]
Aging units
Various units were refurbished over the last few decades. Given numerous issues at the power station, the actual operating capacity is likely less than the installed capacity.[3]
Electricity shortages in North Korea are frequent and have been a problem for decades; according to one source from the Daily NK, "only one or two generators are actually operating" at any given time in the country's power plants.[14][15] In 2019, the North Korean government announced that they would be ramping up the production of domestic coal to aid the situation; however, most citizens agreed that fixing the existing power plants and making them more efficient should have been the higher priority.[14][15]
The aging power station was still responsible for rolling blackouts in 2020.[16]
In 2020, North Korea announced it would be undergoing a "power plant recovery" procedure to address the issue of power shortages in the country. This project included the Pukchang plant, where ‘defective’ equipment would be replaced.[17]
A media source from June 2022 referred to the authorities' appeal for increased maximum output from Pukchang Thermoelectric Power Plant around the clock, despite delayed repairs because of the shortage of spare parts as the borders have been closed during the pandemic.[18]
In May 2023, it was reported that since the beginning of the year, thermal power plants such as the Bukchang Thermal Power Plant have produced millions of kWh more electricity compared to the same period last year.[19] Reporting in October 2023 indicated that the Pukchang power station continued to maximize output via unspecified "technological innovations"(Google Translate).[20]
Incidents
In December 2022, a boiler exploded at the power station after being operated over its limits. The explosion came after North Korean authorities made repeated calls to increase domestic electrical production, with critics calling the incident a “typical man-made disaster” resulting from excessive operations due to state coercion. The plant stopped operating after the explosion and five workers were sent to the boiler room to complete urgent repairs. They sustained burns and were hospitalized.[21]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Wikimapia - North Korea," wikimapia.org, accessed June 28, 2021
- ↑ "Status and Future of the North Korean Minerals Sector," Edward Yoon, for Nautilus Institute, January 6, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 “북창화력발전연합기업소,” Ministry of Unification, North Korea Information Portal (nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr), accessed November 2021 (follow search result titled “전력” or “Power”)
- ↑ “The North Korea’s Industry” (북한의산업.pdf), KDB산업은행, December 2015, available for download at North Korea Information Portal (nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr), Ministry of Unification
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ministry of Unification. "Major power plants (using Google Translate)". https://nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr/.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Pyongyang's Perpetual Power Problems," 38 North, November 25, 2014
- ↑ “북창화력발전련합기업소 발전설비증설대상 준공식 진행,” dprktoday, December 13, 2018
- ↑ "North Korea expands capacity at nation's biggest electric plant: KCTV," NK News, December 14, 2018
- ↑ [download at the bottom of the page, info on page 284 and 317) (2021). "2020 The North Korea's Industry - Volume 1". nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Koema power plant summary". https://nk.koema.or.kr/. 2021. Retrieved January 2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help); External link in|website= - ↑ "Namu wiki - Bukchang Thermal Power Plant Complex". namu-wiki. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 북, "경제 여러 부문·단위, 4월 계획 완수" 주장, Ministry of Unification (North Korea), May 3, 2024
- ↑ [노동신문 당중앙의 부름에 애국의 실천으로 화답해나선 청년들], Minzok Ilbo, July 5, 2024
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "ANALYSIS: Kim's vision of a coal-fuelled North Korean future may be tough to realise," ET EnergyWorld, Reuters, January 4, 2019
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Electricity problems continue to plague North Korea," Daily NK, May 7, 2019
- ↑ “북창화력발전소 노후화로 정전…김정은 보도 시청 제한돼 ‘발칵’,” Daily NK, September 4, 2020
- ↑ "North Korea recovering power plants, state media says," UPI, March 9, 2020
- ↑ "N. Korean authorities appeal for increased output from Pukchang Thermoelectric Power Plant". /www.dailynk.com. June 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "North Korea claims to increase production of millions of kWh in electricity sector this year". www.spnews.co.kr. May 2023. Retrieved via Google Translate.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 북 "올들어 전력 수십억kwh 증산...정비보수, 수력발전 가동율 높아", SP News, Oct. 18, 2023
- ↑ "N. Korea's largest thermal power station suffers boiler explosion". https://www.dailynk.com/. December 19, 2022.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
