Sunchon power station
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Sunchon power station (순천화력발전소) is an operating power station of at least 200-megawatts (MW) in Sunchon City, Sunchon, South Pyongan, North Korea. It is also known as Suncheon power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Sunchon power station | Sunchon City, Sunchon, South Pyongan, North Korea | 39.401456, 125.968168 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4: 39.401456, 125.968168
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: anthracite | 50 | subcritical | 1983 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: anthracite | 50 | subcritical | 1983 |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal: anthracite | 50 | subcritical | 1984 |
| Unit 4 | operating | coal: anthracite | 50 | subcritical | 1985 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Sunchon Power Plant [100%] | Sunchon Power Plant [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Sunchon Power Plant [100%] | Sunchon Power Plant [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Sunchon Power Plant [100%] | Sunchon Power Plant [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Sunchon Power Plant [100%] | Sunchon Power Plant [100.0%] |
Background
The plant is a combined heat and power (CHP) plant.[1]
A 2015 report by the Korea Development Bank (KDB산업은행) provided the following background on the power station (Google Translate):[2]
- Construction began in 1984; it was built with the support of China for the purpose of supplying electricity and industrial steam and city heating to the Suncheon area;
- In 1987, the first generator (50 MW) was completed and electricity production started;
- In 1988, units 2-4 were completed and operation started;
- However, in March 1989, a "large-scale explosion" occurred and one out of four generators is known to have burned down;
- In August 1994, "an explosion occurred at Generator No. 3 and the cooling equipment and transformer were burned down";
- In 2000, "a 10,000 kVA class steam turbine generator was newly installed" and "the No. 4 power generation crushed stone plate production base was newly built at the heat facility maintenance workshop"
- In 2010, "the No. 1 generator with more than three times the capacity of the previous one was overhauled."
According to a North Korean news article in October 2023, the Sunchon (Suncheon) power station was one of several thermal power stations in the country that were "strengthening the existing production base by fully securing the immediate electricity demand, leveraging science and technology, and actively exploring and mobilizing internal reserves" (Google Translate).[3] While the material implications of this statement were unclear, the power station appeared to be active and operating.
Reporting in 2024 also indicated that technological improvements had been completed within the last year, including the installment of new turbine blades.[4][5][6]
Capacity uncertainty
An undated Korea Electricity Industry Promotion Association (KOEMA) power system spreadsheet listed the capacity as 400 MW, with four "turbochargers" (4개의 터보잘전기).[7]
A 2016 report by the North Korea Development Institute only listed the capacity as 200 MW.[8] An updated 2020 'State of Industry' report by the Korea Development Bank stated the capacity at 210MW with the use of anthracite coal.[9] A summary in a Ministry of Unification portal noted "2000년 7월 5호기(1만kw) 완공" (July 2000 Completed Unit 5, 10 MW) and listed a total of 210 MW capacity.[10] The plant's capacity was also stated at 210MW in a media article from April 2023 when the plant celebrated 40 years since its founding.[11]
Catfish plant
The Suncheon catfish plant uses waste water from the power station. The plant's hot water is necessary to grow the warm-water fish.[12]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Status and Future of the North Korean Minerals Sector," Edward Yoon, for Nautilus Institute, January 6, 2011
- ↑ “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
- ↑ 지난해 같은 시기에 비해 수십억kwh의 전력을 증산, Arirangmeari, Oct. 20, 2023
- ↑ 북한의 2023년 10대 최우수 기업은?, NK Economy, September 16, 2024
- ↑ 전력공업부문에서 생산성과 확대, Korea News Service, November 4, 2024
- ↑ 현실에서 제기되는 과학기술적문제해결에 주력, KCNA Watch, November 13, 2024
- ↑ "화력발전소(중형급) 위치 및 정보," 남북 전력발전, accessed November 2021
- ↑ “최신 북한 전력산업 동향 및 향후 협력전망,” 북한발전연구원, 2016
- ↑ [download at the bottom of the page, info on page 284 and 324) (2021). "2020 The North Korea's Industry - Volume 1". nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ “순천화력발전소,” Ministry of Unification, North Korea Information Portal (nkinfo.unikorea.go.kr), search results accessed November 2021 (page titled "주요발전소")
- ↑ "North Suncheon Thermal Power Plant 40th anniversary report meeting". www.spnews.co.kr. April 2023. Retrieved via Google Translate.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "김정은, 신설 순천메기공장 현지지도..'연간 1,200톤 규모'," Tongil News, November 28, 2017
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.
