The Xiantao power plant is a 1.32GW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power project being developed in the Hubei province of China.

China Resources Power Company, a subsidiary of China Resources Holdings, is developing the project with an estimated investment of £520m ($800m).

The construction works on the coal-fired power station were started in 2019, while the construction of the steel frame house for the boiler of the first generating unit was completed in August 2020.

Unit one is expected to commence operations by August 2021 with the second unit scheduled for commissioning by December 2021.

Project Gallery

At full capacity, the Xiantao coal-fired power plant is expected to generate up to six billion kWh of electricity annually.

Location and site details

The Xiantao coal-fired power project is being developed on a 700 acres (283.23ha) site in Zengjiatai, near Changxikou Town, Xiantao City, in the Hubei Province, China.

Xiantao coal-fired power project make-up

The Xiantao thermal power plant will be equipped with two ultra-supercritical coal-fired units of 660MW capacity each.

Each unit will comprise a supercritical boiler, a steam turbine, and power generator set, a distributed control system (DCS), a deaerator, a condenser, a cooling tower, and a chimney with two inner cylinders.

The other facilities at the plant will include coal mills, vibrating feeders, belt conveyors, coal pulveriser rail cranes, gas desulphurisation units, denitration units, circulating pumps, dust removal, and online monitoring device, and a switchyard.

Ancillary facilities

The project includes two sets of quick-start diesel generators along with auxiliary equipment and a hydrogen supply station.

The project also includes two desalinated water tanks of 3000m3 capacity each, a single 500m3 ultrafiltration water tank, 200m3 primary and 100m3 secondary freshwater tanks, and a wastewater storage tank of 3000m3 capacity.

An 11.44km-long water intake pipeline from the Han River to the power station is also being constructed as part of the project.

The Xiantao power plant will receive coal supply by the Jiaoliu and the Menghua railways. The standard coal consumption for the power plant is estimated to be 273.3g/kWh.

Contractors involved

Wojie Elevator Company was contracted for the supply and installation of elevators for the project in October 2020, while Kerry Knowledge and Action Section was contracted for the transfer station equipment in October 2020.

Guangzhou Xinheng Pump Manufacturing Company was contracted for the supply of open pump and small machine condensate pump equipment for the project in June 2020.

Energy China Anhui Power Construction No. 1 Company was contracted for the construction of boiler equipment for the Xiantao coal-fired power plant in February 2020.

Orient International Group Shanghai Foreign Trade Company was awarded a contract worth £1.79m ($2.24m) for the supply of steam turbine bypass equipment in September 2019.

Henan Second Construction Engineering Development Company received a contract worth £11.55m ($15.32m) for the construction of a chimney and two cooling towers in March 2019.

Dongfang Electric Company was contracted by China Resources Power for the supply of boilers in May 2017.

Beijing Guodian Desheng Engineering Project Management Company has been engaged as the construction supervisor for the coal power plant, while Tianjin Power Construction has been contracted for the construction of unit one boiler pipeline.

Xiantao coal-fired power project background

The proposal for the Xiantao coal-fired power project was included in the Hubei province mid and long-term plan of large-scale thermal power plants in January 2013.

Later, the power project was also included in the proposal list by the Provincial Bureau in July 2015.

The Provincial Development and Reform Commission approved the project in September 2015. The project was initially scheduled to be completed and put into operation by 2018.