China starts building of 650 degrees Celsius ultra-supercritical coal power unit

China on Saturday begun building of the world’s first ultra-supercritical coal-fired power generation unit operating at 650 degrees Celsius. The unit, located at the Yuhuan Power Plant in eastern Zhejiang Province, is part of the plant’s Phase IV expansion and will contain a ultra-supercritical coal-fired power generator with a main steam pressure of 35 megapascals.

Both the main and reheat steam temperatures will reach 650 degrees Celsius. China has been pushing for advanced coal technologies to balance its energy needs with climate commitments, including its pledge to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.