The coal is being shipped to the Hassyan coal-fired power plant (above) in Dubai. (Photo: State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council)
On April 9, the Fortune vessel set sail for the United Arab Emirates with 164,257 metric tons (mt) of Colombian coal. Drummond Ltd. said the ship will travel approximately 8,900 nautical miles through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal to the Hassyan coal-fired power plant in Dubai. Colombian thermal coal is valued worldwide for its high quality and Drummond Ltd. is a leading producer in the country.
The Hassyan power plant, a 2.4-gigawatt (GW) ultra-supercritical power plant, is the first coal-fired power project for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The plant has an offshore, floating coal handling facility along with barges for coal transshipment, a jetty and bulk handling facility for coal and ash, along with a 45-day coal storage facility.
The Hassyan coal power project is part of the UAE’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to diversify its energy mix to include 44% renewable energy production, 38% gas power generation, 12% coal power generation, and 6% nuclear power generation capacity by 2050. Hassyan Energy Co. is a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA, 51%) and the consortium of ACWA Power (27%), Harbin Electric (15%), and the Silk Road Fund (7%).
