New emission limits in India – VGB team reports about its experiences at workshops in Kolkata, Raipur and Hyderabad

Under the motto "Implementation of New Environment Norms for Thermal Power Generation – Learning from German Experiences", the Excellence Enhancement Centre (EEC) organised workshops at three locations in India – Kolkata, Raipur and Hyderabad – over the period November 15 – 19, 2016. Representatives of Doosan Lentjes, Hamon, Steinmüller Babcock Environment, Steag Energy Services, Uniper and VGB reported about their experiences in retrofitting and operating flue gas cleaning equipment in coal-fired power plants.

Under the motto "Implementation of New Environment Norms for Thermal Power Generation – Learning from German Experiences", the Excellence Enhancement Centre (EEC) organised workshops at three locations in India – Kolkata, Raipur and Hyderabad – over the period November 15 – 19, 2016. Representatives of Doosan Lentjes, Hamon, Steinmüller Babcock Environment, Steag Energy Services, Uniper and VGB reported about their experiences in retrofitting and operating flue gas cleaning equipment in coal-fired power plants. New emission limits for nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and mercury have been in force in India since December 2015. These limit values are comparable with European and German requirements. Some 653 existing plants with an installed capacity of 185 GW are affected. As currently planned, these plants need to comply with the new emission regulation by the end of 2017.

Neue Emissionsgrenzwerte in Indien – VGB-Team berichtet auf Workshops in Kolkata, Raipur und Hyderabad über deutsche Erfahrungen

Combustion optimisation before retrofit

This is the reason why the 250 participants showed great interest in learning more about the advantages and disadvantages of technologies and how retrofit projects work. State institutions such as the Central Electricity Authority and the Government of Chhattisgarh were among the participants as were companies including NTPC, Damodar Valley Corporation, and the State Electricity Boards of the Federal States of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Independent Power Producers (IPPs) like Tata Power and India Power were also present. The VGB team had one central message for all participants: A detailed analysis of the condition of the plant and combustion optimisation is necessary before retrofitting a power plant with flue gas cleaning equipment.

EEC connects Indian and German stakeholders

After the Indian delegation's study tour in September this year, which was concerned with making coal-fired power plants more flexible, this current series of workshops is another example of the close cooperation that exists between VGB and its Indian partner organisation EEC. With the regional workshops, EEC intends to push important topics in the energy sector by engaging directly with participants.

The EEC is an industry platform for Indian electricity providers, which, similarly to the mission of the VGB, is designed to promote the sharing of information and experiences among experts within the sector in order to increase the efficiency and availability of India's power plants. The EEC project was initiated under the auspices of the Indo-German Energy Forum. It plays an important role in the realisation of cooperation projects within the framework of the German government's bilateral energy partnerships. As a central point of contact for Indian and German stakeholders, the EEC is a platform that fosters cooperation based on trust and personal relationships.

More information is included in the workshop proceedings