Thermal power plants more flexible – VGB team speaks in New Delhi

India has set itself ambitious goals for the expansion of renewable energies requiring flexible thermal power plants. This is one reason for the very large interest in technologies and concepts as well as experiences that German players have gained in this area. This interest is also shown in the National Seminar, "Adaptation of Thermal Power Plants to Fluctuating Renewable Energies – The German Experiences", organised by the Excellence Enhancement Centre (EEC), which took place on December 16, 2016, in New Delhi. A team put together by the VGB with representations from GE, GKM, RWE, Siemens, Rostock University and the VGB spoke about the challenges involved and the approaches taken when making power plants more flexible.

The more than 160 participants learned that enormous technical advancements that enable the minimal load to be reduced and the load gradient to be increased have been achieved over the past few years. When it comes to greater flexibility the most important technical enabler is the higher automation level using intelligent measurement technology as well as new process-technical concepts and modern fittings. Furthermore, the VGB team clearly expressed the necessity for transforming the entire power plant. That includes new strategies for maintenance and servicing – here risk-based approaches play an important role – as well as well-founded training and further education programs for employees.

The seminar, which was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under the auspices of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF), was the third joint event organised by EEC and VGB in 2016.

more ...

Call for Papers - VGB-Workshop Flue Gas Cleaning

For the VGB Workshop "Flue Gas Cleaning", which will take place on May 3/4, 2017, in Lisbon, Portugal, we would be pleased to receive your concise summary not later than March 14, 2017.

more ...

VGB Innovation Award 2017 - Call for Proposals

The VGB Innovation Award honours outstanding performance of young university graduates working in the field of power and heat generation (age limit: 35 years). The work that is to be honoured in this way can relate either to innovation in the operation of power and heat generation plants, or to important new findings in research.

The VGB Innovation Award of the VGB Research Foundation is endowed with 10,000 € and is presented on the occasion of the VGB Congress POWER PLANTS - “Generation in Competition” 2017.

Based on the award guideline, all VGB member companies as well as the members of the Scientific Advisory Board of VGB have the right to propose candidates. Deadline for proposals is April 30, 2017.

more ...

Award of the VGB silver badge of honour to Dr Sauro Pasini

Dr Sauro Pasini, chairman of the Technical Committee “Renewables and Distributed Generation” and member of the Technical Advisory Board received the VGB-silver badge of honour for his long-lasting and meritorious co-operation in our joint activities.

Erland Christensen, Executive Managing Director of VGB, used the recent meeting of the Technical Advisory Board on December 13, 2016 in Essen to honour Dr Pasini as a highly motivated and skilful contributor to the work of VGB PowerTech who has been particularly committed to the activities on high-efficiency, low-emission conventional generation and the implementation of modern technologies in a low carbon world with higher shares of volatile renewable based generation.

Dr Pasini decisively influenced and shaped the work and position of VGB PowerTech with regards to the increasing importance of Renewables under the conditions of the global challenge of climate protection and secure supply. At the same time he made sure that the benefits of our joint activities were transferred into the Enel organisation to reveal the benefits of the VGB membership. Dr Pasini will enter into retirement in early 2017.

New power plants in Europe: Update February 2017

The survey on new power plants in Europe comprises plants in planning and under construction covering different energy sources. Based on this excel sheet, the planned total output (MW) and the portions of the sources of energy (MW) can be determined.

more...

„Partner steam power plant“ for the regenerative power generation: Final report in English

Results of the VGB research project “'Partner steam power plant' for the regenerative power generation” are summarized in a final report, now available also in English. The report is available for VGB members for download.

more...

Abstracts of Minutes

• Steam Generators - 17/18 November 2016
• Maintenance Management - 2/3 November 2016
• Fuel Technology and Firing Systems - 2 November 2016
• Industrial and Co-Generation Stations - 24/25 October 2016
• Power Plant Concepts - 5/6 October 2016
• Fuel Technology and Firing Systems - 16 June 2016
• Conventional Plants - 18/19 May 2016
• Fluidised Bed Firing Systems - 13/14 April 2016

Ice Detection Systems for Wind Turbines, Part II: Field test and benchmark at wind park Stor-Rotliden

An optimized and efficient operation of wind parks under icing conditions has become a very important issue for the operators. Therefore in the new VGB research project 401, four blade-based ice detection systems (Weidmüller, Eologix, fos4x, Wölfel) have already been or will be installed and tested at the same wind turbine at the wind park Stor-Rotliden in Västerbotten, Sweden, during the winters 2016/17 and 2017/18. A detailed measurement program will be performed within this highly innovative research project, which is supervised by the VGB Technical Committee "Wind Energy".

more...

Belit-Calciumsulfoaluminate-Cement from lignite and hard coal fly ash

The production of cement causes high CO₂ emissions. One obvious way to reduce these emissions is the reduction of CO₂ in the basic materials by use of industrial by-products as secondary raw material, e.g. for Belit-based cement. Belit is one of the clinker phases of cement.

VGB PowerTech Journal 12 (2016): VGB Congress “Power Plants 2016”: Reports, impressions; Fuel technology and furnaces

Editorial

DI Peter Stettner

The future of power industry – a view on the globe

Some topics:

• The role of energy supply in the industry 4.0
  (Jörg Rothermel) Download ...
• Low NO_x lignite coal firing
  (Paul Alps, Felix Hellwig, Horst Müller and Reinhard Leithner)
• Study on different impacts of renewable energy sources on the German power supply system
  (Florian Gutekunst, Simon Remppis, Michael van der Straeten, Michael Salzinger and Hendrik Lens)
• From power plant school to international energy technology training center – big and small innovations revisited
  (Heinrich Nacke and Hans-Werner Otte) Download ...

Current Issue

VGB-S-002-03-2016-08-EN - Technical and commercial indicators for power plants - Now available asfree of charge eBook!

Apart from investment costs, fuel and O&M cost determine the economic success of power plant operation. In this respect availability is playing a very important role. It is an indicator for assessing the technical and economic potential and capacity as well as the reliability of a plant and reflects advances in technology and engineering.

This VGB-Standard contains the terms, definitions, technical profile as well as recording and calculation rules necessary for determining availability.

A continuous revision of this standard is ensured by the VGB Technical Group "Performance Indicators" technical group. The English version will be published promptly.

VGB PowerTech offers the VGB-Standard as well as the corresponding exercise booklet equipped with practical examples as an eBook free of charge.

more ...

VGB-S-116-00-2016-04-EN - Preservation of Power Plants: Now available as eBook!

The operation of coal-fired power plants massively changed in the last years. The number of plants with frequent standstills for unknown periods, but simultaneously required start-up readiness has increased. Furthermore, a lot of power plants has been put in the so-called cold reserve or is increasingly at standstill during summer periods.

Due to varying standstill scenarios different approaches and considerations are to be made to avoid damage on the one hand, but on the other hand the economic efficiency is to be taken into account.

Preservation is not limited to the usual avoidance of corrosion in the water/steam cycle, but has to be extended, to all plant components and areas, such as the fuel supply chain, water treatment systems, movable parts and lubricating systems as well as the flue-gas side including all flue-gas treatment systems.

more ...

TW-103Ae - Analysis of Unavailability of Power Plants - Now available as eBook!

The Technical-scientific Report "Analysis of Unavailability of Power Plants" for the period 2006 to 2015 is now available. In addition to the power plant availability parameters, the performance of key systems and equipment affecting the unavailability of power plants is reflected. An unavailability analysis is done annually in order to identify such systems and equipment, and to monitor or retrofit these parts in order to improve power plant performance. The systems and equipment are specified according to the power plant identification system (KKS). The current report comprises performance indicators for 302 power plant units, evaluates around 122,000 incidents and provides some new features:

• International focus,
• new availability charts considering quartile values,
• new nominal capacity cluster.

more ...

Available in English: VGB/BAW-Standard VGB-S-021-01-2016-EN - Corrosion protection for offshore wind structures and wind park components

The first edition of the VGB/BAW-Standard S-021 "Corrosion protection for offshore wind structures and wind park components" is available in English. Part 1 deals with corrosion protection in general and includes a definition of the corrosion zones. Part 2 focuses on the requirements of corrosion protection systems, and part 3 on the reliable application of an initial coating.

The document can be downloaded free of charge.

more...

VGB-S-041-00-2016-04-EN - Standards for professional leadership behaviour - Now available as eBook!

Rather than sharing generally known theories and fundamentals on leadership behaviour, the VGB-Standard VGB-S041 is meant to serve as a basis for operator-specific requirements for leadership behaviour and focus content-wise on essential tasks of managers in day-to-day business.

more...

VGB-S-043-00-2016-06-EN - Concept of (recurrent) training for performance of non-routine activities in German NPPs - Now available as eBook!

On the basis of the established practices in German nuclear power plants, and considering the VGB “Concept for the Implementation of Tools for Professional Conduct”, the VGB Working Panel Safety Assessment has worked out the principles for training for performance of non-routine activities (target group, contents, training intervals, etc.) summarized in this VGB-Standard.

more...

VGB-S-121-00-2016-04-EN - Monitoring, limiting and protection devices on gas turbine systems - Now available as eBook!

Monitoring, limiting and protection devices must satisfy stringent requirements in order to ensure safe and reliable operation of gas turbine units. The revisied VGB-Standard aims at considering the state-of-the-art and the current codes of practice and ISO and VDMA standards. This standard applies to stationary gas turbines (single-shaft and multi-shaft turbines) used to drive generators and other machinery.

more...

VGB-S-145-00-2015-11-EN - Guide for the procurement of steam turbine plants - Now available as eBook!

The VGB-Standard VGB-S-145 for the procurement of steam turbine plants is intended to provide a general guideline for establishing general and technical terms of contract for the purchase of steam turbine plants to be used in power generation (power stations).

more...

VGB-S-832-00-2016-04-DE-EN - Document Designation for energy spply uits - Now available as eBook!

The VGB-Standard VGB-S-832-00 describes structure and parts of the document designation for energy supply units. Tables provide object keys for general objects (technical or administrative) and the assignment of the document kind classification code (DCC) to denominations of documents, which are commonly in use.

more ...

Now available in English: Offshore Diving Guideline

The Guideline for Offshore-Diving, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is now available via the DNV.GL.

VGB PowerTech was part of the working group which elaborated this Guideline.

Contact: Karl-Heinz Puch