Abstracts - VGB PowerTech Journal 7/2011

Market for power generation - Challenges and chances for suppliers

Marc Grünewald and Marc-Andre Drillose

Power generation companies are currently facing a number of challenges. Climate protection and evolving technologies are driving the further development of generation markets. This results in an area of conflict between economic efficiency, supply safety and sustainability. The German as well as global situations are analysed and future developments are outlined including possible problems and fields of action.

New conventional capacity in Europe  under legislative constraints

Susanne Nies

Five factors determine the setting up of new conventional capacity: electricity demand assumptions for the next twenty years to come, the flexibility challenge and the expected place of the new build in the merit order, finance and access to credits, licensing and public acceptance and regulation by public bodies. In this context, the paper focuses on current EU regulations. EURELECTRIC is of the opinion that legal incentives have to take into account pan-European aspects and the common energy market.

Competition about green investments - The European targets for renewables

Thorsten Schneiders and Cornelius Hoppe

Competition about renewables investments has just started in Europe. To fulfil their 2020 renewables targets, the European countries have to use more renewables in electricity generation, heating and cooling as well as in the transport sector. In the electricity sector, renewables capacities are supposed to double requiring extensive investments significantly higherly than the investment budget of all European energy companies. A suitable framework attracting such investments has to cover support schemes, grid access and licensing.

Consequences of low operation for coal-fired power plants

Wolfgang A. Benesch and Hermann Brüggendick

Due to the increasing share of renewable energy, it could be assumed that in future conventional power plants will have more frequent outages in order to compensate the volatile renewable energies and therefore contribute to the stabilisation of the transmission grid. The resulting modes of operation of coal-fired power plants will have consequences for coal handling at the plant site, furnace, turbine, and flue gas cleaning equipment. Major aspects are presented and discussed.

Use of simulators for virtual commissioning of main DCS on retrofitting projects - Case study: Neurath power plant Unit D, RWE Power AG

Heinz-Jürgen Wüllenweber, Jürgen Brunner and Ludger Küppers

Due to the positive experiences with the use of modern simulator development systems and virtual distributed control systems for training, simulators of the main distributed control systems (DCS) in the Neurath power station unit D were used with a specially adapted simulation system. The aims of the project were largely reached. The potentials of virtual commissioning could be demonstrated for the first time.

Updated design and operation experience of CFB boilers with energy saving process in China

Hairui Yang, Guangxi Yue, Hai Zhang and Junfu Lu

Design, operating results and less auxiliary power of steam generators with circulating fluidised bed combustion system (CFBC) in China are presented. Based on the specific-state-design theory, steam generators with CFBC are designed for a certain range of fluidisation and operated within this range by adjusting pressure loss within the fluidised bed and the quality of the bed material. The method is demonstrated by taking a 75-t/h and 300 MWe CFBC steam generator as an example.

Efficient steam boiler plants for industrial heating- and co-generation plants as well as auxiliary boiler plants for power stations

Wolfgang Sobbe, Johannes Janzen, Michael Schiemann and Harald Braun

Project planning of a new steam boiler depends on demand analyses and the supply concept selected. In recent years, the demand for waste heat recovery boilers increased in industrial applications because of framework conditions. Besides, the high costs for oil and gas also triggered higher demand for boilers firing cheaper fuels like e.g. pulverised lignite. The paper presents concepts with steam boiler plants that are heated differently.

Adaption of flue gas treatment at power plants with co-incineration demonstrated by examples

Martin Sindram and Diethelm Walther

Co-combustion uses a wide range of fuels, which is often associated with a significant change of the flue gas concentrations, -composition and limit values. When co-combustion is established, the necessary performance of flue gas cleaning must be generally increased. The paper discusses the requirements and results for dry and wet flue gas cleaning as well as for fluididsed bed systems that are particularly suited for co-combustion.

Chemical aspects of sewage sludge co-firing: Adjustment to future legal developments in Austria

Manuela Dissauer and Werner Schöngrundner

When firing substitute fuels in co-fired power plants, the emissions into air (concentrations of pollutants) are limited by the national waste incineration regulation (AVV Abfallverbrennungsverordnung). There is no limitation of pollutant charge on the input side. Therefore, a new decree for substitute fuels (RL-EBS - Richtlinie für Ersatzbrennstoffe) was integrated into the existing regulation for waste incineration by January 1, 2011 that limits input quality requirements for substitute fuels. The new Directive has to be implemented into national law by January 1, 2012 at the latest.

Analytical challenges in trace element balance in large-scale combustion plants

Joachim Tembrink and Dirk Porbatzki

The licensing procedure for co-combustion of residual materials and non-fossil fuels in coal-fired power plants often require preparation of a trace element balance. Element balances allow an element-specific analysis of the emission behaviour of a single plant and the element distribution to different by-product streams. Possibly the element balance results can be used for calculation of transfer factors for comparable fuels.

Cause and effect: Recent developments in hazard identification and process safety management on UK coal-fired plant

Paul James, Mike Hawkes and Paul McCulloch

Most power utilities active in the UK are managing a fleet of ageing coal-fired plant that over the past two decades has experienced more intense cyclic operation. Modified modes of operation require investigations to ensure “best practice”. The principles of safety-risk management (process safety management) are considered. The focus is on the identification, analysis and management of Process Safety Risks, i.e. those hazards and risks arising from the operation of the plant, particularly which tend to be low frequency but high consequence. The new procedure has already been integrated into the existing safety management of E.ON UK.

Installation services in the lignite industry - Implementing health and safety

Norbert Roskopf

The increasing number of assignments of contractors in the lignite industry challenges both the client and the contractor with respect to health and safety. Additional endeavours have to be made concerning information, communication, coordination and assurance. Quantitative differences of occupational safety can be made up by operator support. The contractor himself is required to highly focus on health and safety issues. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU OSHA) and its campaign “Healthy Workplaces - Safe Maintenance” currently raises the awareness of all parties being involved. More information can be found under http://hw.osha.europa.eu

Health and safety aspects in dealing with contractors on a partnership basis

Harald Gröner, Ansgar Roelofs and Ulrich Hank

Health and safety must be given priority, particularly when cooperating with partner companies. One major condition for good health and safety at partner companies cooperating with RWE is that they must form part of the existing RWE health and safety management system. This is based on the health and safety policy of RWE Power through which the Executive Board defines corporate health and safety requirements. To ensure implementation, RWE has identified and developed health and safety requirements and options in all areas along the entire supplier management process, from the selection to the acceptance of external products and services.

Technical plant documentation - Challenges and first experiences with the VGB-R 171

Stefan Ostrowski and Jörg Richnow

With the delivery of power plants, systems and their components within the framework of projects or individual orders also the supply of documentation (technical data and documents), needed for operation and maintenance activities, must be clarified. The existing VGB Guideline for the supply of Technical Documentation published in 2003 did not meet any more the current regulatory and operational requirements. Therefore, in 2010 VGB published a completely revised new edition of this guideline. With this guideline a practical standard was developed which defines as precisely as possible all major issues related to the delivery and take-over of technical documentation.