Page 15 - Vol 28 Issue 29 2019

clean energy energy

Co-firing coal with biomass, waste Boiler Reliability Can Drive A Project’s Financial Success
products, or other indigenous fuels allows
the plant to be built to produce power at
a much lower price point.
Use of low rank coal, lignite, and petcoke
for power production are growing in India,
China, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia,
and South Africa is driven by better
economics, lower fuel price volatility, and
greater fuel supply security. Further, the
use of biomass for power production is
growing in many countries to reduce net
carbon emissions and meet future CO2
reduction targets. These expanding low-
quality solid-fuel markets across the globe Plants with SFWCFBs have demonstrated supercritical steam conditions (257 barg,
have dramatically increased the value of plant availabilities well above conventional 603/603C). The Samcheok plant meets
fuel flexibility for large scale power plants PC boilers over a wider fuel range. even tighter stack emissions without
and have been the primary driver behind The economic value of the increased 3% - using FGD equipment, saving Korea’s
the large CFB power plants coming on-line 5% availability of the SFW CFB plant over Southern Power Company over $100
over the last 10 years. a conventional PC plant is demonstrated million in construction cost. The plant is
Optimizing Operating Economics in the graph . This higher availability designed to burn a wide range of import
difference was maintained for even brown coals including sub-bituminous high-
Fuel flexibility can add up to huge coals and lignites. The total economic moisture coals (20%-42%). The CFBs
operating cost savings over the life value can translate to over a $100 million are also capable of co-firing indigenous
of a power plant. In addition to fuel NPV gain in net income over the life of a bituminous coal and up to 5% biomass.
flexibility and fuel security, the CFB 600 MWe power plant. The plant is designed to operate with a
also provides emission flexibility. It can 42.4% net efficiency (LHV) and went into
achieve low air emissions without post- Plant Case Studies full commercial operation in December
combustion SCR NOx and FGD SOx control Many recent projects illustrate the 2016, taking their place as the most
saving significant plant construction, successful application of SFW CFB advanced CFB units in the world.
operating, and maintenance cost over technology but two projects have The Value of CFB is Clear for Africa
the life of the power plant. This flexibility particular application to Africa. First, the
Lagisza CFB Power plant is the longest CFB can bring high value to the African
is important since emission regulations operating supercritical CFB power plant continent, that has large reserves of low-
are continually being tightened in nearly in the world today. Located at Tauron’s quality coals, lignites and waste coals from
all countries, including Africa and protects Lagisza power plant in Bedzin, Poland, mining operations. Today, CFB technology
against further capital investment. On the plant has been in operation since has been proven at the large scale to
the contrary, a pulverized fuel plant with 2009. At the heart of the plant is a 460 economically, cleanly and reliably convert
a narrow fuel specification would be at a MWe supercritical SFW CFB featuring a these low rank fuels into power and
competitive disadvantage with a higher very impressive net plant efficiency of steam, lowering the continent’s energy
average fuel cost, limiting its dispatch, and 43.3% (LHV) on bituminous coal. Perhaps cost and improving its energy security.
financial return. most importantly, the plant meets its The CFB technology also keeps the door
Increasing Plant Reliability permitted stack emissions without SCR or open for co-firing coals, petcokes and
biomass from either import or domestic
FGD equipment, thereby saving
Lagisza CFB Power Tauron over US$45 million with sources, when prices or regulations is
right, so you don’t have to lock yourself
Plant located in its construction cost and millions
Bedzin, Poland more each year in avoided O&M into one fuel source.
costs. The fuel and emission flexibility offered
An even more impressive by CFB translates into more value for
example of SFW CFB technology a power project developer in terms
is the 2,200 MWe Green Power of CAPEX and OPEX savings since no
Plant operating since 2016 in SCR or FGD is required, greater project
Samcheok, South Korea. The return from higher plant reliability and
Samcheok plant has four 550 less maintenance, fuel cost savings from
MWe SFW CFBs utilizing ultra- market arbitrage and carbon emission
reduction.

AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol 28, Issue 29, 2019 | 15