"Coal-fired Power Plant Heat Rate and

Efficiency Improvement in India"

APEC Workshop on Options to Reduce CO2

Emissions
S.C. Deo Sharma
Centre for Power Efficiency and Environmental Protection (CenPEEP)
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited, India
16th February, 2004
 Coverage

1. NTPC: A Snapshot
2. NTPC – USAID Partnership
3. Indian Power Scenario
4. CenPEEP Strategies
5. CenPEEP Experience
6. Future Options & Govt. Initiatives
 NTPC:A SNAPSHOT
National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. a Govt. of India
Enterprise, set up in 1975 is the largest power utility in
India.

Present Commissioned Capacity -- 21749 MW
(Coal based: 17480 MW Gas based: 3955, JV: 314)

Projects Under Construction --- 5300 MW

Capacity Addition of over 9370 MW planned for Xth Plan
and 11210 MW planned for XI th Plan

Ambitious growth plan to become a 56000 MW company by
2017

•PLF of NTPC Stations in 2002-03: 83.6%

•Turnover: Billion $ 4.129
•Net Profit: Million $ 745
 NTPC – USAID Partnership
Greenhouse Gas Pollution Prevention Project
GEP Project Aim:
• Environmental protection in energy sector by reducing
emissions of greenhouse gases
• Project outputs: demo of advanced – efficient
generation techniques for coal fired power plants.

Ministry of Power US Agency for International

(GOI) Development

NTPC
NTPC USDOE
USDOE
 Formation of CenPEEP

• Protocol of Intent signed between Govt. of India, Govt. of

USA and NTPC to implement GEP Project in 1994.
• Center for Power Efficiency & Environmental
Protection (CenPEEP) established by NTPC in 1994 to
implement GEP Project.
• US Department of Energy (USDOE) & USAID supporting
CenPEEP through technical assistance & transfer of
advanced leading edge technology for performance
improvement
• Initially Project Assistance Completion Date was March,
2002;
• Project extended till March 31, 2005 and September 30, 2008
in Sept. 1999 and 2003 respectively
 GOALS OF CenPEEP
Development of an Institution in power sector in India:
• To reduce GHG emission from coal fired power plants by
performance optimization in terms of efficiency, availability
& reliability .
• Technology acquisition with USAID assistance for GHG
reduction
• Institutionalization of cooperation for technology transfer.
• To become a National Resource Centre for performance
optimization and climate change options
• To become a Service Provider in power sector
 CTI’s World
Climate
Technology
Award 2002

Awards
Awards &
& Recognitions
Recognitions

USEPA
CLIMATE
PROTECTION
AWARD 2003
 Coverage

1. NTPC: A Snapshot
2. NTPC – USAID Partnership

3.Indian Power Scenario

4. CenPEEP Strategies
5. CenPEEP Experience
6. Future Options & Govt. Initiatives
 Per Capita Electricity Consumption
(IEA: Key World Energy Stat 2003)

Per Capita Energy Cons & CO2 emission

14000 12896 25

Per Capita CO2 Emission

Per Capita Energy Cons

12000
20
10000
8000 15
6000 10
4000
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Country
Per Capita Energy Cons
Per Capita CO2 Em is s ion

We have a long way to go

 India: Growth of Installed Capacities
120000
109868
101661
100000 97386
Installed Capacity xx (MW)
80000
66003

60000

40000 28448

20000 12957
4653
1712
0
1

3
50

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19

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 Generation in the country risen from 5 Billion units in 1950 to
531.43 Billion units in 2002-03.
Years
 Generation recorded average yearly growth rate of + 8%.
 Peak energy shortages are approx 11%
 POWER SCENARIO of INDIA
Ist PLAN VIIth PLAN
(03/56) (03/90) 2003
2% Nuclear 5 % Nuclear & Others
Hydro Hydro
35% Hydro
29%
25 %

65% 69% 70%

Thermal
Thermal Thermal
Thermal generation share: consistently increasing
Peak: 84% in year 2002-03
 India: Capacity Addition Programme
(Projected for next 10 years- by 2012)

A. Capacity Addition :
Hydro 36597 MW
Thermal 65339 MW
Nuclear 7215 MW
Total 109151 MW

Coal is going to remain the dominant fuel

Coal Based Power Generation-Issues
Coal - mainstay of power generation in India
(abundant reserve, low cost and energy security reasons)

Important Issues:
• Peak power and energy shortages; focus on PLF
• Deterioration in coal quality
• Deterioration in equipments performance
• Approx 40% of power plants less than 200MW
• Old plants and equipments - lower rated efficiency
• Poor C&I in old plants
• Poor maintenance;low performance recovery
• Need of R&M: but resource constraint
 Environmental Issues
Environmental issues in coal based power generation :
• Greenhouse gas (CO2) emission
• Particulate mission
• SOx and NOx emission
• Poor coal quality
• Coal haulage over long distance
• Ash management / large ash quantity and large land &
water requirement, leachates possibilities
• Fugitive emission
• Effluents

With accelerated capacity addition program, these

issues would be further aggravated.
Hence appropriate measures need to be taken early.
 Why Power Plant Efficiency is Important?

Efficiency of modern coal power plant = 34-36%

Efficiency of old power plant = 20-30%
Generation efficiency: percentage energy content of the
fuel being converted into electrical energy.
Increased efficiency implies:
• Same MW / Electricity from less quantity of coal
• 1% efficiency improvement implies:
• ~3% reduction in coal consumption and
•~3% reduction CO2/GHG & particulate emission

Focus needed on technology options to improve

generation efficiency of existing & new power stations.
 Coverage

1. NTPC: A Snapshot
2. NTPC – USAID Partnership
3. Indian Power Scenario

4. CenPEEP Strategies
5. CenPEEP Experience
6. Future Options & Govt. Initiatives
 WIN-WIN STRATEGY
Environment Plant Productivity
Improvement Improvement
•Efficiency increase
•GHG emission reduction
•Availability
•Particulate emission
improvement
reduction
•Sox / Nox emission CenPEEP •Reduction in O&M
costs
reduction
•Less capacity addition,
•Effluents reduction
less resource required
•Improved ash
•Increased profitability
management
•Sustainable growth
•Improvement in global
•Dual focus: PLF& Eff.
climate

Global Concerns Utility Concerns

 CenPEEP: TARGET AREAS

Turbine Cycle Boiler Cycle

Optimization Optimization

Focus Areas
Availability Low Cost ESP
Improvement High return Optimization

•Technology Dissemination
•Service Provider in selected areas
•Coal Beneficiation Studies to promote washed coal usage
•Advanced power generation technologies
•Ash haulback
 CenPEEP
CenPEEP
CENPEEPMethodology
Methodology
Model
State-of-the art technologies & practices for GHG reduction
from existing coal fired power stations
and
Pursuit of new technologies & options for
power generation & GHG mitigation

Technology Selection &

Acquisition

Technology Transfer
Technology
Dissemination
Technology Wide spread Workshop
Demonstration Training / News Letters
/ Web Site
Sustainability Through implementation of
Systems / Procedures / Guidelines
 CenPEEP: Methodologies
Typical Steps in Technology Transfer
1. Identification of cost effective technique practiced in
US Utilities for performance improvement
2. Training to CenPEEP / NTPC personnel at US
Utilities
3. Training & demo by US experts in Indian Utilities
(NTPC state run utilities both)
4. Demo by CenPEEP in Indian Utilities

To start performance improvement activities, set of

instruments and equipments were provided by USAID
 CenPEEP: Methodologies
Typical Steps in Technology Demonstration
1. Create awareness through training / workshop /
performance optimizers etc
2. Walk down of power station to assess the plant
conditions, provide broad recommendations,
3. Formation of POGs groups and identify test ports and
necessary instruments for performance testing
4. Performance testing of the equipments / plants using
high accuracy test instruments
5. Recommendation based on the performance testing
6. Sustainability of program by follow up, workshops,
feedback sessions etc
 Boiler Performance Testing
• Establishes the current level of boiler efficiency
• Facilitates combustion optimization
• Improves operating efficiency of the boiler
• Assesses performance degradation, provides inputs to
maintenance for performance restoration

The test comprises of:

Mill testing & performance optimization

Boiler efficiency test

Air preheater test

Boiler Furnace Test

Auxiliary power measurement of boiler drives
 Turbine & Auxiliaries Testing
Turbine
Salient Features
HR • Establish current level of performance using high
accuracy Instruments
• Demo exercises revealed potential of recovering 50
HP / IP - 100 kcal/kWh in HR
Eff.
Techniques Demonstrated
• Performance testing of equipments
Condenser • Water powered cleaners
• Condenser air in leak using He leak detector
HP • CW flow measurement using dye dilutiom
Heaters • Induction heating of turbine studs

BFP
 Performance Improvement Activities
CenPEEP undertakes performance improvement
activities through its central & regional set ups.
Use of high accuracy measuring instruments

The performance optimization techniques:

• Establish current level of equipment performance &
best achievable efficiency
• Recommend optimal operating regime
• Assess performance degradation, provides inputs to
maintenance for performance & capability restoration
• Facilitate combustion optimization
• Improve operating efficiency
 Coverage

1. NTPC: A Snapshot
2. NTPC – USAID Partnership
3. Indian Power Scenario
4. CenPEEP Strategies

5. CenPEEP Experience
6. Future Options & Govt. Initiatives
 CenPEEP Experience / Feedback
CenPEEP demonstrated performance improvement in several
NTPC stations and state owned utilities by:
1. Generating awareness for performance improvement
and key areas to be focused upon.
2. Implementing systems for performance evaluation &
performance tracking
3. Adopting best practices & new cost effective techniques
Demonstrated improvement even in best run power plants

CenPEEP awareness program & activities enabled

shift in focus from PLF to Efficiency and PLF both
 CenPEEP Experience / Feedback

Salient findings of CenPEEP activities:

• Performance improvements are possible at any plant;
1-2% in many plants.
• Start small; one or two areas (Condenser, APH) and / or
one or two activities (primary indicators / testing)
• Full support of plant management required
• Detailed plan of activities for improvement ant their
periodical review
• HR improvement is continuing process; normal work
activities
• Performance improvement to be responsibility of every
one; active involvement of all plant staff
 CenPEEP Experience / Feedback
Typical savings ($/Year for pit head station; 210 MW Unit)

1% HR Improvement: 122,640
1% APH Inlet O2: 36,350
1mm Condenser pressure: 9,958
1°C APH exit gas temp: 5,886
1°C Main steam temp: 3,140

• The demand for CenPEEP services increasing

consistently.
• CenPEEP expanded its activities by establishing two
regional CenPEEP Centers; set of instruments /
equipments provided by USAID
 Coverage

1. NTPC: A Snapshot
2. NTPC – USAID Partnership
3. Indian Power Scenario
4. CenPEEP Strategies
5. CenPEEP Experience

6. Future Options & Initiatives

GHG Emission Reduction: Other Options
• Setting up advanced technology plants like IGCC,
Fuel Cells; their feasibility is being explored
• Use of non conventional energy resources;
• Reduction of T&D Losses
• Energy End Use Efficiency
End use energy efficiency improvement leads to less
energy consumption, less power requirement for
same usage and hence less GHG emission.
Potential areas includes:
1. Efficient motor & pumps for agricultural application
2. Energy efficient equipments / system in industries
3. Efficient lighting, domestic electrical appliances, air
conditioning, building design etc.
 Institutional initiatives
• 500 MW plants & 660 MW supercritical plants for future
capacity addition
• Establishment of CenPEEP to reduce GHG, SPM and
other pollutant emissions
• Accelerated Power Development & Reform Program to
provide support to state utility to reduce T&D losses.
• Promulgating Energy Conservation Act and establishing
Bureau of Energy Efficiency to improve end use energy
efficiency
• Employing highly efficient pollution control devices
• Large scale Afforestation
• Use of washed coal in plants 1000 Km away from mine
end, in sensitive areas & suburbs
Thank You