What can be done to maximize power plant efficiency?

In 2050, the United Nations predict that there will be 9.6 billion people in the world. The steep rise in the world’s population brings about a proportionate increase in the demand for electricity, and in the face of today’s power-related challenges, the question on people’s lips is “How else can the world’s existing energy facilities sustain such a vast power requirement?”

Nowadays, various governmental, quasi-governmental and utility-related entities have been making inroads into tapping the potential of renewable energy sources to support the power generation capacity of existing power plants. Efforts are being driven to enhance available renewable energy technologies, with the aim of having them produce amounts of power at par with the traditional ones. Myriad reports show that various installations have been successful, with some countries, particularly in Africa, embracing renewable technologies as one of their main sources of electricity for domestic consumption.

Another plausible contributor to the enhancement of the world’s electrical energy generation is increasing the efficiency of existing power plants. There are several strategies that operators can employ in order to optimize the performance of electricity generation facilities. Raising the level of the operational efficiency of power plants will not only improve their electricity production, but will also heighten their environmental friendliness.

Experts agree that having an advanced flow measurement system installed may help ensure that a power plant runs efficiently. It is important that power plant engineers measure the capacity at which a facility is running at a particular point in time to be able to ascertain how much longer they will need to operate generators and turbines to maintain the efficiency of the power plant. An equipment that engineers can use in measuring operational data is a flow meter, which determines the amount of liquid or gas in a specific area at a given time.

Power plant operators, they add, may also choose to employ technologies, such as fluidized bed combustion and integrated gasification technology to improve the efficiency of existing power plants. The mentioned systems have the capability to reduce CO₂ emissions from coal by 25%, which would result in a 6% reduction in global CO₂ emissions.

Fluidized bed combustion, on the one hand, provides a flexible method of electricity generation while being environmentally friendly, reducing SO_X and NO_X emissions by a remarkable 90%. This system gives power plants the leverage of using coal waste as an energy source, which would otherwise be discarded. 

Integrated gasification combined cycle, on the other hand, is a process which entails the conversion of heavy oil and refinery bottoms into a fuel known as synthesis gas (syngas) and then use this to produce electricity in a gas turbine combined cycle system. As of the moment, the technology is being further developed, and industry players say that once the system is even more stable, it can have a pronounced impact on several allied industries.

In addition to enhancing electricity production, power plant engineers may also look at reducing the amount of energy used in the power facilities themselves to maximize the level of electricity reaching the grid. According to industry studies, a traditional power plant uses seven per cent of its own electrical output to operate its systems. Experts ascribe the majority of energy consumption in power plants to the motors that run pumps, mills, fans and auxiliary systems. Therefore, they say, one of the possible remedies to the foregoing predicament is to employ an integrated solution that combines variable speed drives (VSDs) with efficient motors. This way, the energy that was previously wasted can be sold to the grid, or the fuel lost generating it can be saved.

There are several other ways that by which power plant professionals can improve the efficiency of their facilities. These methods, combined with the efforts key industry stakeholders are exerting towards enhancing alternative energy sources, can prove to be vital in sustaining the world’s ever-increasing demand for precious electricity. As the energy fraternity braces for the expected sharp rise in power requirement in the coming decades, harnessing the potential of several feasible sources, traditional and renewable, to name two, will be of utmost essence. Energy professionals should keep in mind to always maintain and update power generation facilities, as a momentary loss of power, load shedding, electricity outage or blackout may lead to catastrophic economic, social and political consequences.

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Robert Bagatsing

Altaaqa Global

Tel: +971 56 1749505

rbagatsing@altaaqaglobal.com