POWER November 2016 - 51

COAL PLANT TECHNOLOGY
1. Hot market. Emerson has supported the commissioning and
operation of many ultrasupercritical plants in China, like the Huaneng
Qinbei power plant pictured here. Courtesy: Emerson
1.866.643.1010 ClearSpan.com/ADPO
WE MANUFACTURE *
more than half of these Chinese facilities (Figure 1), which operate
at approximately 320 bar and 600C (4,600 psi and 1,120F). These
conditions approach the limits of metallurgy, and the standard configuration
is generally a 1,000-MW unit. Due to their high pressures
and temperatures, USC units are able to achieve significantly higher
thermal efficiency than conventional drum units-typically, 44% to
46%, compared to the 32% to 34% for a state-of-the-art drum unit.
China has moved aggressively to push technology development
for coal-fired plants, and continuing research is targeting a next generation
of plants operating at even more extreme conditions (5,300
psi and 1,300F). Although these designs result in significantly higher
thermal efficiencies and lower emissions per MW produced, they
present some unique challenges. Operating at the limit of current
metallurgy means there is very little margin for error for control, and
equipment is pushed to its limits; precise control and insight into the
health of operating assets are key to maintaining a reliable fleet. It is
critical that utilities focus on controls to ensure that the technology
envelope can continue to be pushed.
Overcoming a Gridlocked State
With a focus on air quality improvement, along with adopting USC
technology, the trend is to relocate generating plants away from major
population centers. Moving plants further away from load centers poses
a different problem though: How do you get electricity from the plant to
where it's needed? Enter ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission.
The State Grid Corp. of China, the world's largest electricity provider
by revenue, put the world`s first 800 kV DC transmission system
into commercial operation in 2010 and has since been building
to larger scales. In 2015, a line from Zhudong to Chengdu was commissioned
that carries 10,000 MW at 1,100 kV. This technology is
scaling so successfully that China is evaluating its use to export power
to Europe over a distance of 6,000 kilometers at a proposed 1,500
kV. China is also moving to export UHV technology via the State
Grid Corp. and has projects currently under way in Brazil; others are
proposed for India, Russia, and Kazakhstan.
The Environment for USC Development
These massive projects are the result of China's centralized development
process, which is detailed in periodic plans, the latest of which was released
last year as the 13th Five-Year Plan, covering 2016 to 2020. The
12th Five-Year Plan began addressing air pollution by placing an emphasis
on air quality control systems and by paying better attention to
efficiencies. Our estimate is that the majority of new coal plants will be
of the 1,000-MW USC variety, as indicated in recent studies.
Much of the focus of the 13th Five-Year Plan continues the emphasis
on improving air quality and reducing energy intensity, and
this means ramping up investments in nuclear and renewable power.
China's installed wind capacity has surged in recent years to over 145
GW, as compared to the 74 GW installed in the U.S., but it is still
challenged with getting wind power to market due to transmission
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limitations. Curtailment rates (effectively, wasted power) in some regions
may be as high as 30% due to insufficient local demand and the
inability to move power to where it is needed.
Nuclear power is also a key initiative in China, with 35 reactors
currently in operation and another 20 under construction, according
to the World Nuclear Association. Currently planned projects will
take China's nuclear generating capacity to 58 GW by 2021 and 150
GW by 2030. China is also planning to export nuclear plant technology
via the State Nuclear Power Technology Corp.
It's clear that the power market in China is getting more and more
complex. Along with having to integrate a vast amount of renewables
into the power mix, the 13th plan will likely introduce a carbon trading
market. For the coal fleet, this could mean more load following,
or it could require more frequent startups and shutdowns. Because
of these unknowns, it is especially critical that companies invest in a
technology infrastructure that will allow them to meet these impending
challenges. USC plants are difficult enough to operate at baseload,
and they are even more challenging if you start mixing in the
prospects of plant cycling.
While the rest of the world can learn from China about how to apply
advanced power technologies successfully, Chinese power generators
should take note of lessons learned in other areas of the world. As
more renewables are added to China's generating mix, operators may
not be running their USC plants as designed and could face forced
outages and availability challenges. Because of these unknowns, it is
critical that companies invest in a technology infrastructure that will
allow them to meet these impending challenges. ■
-Bob Yeager (Robert.Yeager@emerson.com) is president,
Power & Water Solutions for Emerson Automation Solutions.
www.powermag.com
51
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POWER November 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER November 2016

Contents
POWER November 2016 - Cover1
POWER November 2016 - Cover2
POWER November 2016 - Contents
POWER November 2016 - 2
POWER November 2016 - 3
POWER November 2016 - 4
POWER November 2016 - 5
POWER November 2016 - 6
POWER November 2016 - 7
POWER November 2016 - 8
POWER November 2016 - 9
POWER November 2016 - 10
POWER November 2016 - 11
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POWER November 2016 - Cover3
POWER November 2016 - Cover4
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