pwr_october-2024 - 30

COAL TOP PLANT
SEIL Energy India: A Coal
Plant Model for Performance
and Sustainability
Courtesy: SEIL Energy India Limited
SEIL Energy India Limited, the only coal plant to win a POWER Top Plant award this
year, stands out for its advanced supercritical technology, exceptional operational
performance, and commitment to sustainability.
Sonal Patel
I
years-outpacing
ndia, an established economic powerhouse,
has been fielding enormous
power demand growth in recent
global
the
average
several times over. In fiscal year 2023
(FY23, April 2022-March 2023), " India
witnessed its highest ever year-on-year
growth in power consumption, " marking
a " remarkable increase of 9.6% per annum,
reaching 1,512 [billion units (BU)]
compared to 1,380 BU in FY22, " Raghav
Trivedi, CEO of SEIL Energy India Limited,
an independent power producer
(IPP), told POWER. In FY24, demand
spiked again to reach 1,627 BU. Some
forecasts suggest demand could reach a
staggering 2,474 BU within a decade-
an increase of more than 50%.
The rapid increase is pegged partly
to India's robust gross domestic product
(GDP) growth (of 7.2% per annum
in FY23 and 8.2% in FY24), as well as
scorching summer temperatures, such
as those during the summer of 2022,
Trivedi noted. At the same time, as in
other countries, India has made leaps in
achieving universal access to electricity
and electrification, particularly for transportation.
The power sector " has become
a catalyst for various other sectors,
including manufacturing, agriculture,
healthcare, and education, fostering economic
development and a better quality
of life, " he said.
Demand growth, which is regionally
determined, is set to soar, particularly
in Andhra Pradesh, one of India's most
rapidly developing states. According to
30
state planning documents, the state's
energy requirements will grow at a
compounded annual rate of 6.64%, fueled
by rapid urbanization and industrial
growth driven by the expansion of Special
Economic Zones (SEZs) like Kakinada
SEZ and Sri City SEZ, alongside
large-scale infrastructure projects such
as the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor.
According to Trivedi, these conditions
pose a significant opportunity for SEIL,
a 2.64-GW coal-fired power plant (Figure
1) that is strategically located on the
eastern coastline of Nellore district in
Andhra Pradesh.
Leveraging Technology to Boost
Performance
SEIL Energy India Limited's power plant
stands out for its advanced features,
which give it an edge over other coal
plants in India. Developed in two phases-Phase
1 was completed in 2015,
and Phase 2 was completed in 2016-
the plant boasts four 660-MW supercritical
coal-fired units that operate at
higher temperatures and pressures to
maximize energy extraction.
Originally
owned by Sembcorp, SEIL was acquired
by Tanweer Infrastructure SAOC, an
Oman-based infrastructure investment
company, in 2023.
" SEIL is poised to lead responsibly
by continuing to innovate and adapt to
evolving energy needs. By maintaining
our focus on sustainability and reliability,
we aim to set new benchmarks in the
provision of best-in-class energy solutions
for India's future, " said Trivedi.
www.powermag.com
At the heart of the plant are two
Dongfeng Electric-supplied coal-fired
steam boilers outfitted with front and
rear wall firing burners. The boiler system,
outfitted with modern metallurgy
designed for 600C at reheat, enables
the plant to burn even low-grade coal
with stable flame conditions. A key feature
of the boiler system is the use of
low nitrogen-oxide (NOx) burners, which
effectively reduce emissions to meet
environmental standards. But, in addition,
the system employs superheater
spray tapping after the economizer
coils, which allows for the recovery of
heat from the flue gas and significantly
boosts the plant's energy efficiency.
The steam turbine configuration is a
condensing tandem compound, singlereheat,
3,000-rpm steam turbine generator
set. The design incorporates three
casings: a high-pressure (HP) turbine,
an intermediate-pressure (IP) turbine,
and two double-flow low-pressure (LP)
turbines. A key innovation contributing
to the plant's performance is the Heater
Above Reheat Pressure (HARP) cycle.
" The advantage of the HARP cycle is
that it allows optimizing the final feedwater
heater temperature independent
of the reheater pressure, which reduces
moisture at the LP exhaust, " SEIL explained,
noting that the final feedwater
temperature is 284C.
SEIL has also made significant strides
in digitalization by developing and implementing
various in-house, real-time
monitoring tools aimed at enhancing
plant efficiency and sustainability. The
POWER | October 2024
http://www.powermag.com
pwr_october-2024

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