SRLPN

SITE SELECTION FOR THERMAL POWER PLANT

Rajneesh Vachaspati, Asstt. Director, NPTI

 The development of power in any country depends upon the resources in the country The development of the hydel plant depends upon the natural sites availability and hydrological cycle in country. The nuclear power development requires very costly newer technology which is not easily affordable by developing country like India. Considering all above factors it is necessary to develop thermal power plants to meet out electricity requirements of Nation.

GENERAL LAYOUT OF THERMAL POWER PLANT

Thermal power plant consists mainly 4 circuits (a) Coal and ash circuit (b) Air and flue gas circuit (c) Feed water and steam flow circuit (d) Cooling water circuit

Site selection for Thermal Power Station

The selection of site for thermal power plant compared with hydro power plant is more difficult as it involves number of factors to be considered for its economic justification. In general ,both construction and operation of a power plant requires the existence of some conditions such as water resources and stable soil type.

Site selection for Thermal Power Station

The location of thermal power plant should be made with full considerations not only of the trends in the location of demand but also of the availability and location of the cheapest source of primary energy FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR SITE SELECTION (a) Availability of Coal:-As the coal is largely available and cheapest source of energy in comparison of other sources. Hence it is necessary to concentrate over the best and efficient utilization of coal. The huge quantity of coal is required for large thermal power stations a thermal power plant of 210 MW capacity requires 3000 tons of coal per day.

Site selection for Thermal Power Station

If the plant is located near to the coal mines the transportation cost of coal will be less but transportation of generated power will be more for long distance. Therefore it is necessary to optimize the location which will give the lowest cost considering the transportation cost and power transmission charges. (b) Ash Disposal facility:As the ash content of coal increases the problem of ash increases. The coal available in India contains large percentage of Ash (20 to 40%). The quantity of ash to be handled is as large as 800 tons per day. The ash handling problem is more serious as ash comes in hot condition and it is corrosive in nature. It's effect on atmospheric pollution is more serious and is hazardous for human being

Site selection for Thermal Power Station

Therefore there must be sufficient space for ash disposal. (c) Space requirement:-The space and building requirement by the power station is another point to be considered. In general 3 to 5 acres per MW land is required which includes the coal storage, ash disposal, space required for main plant, Balance of plant, staff colony etc. Generally space required is in following proportion 10% for building,33% coal storage,27% cooling tower 7% switch yard and 23% for other purpose. Total cost of project includes cost of land.

Site selection for Thermal Power Station

(d) Nature of Land :-The selected site for the power plant should have good bearing capacity as it has to withstand the dead load of the plant and forces transmitted to the foundation due to machine operation. The minimum bearing capacity of the land should be 10 bar (e) Earthquake and geological faults:- The selected site should not be in seismic zone as small earthquake can damage many parts of power plants intensively. (f) Topography:- The changing an uneven surface into a flat site for the construction of power plant needs extra budget.

Site selection for Thermal Power Station (g) Availability of water:- Large quantity of water is
required for condenser, for disposal of ash and as feed water to the boiler and drinking water. The quantity of water required in condenser is 60 to 70 thousand tones per hour. The water will also required to feed the boiler. Large quantity of water is also required for ash disposal. It is there for power plant should be located near water source.3 to 4cubic meter per hr/Mw

Site selection for Thermal Power Station

(h) Transport facility:- It is another important parameter for selection of site for thermal power plant. It is always necessary to have a railway line available near the power station for transportation of coal as well as heavy machinery. (i) Availability of labor:- Cheap labor should be available at the proposed site as enough labor is required during construction and maintenance of power plant (j) Public Problems:- The proposed site should be far away from the towns to avoid the nuisance from smoke, fly ash and heat discharged from the power plant