automated coal blending business proposition[1]
TRANSCRIPT
Automated Coal Blending Business proposition
Why coal blending?
Power plants are designed and optimized to operate using specific compliant coal for each boiler, which ensures high plant performance and environmental compliance with relevant regulations. Most power plant boilers are designed for bituminous coal with low to medium moisture, medium to high volatile matter and, within a reasonable calorific value range (“compliant coal”). However, an increasing portion of coal reserves are high moisture, lower calorific value, moderately high ash, and high sulphur non‐compliant coals, which cannot be effectively used in power generation and other industries. Combustion of coal without specifically matching it to the power plant's boiler design is the major reason for serious inefficiencies in coal combustion worldwide. This results in the reduction of electrical output, and more coal consumption per unit of output.
As world reserves of compliant coal are rapidly exhausted, the most effective solution is to optimize the utilization of non‐compliant coal. The most prevalent system of coal blending involves on the ground blending (“stockpile blending”), i.e. stacking layers of coals with different qualities on top of one another and accessing the stacked pile on a vertical basis. This method is time‐consuming and results in inconsistent mix and quality. It only has reasonable results when the types of coal being blended are reasonably close in specification.
Coal Blending Technology
Traditional coal blending methods involve blending underground and on ground level:
1. Blending underground
A tunnel equipped with a conveyor belt and specially designed scraper is employed for the coal blending operation. When different types of coal are placed in the tunnel, the scraper puts coal on the conveyor belt by moving through the tunnel.
Disadvantages:
• Large underground structure
• Long construction time
• High investment and maintenance costs
• Difficult to ensure homogeneity of blending process
• Will result in uneven burning in the boiler
2. Blending on ground level
Different types of coal will be built up to a coal stock pile in horizontal layers. By vertical excavation of the coal stock the different coal types will be mixed.
Disadvantages:
• Incomplete mixing process
• Low quality of blending
• Lacks homogeneity
• Will result in uneven burning in the boiler
Automated Coal Blending
Automated blending technology applied technology enables blend coal above ground. Different types of coal are placed in each silo (of which there are usually six). Computer controls discharge from each silo the computerised technology, and ensures the correct percentage of each type of coal falls onto a conveyor belt from each silo mixing the coal in precisely the right quantities to ensure compliant coal.
Silos
Advantages:
• Reliable and consistent quality blending guaranteed within 1% of required specification
• Homogeneous blend
• Controlled process
• Relatively small site due to vertical nature
• Ability to blend numerous types of coal with consistent output
Other benefits of Automated coal blending
Consistent Coal Quality
Computerised system enables up to 10 different types of coal to be blended using a computerized process, which gives high predictability of blending outcome. The end product is evenly blended, stable, tailored to boiler specifications and consistent.
Improved Power Plant Output
A conservative estimate is that approximately 20% of power plants are not able to achieve design output, due to difficulty in consistently sourcing coal with qualities which meet their boiler design requirements. These power plants suffer from an approximate 10% reduction in output capacity, or a 2% reduction in output from the overall coal‐fired power industry. This
lost plant output capacity can be restored by supplying compliant coal of consistent quality. This results in a reduced requirement for overall system capacity additions.
Cost Savings
This system will enable to blend a wide range of coals. This allows buy coals with the lowest prices available in the market within the constraints of the fuel specifications of the power plants, resulting in cost savings without deterioration in thermal performance of the boiler. According to Petrocom's calculation, on a reduction per ton of pollutant basis, wind power is 5 times more expensive, while solar is a prohibitive 21 times more expensive than this system.
Strategic location
The strategic point which I have chosen for blending plant is in the vicinity of Krishnapattanam port trust area which is 180 Km from Chennai, Located in Nellore (District HQ of Andhra Pradesh) on National Highway 5 (Chennai‐Kolkata) Vast hinterland covering Southern Andhra Pradesh, Districts of Rayalseema, North Tamil Nadu and Eastern Karnataka 26 km from Venkatachalam, the nearest rail head on the Chennai–Kolkata main line Being on Eastern Coast, supports LOOK EAST Exim Trade Policy.
Reasons behind choosing the area
There is a specific reason behind choosing this area as a strategic location one of the major reasons is the future power plants which are sprouting up in the vicinity of Krishnapattanam port trust. It is estimated that there are about 15320 MW of electricity will be generated from this area within 2015 and all are basically coal fired power stations. The below shown table give a clear indication of sprouting energy sector in this area.
Plants Capacity (MW) Expected COD
1 Reliance UMPP 4,000 FY14
2 Krishnapatnam Power 1,980 FY13
3 Kineta Power 1,980 FY13
4 Thermal Power Tech 1,980 FY13
5 Simhapuri Power 1,920 FY11
6 AP Genco 1,600 FY12
7 Nelcast 1,320 FY13
8 Meenakshi Group 540 FY11
The upcoming power projects in vicinity of Krishnapatnam Port will require coal in excess of 60 MTPA. In addition that 20 Mn MTs of coal required for existing power plants in hinterland of the port which blend imported coal cement and steel plants in the hinterland sourcing coal
from Australia, Indonesia and Mozambique Imports of coal by traders catering to regional market
The next major business attraction in this area is the state of the art infrastructure of Krishnapattanam port trust. In addition to all these Krishnapattanam port trust is focusing on having a dedicated Hub port for coal which will be one and only of the kind in India. In addition to all these facilities Krishnapattanam port trust has achieved different mile stones such as it has achieved maximum amount of coal discharge in 24 hrs time which is the highest record in India. The below shown pictures give a clear indication of the above mentioned facts.
Arial view of the coal stock piles Railway Facilities
In‐motion weigh bridge A new all India & possibly a world record was established for discharging 106,171 tons of steam coal in just 24 hrs. on 23.07.2011 beating our very own 18.06.2011 record figures
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