Haluk Direskeneli Haluk Direskeneli printable version send your friend

Thursday, 11 March 2010

The total installed capacity of the Tuncbilek-Kutahya thermal power plant is 430 MW. The annual availability of the power plant is around 35%. The coal reserves can support an additional capacity of 2x150 MW after privatization.

There are five units in the Tuncbilek thermal power plant in Turkey.

The first and second units were built by DurrWerke Germany in 1956 and have 24 MWe steam turbines by AEG of Germany.

The third unit was constructed by SGP of Austria in 1966 with a 65 MWe steam turbine by Elin of Austria.

The fourth and fifth units were delivered by Elektrim of Poland in 1978-1979 and have150 Mwe steam turbines by KWU of Germany.

In 2002, the Tuncbilek thermal power plant administration opened an international tender to replace the old existing electrostatic precipitations (E/P or dust collectors) of their fourth and fifth units, each with an output of 150 MWe of electricity.

These fourth and fifth steam boilers were firing poor quality 2200 kcal/kg LHV coal with approximately 40% ash and 20% moisture from nearby local coalmines.

Earlier, the E/P supplier company (Czech- Slovak?) received the order, but in the end they could not meet the required dust collection requirements of stack exit levels less than 250 milligrams per Nm3, dry basis.

The first contract was cancelled. It was later retendered, but this time to meet the new stack dust emission limit of 100 milligrams per Nm3, dry basis, in accordance with the new 2004 environmental regulations.

However since the first contract for the fourth and fifth units were cancelled, the administration applied to the local courts for compensation.

The first contract price was not valid since the delivery could not meet the first requirement to have stack emissions less than 250 milligrams per Nm3 dry basis.

The second contract is not comparable with the first since it is in compliance with the new emission requirement, which is set to be less than 100 milligrams per Nm3, dry basis.

Please do note that in the near future that figure will be less than 30 milligrams per Nm3, dry basis, in accordance with new EU legislation.

This situation is not the first, nor will it be the last, in E/P replacement contracts in our power plants.

We have a similar story in the Catalagzi-B thermal power plant, where the original supplier received the E/P replacement order without competitive tendering and, in the end, could not meet the required emission limitations. The contract was cancelled, and the case is in the local court. We have ongoing E/P replacement contracts with Kangal and Yenikoy, but we are not sure if they will meet the required emission standards. We will have new Yatagan and Soma E/P replacement tenders soon.

The Tuncbilek thermal power plant is too old, and getting older every day. Its pulverized coal firing technology is outdated for the available low LHV local lignite coal. Its dust collectors are not sufficient to meet new EU emission regulations. There is no flue gas desulphurization. The new electrostatic precipitators will not help since there is not sufficient space to install them. Rehabilitations will not work in the long-term operation of the plant. Moreover, the plant is located almost in the city center.

So, the best thing to do is to close the plant, sell the equipment at scrap value, dismantle the plant and make the vacated plant space a green park for the public. Since we have available local coal, we can install a new thermal power plant far from the city center, preferably in a remote area, with a capacity of 4x150 MWe with new technology, CFB or even IGCC or CCS, in full compliance with environmental regulations, provided that we create jobs for local qualified workers and more jobs for Turkish engineers and local contractors.

This is now your Sunday Puzzle. What should be the appropriate compensation for Tuncbilek’s fourth and fifth units for the first contract as of 2010? Have a nice weekend.

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Haluk Direskeneli, Ankara based Energy Analyst, (born in Ankara, 1951), is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department (1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy analyst for thermal power plants basic design software for private engineering companies, investors, universities and research institutions.