Page 228 - Low Carbon Development in China and India
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cycle (IGCC) technology could achieve this. However, it has to be 3.1
adapted to India’s coal quality or India has to rely on imported coal.
The Indian high‐ash coal requires the use of fluidized‐bed gasifiers,
which is different from the well‐established entrained‐flow gasifier
used for low‐ash coals (Remme et al. 2011).
The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is an advanced
coal combustion technology which improves the overall cycle
efficiency of the system, for generation of electricity. It is a process in
which the fuel is gasified in an oxygen or air-blown gasifier operating
at high pressure. The raw gas, thus produced is cleaned of most
pollutants (almost 99 per cent of its sulphur and 90 per cent of nitrogen
pollutants). It is then burned in the combustion chamber of the gas
turbine generator to generate power. The heat from the raw gas and
hot exhaust gas from the turbine is used to generate steam which is
fed into the steam turbine for power generation. A 6.4 MW IGCC
pilot unit set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been
operating since 1989. It is based on Siemens and Alstom technology.
Construction of the 200 MW IGCC demonstration plant in Vijayawada,
Andhra Pradesh, began in 2010 by a consortium of BHEL, Andhra
Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO), and the
Department of Science and Technology.
Coal plants are concentrated in regions close to the coal mines
(such as in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), and in more distant
regions with high electricity demand (such as in Maharashtra and
Andhra Pradesh). India is working on supercritical coal‐fired power
plants (660 MW/800 MW units); 37 units at eleven power plant sites
were under construction, corresponding to a capacity of around
26 GW (Platts 2010).
Supercritical technology is mandatory for the ultra‐mega
power projects (UMPP), five of which will add 20,000 MW capacity
(MoP 2015). The minimum capacity for a UMPP is 4,000 MW.
The projects are awarded to developers through competitive bidding
and operated through plug and play mode, thereby reducing
investment bottlenecks. In the Twelfth Plan, a capacity addition of
78 GW of coal-based power is planned along with 100 GW in the
Thirteenth Plan based on supercritical and ultra-supercritical technology
(Goel et al. 2015). Supercritical plants operate at increasingly higher
temperatures and pressures (538°C, 246–250 kg/cm2) and, therefore,
achieve higher efficiencies than conventional subcritical units and
significant carbon dioxide reductions. This is currently being enhanced
to a heat level of 565°C, 246–250kg/cm2 (CEA 2013). As mentioned
Chapter 1 Low Carbon Technology and Innovation Policy 193
adapted to India’s coal quality or India has to rely on imported coal.
The Indian high‐ash coal requires the use of fluidized‐bed gasifiers,
which is different from the well‐established entrained‐flow gasifier
used for low‐ash coals (Remme et al. 2011).
The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is an advanced
coal combustion technology which improves the overall cycle
efficiency of the system, for generation of electricity. It is a process in
which the fuel is gasified in an oxygen or air-blown gasifier operating
at high pressure. The raw gas, thus produced is cleaned of most
pollutants (almost 99 per cent of its sulphur and 90 per cent of nitrogen
pollutants). It is then burned in the combustion chamber of the gas
turbine generator to generate power. The heat from the raw gas and
hot exhaust gas from the turbine is used to generate steam which is
fed into the steam turbine for power generation. A 6.4 MW IGCC
pilot unit set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been
operating since 1989. It is based on Siemens and Alstom technology.
Construction of the 200 MW IGCC demonstration plant in Vijayawada,
Andhra Pradesh, began in 2010 by a consortium of BHEL, Andhra
Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO), and the
Department of Science and Technology.
Coal plants are concentrated in regions close to the coal mines
(such as in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), and in more distant
regions with high electricity demand (such as in Maharashtra and
Andhra Pradesh). India is working on supercritical coal‐fired power
plants (660 MW/800 MW units); 37 units at eleven power plant sites
were under construction, corresponding to a capacity of around
26 GW (Platts 2010).
Supercritical technology is mandatory for the ultra‐mega
power projects (UMPP), five of which will add 20,000 MW capacity
(MoP 2015). The minimum capacity for a UMPP is 4,000 MW.
The projects are awarded to developers through competitive bidding
and operated through plug and play mode, thereby reducing
investment bottlenecks. In the Twelfth Plan, a capacity addition of
78 GW of coal-based power is planned along with 100 GW in the
Thirteenth Plan based on supercritical and ultra-supercritical technology
(Goel et al. 2015). Supercritical plants operate at increasingly higher
temperatures and pressures (538°C, 246–250 kg/cm2) and, therefore,
achieve higher efficiencies than conventional subcritical units and
significant carbon dioxide reductions. This is currently being enhanced
to a heat level of 565°C, 246–250kg/cm2 (CEA 2013). As mentioned
Chapter 1 Low Carbon Technology and Innovation Policy 193
