World's Largest Supercritical Circulating Fluidized Boiler Begins Operations in Poland

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The world's largest circulating fluidized bed (CFB) steam generator and first supercritical CFB steam generator, located at the Lagisza power plant in Poland, has commenced operations. The turnkey project, jointly executed by Foster Wheeler Energia Polska (Warsaw, Poland) and Foster Wheeler Energia Oy (Helsinki, Finland), involved design, engineering, civil works, installation and commissioning of the CFB unit, in addition to the supply of the core boiler island and associated infrastructure.

The Lagisza power plant is owned by Poludniowy Koncern Energetyczny SA (PKE) (Katowice, Poland), a subsidiary of Poland's second-largest power major, Tauron Polska Energia SA (Katowice), which accounts for 18% of the power and 16% of the heat supply in Poland. The existing pulverized-coal-based 840-megawatt (MW) power station in Lagisza was built in 1963 and is equipped with four Rafako (Racibórz, Poland) and two Babcock & Wilcox (Barberton, Ohio) boilers, four TK 120 turbines and two AEI Metropolitan wickers, housed in six blocks.

The new 460-MW plant, set up at a cost of about $617 million at the same site, has been designed to replace PKE's conventional capacity with eco-friendly, energy-efficient and contemporary technologies. As a part of this venture, the supercritical CFB unit has been installed in place of the pulverized coal-fired units. Many of the current processes, including water treatment and coal handling, have been revamped to suit the new system. The new plant also contains several other advanced features such as INTREX super heaters, compact solid separators and flue-gas heat recovery units.

The CFB technology employed is a clean-coal platform capable of utilizing a mix of fuels including waste coal, biomass, petroleum coke and shredded tires. The fuel is mixed with limestone and burnt under a low temperature combustion process using fluidization technology. The limestone traps sulfur effluents, while low temperatures reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides. Solid impurities that circulate within the unit help balance heat absorption. The fuel and limestone are recycled several times and processed through the system. Heat recovered is used to produce the steam required for power generation.

In addition, the supercritical steam cycle implemented through the BENSON vertical tube technology licensed from Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich Germany) is also expected to increase the fuel efficiency of the plant. Supercritical steam is said to cut fuel consumption 5% per gigawatt-hour of power generated, compared to traditional drum-based boilers. The "once-through" boiler model used for supercritical steam generation relies on a feed water pump to regulate the flow of steam, and steam temperature is controlled by the rate at which fuel is consumed. This design enables the unit to be operated at higher pressures, increasing the efficiency of the turbines and the plant.

Outfitted with two maiden technologies, the new Lagisza plant is expected to achieve reduced fuel consumption and carbon-dioxide emission rates, while functioning at an efficiency of more than 43%, fully compliant with the European Union's Large Combustion Plant Directive.

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