Case study of a utility repowering evaluation
- Union Electric, St. Louis, MO (United States)
- Sargent and Lundy, Chicago, IL (United States)
While in many instances, repowering an existing steam turbine can be economically viable, the repowering evaluation process is complex and requires careful attention to a myriad of details in order to minimize the inherent uncertainties. This paper addresses the methodology used to evaluate repowering by summarizing a recent evaluation of one of Union Electric`s gas and oil-fired power plants. The Union Electric repowering evaluation concentrated on supplying steam to the existing steam turbines from new combustion turbines and heat recovery steam generators. Many of the decisions made during the course of performing this repowering evaluation were identified, and this process was analyzed as part of a tailored collaboration project with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where cofunded repowering evaluation software tools are being produced in parallel with the design work. This paper starts at the point immediately after Union Electric decided to evaluate full repowering based on natural gas-fired technology. Decisions concerning equipment configuration, environmental control, and ultimately, the capital and operating costs of the repowered plant are described and supported with examples from the repowering evaluation. Finally, a comparison to a greenfield combined-cycle installation is summarized.
- OSTI ID:
- 103689
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950414--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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