Clean coal technologies in repowering applications
- Morgantown Energy Technology Center, WV (United States)
- Parsons Power Group Inc., Reading, PA (United States); and others
As deregulation unfolds, priorities for power plant economics will shift toward a {open_quotes}bottom-line{close_quotes} business approach and away from the regulated industry of today. One of the first implications of full competition in the utility industry may be the reluctance to risk capital intensive investments in new plant construction. With competition from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), non-utility generators, and utilities, the next wave of investments may be to incrementally add capacity at existing facilities and ensure that the capacity can be delivered to the point of use. This approach to power plant investment involves various applications of repowering technologies, upratings, and refurbishing older stations. The decision to repower is influenced by factors that include market, unit characteristics, and technology choices under consideration. Common goals for considering repowering include: (1) The need for increased generation capacity in a particular system or locale. This may arise from gradual load growth, the planned retirement of one or more old, inefficient units that are not candidates for repowering or life extension, or the rapid development of a major load center. It may also arise from an opportunity to sell power to a new customer through the prospect of future deregulated markets. (2) The need to improve the heat rate and dispatch rate of an owner`s generation assets in order to be more competitive in the market. Repowering may provide an attractive means of improving the thermal and economic performance. (3) The need to reduce emissions in order to comply with existing and future regulatory requirements. Repowering with an inherently cleaner technology may provide an attractive alternative to conventional additions of pollution control.
- OSTI ID:
- 560512
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961232--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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