Solid Fuels

PARTI

• Read the text below and define whether it is about nuclear or thermal power plants.

In this field, technical improvements in terms of thermal efficiency play a vital role in fostering market penetration of new systems. In the solid fuel sector much attention has been paid to the so-called "clean coal technologies". This is due to a recognition of the continuing importance of this fuel, especially in developing countries, but cou­pled with the need to improve the environmental and thermal perfor­mance of the combustion process.

Fig. 9.

Plainfield Coal-fired Power Plant

Most large scale conventional power plants have net thermal effi-j ciencies in the order of 38% for hard coal and 35% for brown coal. New systems are being developed which are aimed at increasing this,

Unit 9. Fossil Fuels

over the medium-term, to at least 50%. This will result in a reduction of 0.21 kg of C0₂per kWh generated per hard coal, and 0.34 kg/kWh generated for brown coal. In the EU countries alone, this equates to a C0₂ reduction of 180 million tons per year; in line with targets set in the context of the climate change debate. This increased efficiency leads to lower fuel costs per unit of output, thought to equate to a reduction of some 2.5 EU/MWh in generating costs. For a 1 Gwe plant operat­ing for 7,000 hours a year, this means a theoretical annual cost cutting potential of about ECU 18 million for consumers.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-08