Lagisza power plant operates CFB steam generator

Foster Wheeler has announced that the world's largest circulating fluidised-bed (CFB) steam generator has started operating at the Lagisza power plant, owned by Poludniowy Koncern Energetyczny (PKE).

Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group provided the turnkey supply of the boiler island, including engineering and design, erection, civil work, start-up and commissioning.

The CFB replaces 1960s-era pulverised coal units at the power plant and was built adjacent to the old boilers.

Many existing plant systems, including coal handling and water treatment, were renovated for use with the new CFB unit.

The Lagisza CFB produces 460MWe of electricity at a high efficiency level.

The unit incorporates a number of advanced design features, such as compact solid separators, Intrex super heaters and low-temperature flue-gas heat recovery, which captures valuable heat that would otherwise be lost.

The unit incorporates efficient Benson vertical-tube supercritical steam technology.

The Benson vertical tube is a new steam technology that is said to be more efficient and reliable than conventional supercritical technology available today.

Jaroslaw Mlonka, president and chief executive officer for the Polish subsidiary of Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group, said: 'This CFB represents a culmination of 30 years of design evolution for developing a reliable, fuel-flexible technology for utility-scale electricity production.

Pertti Kinnunen, executive vice-president of engineering and technology for the Finnish subsidiary of Foster Wheeler's Global Power Group, who was responsible for the conceptual design of the boiler in 2003, said: 'The Benson vertical tube technology not only lowers the cost of power production but, more importantly, improves the environmental performance of the plant.

'Specifically, in relation to the older, de-commissioned boilers, the new CFB burns less fuel and produces significantly lower levels of CO2 and other emissions for each megawatt generated.

CFB technology is a clean-coal platform with a low-temperature combustion process that cleanly and efficiently burns both traditional fuels and carbon-neutral fuels; typical fuels can include biomass, waste coals, tires and processed waste materials.

The CFB's multi-fuel capability can utilise opportunity and carbon-neutral fuels to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in relation to conventional pulverised-coal boilers, while improving the economics of power generation.

Unlike conventional steam generators that burn the fuel in a large high-temperature flame, CFB technology does not have burners or a flame within its furnace.

It uses fluidisation technology to mix and circulate fuel particles with limestone as they burn in a low-temperature combustion process.

The limestone captures the sulphur oxides as they are formed, while the low burning temperature minimises the formation of nitrogen oxides.

The fuel and limestone particles are recycled over and over back to the process, which results in high efficiency for burning the fuel, capturing pollutants and transferring the fuel's heat energy into high-quality steam to produce power.

CFBs are suitable for new power plants as well as the refurbishment of older power plants and often do not require secondary emission control systems.

The integration of supercritical once-through boiler technology with CFB technology provides the best combination of features for efficient, cost-effective and environmentally responsible power production.

Foster Wheeler-designed CFBs have been installed in more than 350 industrial and utility applications around the world, with steadily increasing gains in unit capacity.

The company is currently offering even larger (600MWe and 800MWe) versions of the CFB.

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