High Efficiency-Coal and Gas (HE-C&G): A Hybrid Power Plant Concept Iintegrating ABB’s GT24/GT26 Gas Turbines With Conventional Steam Power Plants for Competitive Power Generation With High Dispatch Flexibility

Abstract

The electric power generation world is currently confronted with new challenges: deregulation, open competition, new players entering the business, new regulations governing the return on investment, increased complexity and risk. In order to maintain or enhance their competitive position the electricity generators have as main objectives to lower generating costs, increase operating and dispatching flexibility and manage fuel related risks: availability, supply diversification, prices and price escalation and finally to capture value added profits. In order to meet new requirements of electricity generators, ABB has developed a hybrid power plant concept integrating the sequential combustion gas turbines GT24/GT26 with existing or new conventional steam power plants: the High Efficiency Coal and Gas (HE-C&G). The HE-C&G, with its unique design, operating and dispatching flexibility, provides our customers with the benefits of competitive power generation: the owner/operator can optimise — on line — the plant fuel and O&M costs, increase the availability, extend economic life and lower the environmental impact of the power plant. And even more, the HE-C&G creates the ability to benefit of the market opportunities: buy cheaper fuels and sell the electricity when profitable. This paper evaluates the feasibility of combining conventional steam power plants with sequential combustion gas turbines GT24/GT26 and recommends the HE-C&G as one of the most competitive alternatives for power generation, especially for re-evaluation of existing assets and positioning in the competitive environment.