Innovations for renewable integration using coal-fired power

Discover strategic solutions for coal-fired units to seamlessly integrate renewable energy, addressing challenges and seizing opportunities in the evolving power sector landscape.

Technological advances constantly reshape the power sector. Global efforts to limit warming drive the need for renewable energy integration. However, this presents challenges and opportunities, especially for India’s grid and coal-fired units.

Technology advancements within the power sector are keeping the industry in a state of continuous learning and adoption. The global community has set an ambitious objective of limiting global warming to well below 2°C under the Paris Agreement, and this can only be achieved with significant decarbonisation of energy systems over the long run. 

Renewable energies, especially wind and solar PV, and efficiency improvement measures are fundamental in reaching this goal. Given their specific characteristics, renewable energy technologies fundamentally change electricity systems and markets. More variable power production increases the flexibility requirements on the overall power system, particularly on the supply side. 

Similarly, higher and more variable residual loads increase flexibility requirements on the overall power system. While challenges have increased and become more complex for policymakers, investors, and power system operators, they offer unprecedented opportunities. Integrating renewable generation into the Indian electricity grid is a challenge and an opportunity in anticipation of the changing role of thermal power in the Indian power sector and its crucial role in making the best use of renewable sources.

Preparing a coal-fired unit for flexible operation would require measures to be implemented at all operation, maintenance, and administration levels. Stable combustion is the critical aspect of ensuring minimum load operation. The following aspects are important: 

Assured high-energy flame ignition for each start—TESI S.P.A Italy has supplied its HEA igniters to many supercritical boilers of L&T and Doosan. Reliable flame detection for each burner, even at low loads with the worst coal Flamonitec BFI Automation Germany has supplied its flame monitoring system using flicker frequency to operate at low loads and worst coal. 

Fuel air flow measurement and balancing: Greenbank UK offers a nonintrusive online coal flow measurement and balancing system. Optimisation of air flow management: Airflow Sciences Equipment LLC USA supplies an airflow monitoring system and helps model the flow of flue gases. 

Monitoring boiler furnace temperature using infrared cameras: Vision TIR Spain is offering a thermal camera for boiler temperatures of 2200 °C for real-time temperature monitoring. To conclude, integrating renewables into grids demands adaptability. Coal-fired units must be prepared for flexibility through strategic measures. Partnering with experts like ABSR Engineers & Services Pvt Ltd is essential for a sustainable energy future.

Authored by: Sandeep Nigam, Director-Sales, ABSR.