Equipment Upgrade for Power Station Efficiency - Macquarie Generation
GREENHOUSE GAS ABATEMENT PROGRAM PROJECT
Project management: Macquarie Generation
Project details
- The Macquarie Generation project was designed to increase the generating efficiency at the Liddell Power Station located near Muswellbrook in New South Wales.
- Coal is fired in the boilers to produce steam. The steam is used to drive turbines which in turn drive the electrical generators. Prior to the project, the efficiency of the Liddell Power Station turbines was around 85 per cent. Through the replacement of the old Low Pressure turbines with modern turbines, the GGAP project increased the generation efficiency of the four 500MW units by an average of 3.32% across the four units.
- Hitachi Australia Ltd was contracted by Macquarie Generation to design, manufacture, install and commission the new Low Pressure turbines at Liddell Power Station.
- The upgrade was successfully completed in July 2005.
GGAP funding: $5 million
Total project cost: Over $53 million.
Environmental achievements:
- Expected greenhouse gas abatement:
- Total abatement up to 1.66 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent is expected in the Kyoto commitment period 2008-2012.
- Efficiency improvements:
- More energy can be extracted from the steam flowing through the turbine allowing increase in the output capacity of Liddell by over 60MW with no increase in CO2 emissions.
- Lower water demands used in the process.
- Reduced sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions from burning less coal.
- Potential catalyst for investment in similar large scale abatement projects by other coal fired generators.
Technical summary:
The efficiency increase is achieved through improved control of the flow of steam through the turbine. Advances in computer modelling techniques allow for more detailed assessment of the impact of various steam path design options. This results in closer to optimum conditions than was achievable when the Liddell turbines were originally designed.
Public Dissemination Report: Download Upgrade of Low Pressure Turbines at Liddell Power Station Project
Note: Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) is the basis for comparing the warming effect of a greenhouse gas as compared to carbon dioxide and is calculated by multiplying the mass of a greenhouse gas by its global warming potential.
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Liddel Power Station Turbine
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