Unit coordinated control to help new Huaneng Qinbei units operate at optimum efficiency
PITTSBURGH (March 22, 2012) — Emerson Process Management has installed its OvationTM expert control system at two new 1,000-MW, ultra-supercritical, coal-fired power-generating units at the Huaneng Qinbei power plant in China’s Henan Province. By tightly controlling the boilers, turbines and balance-of-plant processes, Ovation technology will help to ensure the plant operates efficiently and reliably.
The addition of Units 5 and 6 is part of an expansion project at the existing 4X600-MW facility. When the new units become operational during the first half of 2012, the Huaneng Qinbei power plant will produce a total of 4,400 MW, playing an important role in generating power that will be transmitted to eastern China while also helping to support local economic development.
Ultra-supercritical technologies can boost the efficiency of coal-based electricity generation by approximately 50 percent – with lower emissions than traditional subcritical power plants. China has become a hotbed of ultra-supercritical construction as the country seeks to satisfy its growing power requirements. Emerson’s Ovation technology has emerged as the automation technology of choice: it has been selected to automate more than 60 percent of these complex power-generation facilities in China.
“Because of this project’s importance, we were looking for a proven automation supplier,” said Pei Junfeng, I&C Specialist, Huaneng Power Group. “We were impressed by Emerson’s’ significant experience automating 1,000-MW, ultra-supercritical units with its Ovation technology.”
“Supercritical units present a much greater control challenge than subcritical units,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson Process Management’s Power & Water Solutions. “The tighter control provided by Ovation technology can help customers like Huaneng Power Group improve the stability, responsiveness and thermal efficiencies of their ultra-supercritical facilities.”
Under the contract, Emerson will supply a total of 75 Ovation and 24 workstations. Ovation technology will monitor and control the boilers, supplied by Donfang Boiler Co.; turbines, supplied by Harbin Turbine Co.; and balance-of-plant processes at units 5 and 6. In total, the Ovation system will manage more than 29,000 I/O points.
