CEA advised power utilities to maintain blending ratio of 30:70…

Power India found that the Central Electricity Authority, in an advisory, has told all the power generating companies, power project developers and power equipment manufacturers that the boilers, including auxiliaries to be designed for a 30:70 bled ratio.

 

Into this 30:70 blend ration 30 per cent would be imported/high gross calorific value (GCV) coal while 70 per cent would be indigenous coal. Further, the  station facilities should be designed for unloading, handling and blending imported/high GCV coal.

Power India believe that the move was considering the growing need for imports due to constraints in the availability of domestic coal.

 

In light of the Power Ministry’s proposal around 75,000 MW capacity addition during the 12th plan, out of which 55 per cent is expected to be coal based, the advisory which was issued on April19, 2012 is very crucial.

 

Further as estimated by Mr. Sriprakash Jaiswal, Hon’ble Union Coal Minister, the approximate coal imports by the country during the 12th plan will be 250 million tonnes.

 

Considering this CEA has said:

“Coal quality is a major input parameter for the design of a power plant boiler. Large coal quality variations may not be readily accommodated in a plant, and may lead to loss in efficiency. It is thus considered prudent that all future coal-fired thermal power stations to be set up in the country shall be designed to enable the use of a higher percentage of imported/high GCV coal, as may be required.”

According to the CEA, the gap between the demand and the indigenous supply of coal was likely to increase, as these supplies unable were unable keep pace with capacity addition in the power sector. Coal imports would be required to bridge the shortfall, especially in supplies to stations designed on indigenous-coal standards. Stations designed primarily for imported coal would also be required.

 

The CEA’s advisory was based on a report of a group that studied the range of blending imported coal with domestic coal. The group, headed by Suresh Chander, had given its report to the government in April 2011.

 

In its report, the group had said a large number of Indian power utilities were already using imported coal for blending and generally, stations blended 10-15 per cent of imported coal by weight.

 

The complete report on the above subject can be downloaded from here.

 

 

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