By the end of the current year (March 2021), the efficiency of thermal power plants will increase by 1% to reach 39%, managing director of Iran's Thermal Power Plants Holding Company said.
“This year, nine steam units with a capacity of 1,454 megawatts will come on stream,” ILNA quoted Mohsen Tarztalab as saying.
Moreover, construction of three F-class gas turbines with 58% efficiency, will also be completed, which will help raise the average power plant efficiency in Iran, he added.
The modern turbines consume less gas and are more eco-friendly. Electricity generation in a simple-cycle and combined-cycle power plant rises by 40% and 59%, respectively, with the help of the F-class turbines.
Energy efficiency of a conventional thermal power station, considered salable energy produced as a percent of the heating value of the fuel consumed, is typically 33% to 48%.
Considering all the heat produced by gas and steam turbines, their efficiency is limited and governed by the laws of thermodynamics. Combined-cycle systems, however, have higher levels.
A combined-cycle power plant uses both gas and steam turbines to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than a traditional simple cycle plant. The waste heat from the gas turbine is sent to nearby steam turbines, which also generate electricity.
F-class gas turbines are defined by high performance, low power generation costs, long intervals between inspections, and a service-friendly design.
Optimized flow and cooling add up to high efficiency and economically viable power generation in combined cycle applications.
Need to Upgrade
Thermal power stations account for 80% of total power generation in Iran and enhancing the efficiency of such infrastructure at regular intervals is crucial.
Iran has an installed capacity of 84,000 MW. Thermal units, which either use steam, gas-powered or combined-cycle turbines, account for 66,000 MW of the total production.
A total of 123 thermal power plants are operational. In thermal power generation Iran is ninth in the world.
The government has said it wants to phase out inefficient power plants, improve aging electricity infrastructure and adopt modern power production technology.
"Under regulations outlined by the Energy Ministry, all new power plant units must have efficiency of 58% and above," the TPPHC boss said.
Converting conventional plants into efficient combined-cycle units is one of the priorities of the government in recent years.
Routine Repairs
Thermal power plants are preparing for the coming summer when consumption reaches its peak, Tarztalab said.
“All thermal power plants will have undergone routine overhaul by summer to improve efficiency and output,” he said.
“Almost 80% of repair and maintenance work has been done at gas and steam units, and power stations will be fully prepared before the start of summer,” the official noted.
Annual overhaul operations begin every year in early September and continue until May of the following year.
