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First synchronisation test of the new power unit at Elektrownia Turów

News date: December 22, 2020
First synchronisation test of the new power unit at Elektrownia Turów

The final implementation stage began for construction of the new 496 MW power unit at the Elektrownia Turów power plant, owned by PGE Górnictwo i Energetyka Konwencjonalna (PGE GiEK). The power unit was synchronized for the first time with KSE (National Power Grid) at 15:36 on 21 December 2020. This initiated the adjustment and optimisation run of the processing systems, as well as the generation of electrical power by the new unit. The General Contractor of this project is a consortium of Mitsubishi Power Europe, Tecnicas Reunidas, and Budimex.

 

“The process of synchronising the new Power Unit 7 with the National Power Grid was completed on schedule and in compliance with the first grid synchronisation program approved by Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne. It is the final milestone of one of the largest state-of-the-art power engineering projects in the last few decades in Poland,” says Wioletta Czemiel-Grzybowska, President of PGE GiEK.

 

Before the synchronisation, Power Unit 7 underwent commissioning of its entire auxiliary electrical power system (including MV and LV switchgear units, uninterrupted voltage system, emergency power system, and drive units), and the grid connection system (comprising the power generator, a 21 kV system complete with the generator trip, grid transformers, tapped transformer, backup and starting transformer, 400 kV switchgear complete with the power unit’s trip, and the related protection systems) between Power Unit 7 and the Mikułowa substation. The commissioning operations followed the preparation of the electrical and processing systems for Power Unit 7. All the detailed coordination with Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne was completed, which allowed the decisive commissioning stage of Power Unit 7 to take place, comprising firing of its boiler, bringing the steam up to specification, and ramping the turbine generator up to 3000 rpm to allow the first synchronisation of the generator with the National Power Grid.

 

“In the first stage following grid synchronisation of Power Unit 7, the generator electrical power output will be between approximately 40-45% of the rating, or around 200 MW. The state of the art technologies applied in this project will enable a high electrical power generation efficiency of more than 43%. At the present stage Elektrownia Turów can supply electricity to approximately 2.3 million households. Once construction is complete, the Turów complex will be capable of delivering power to another million houses,” Oktawian Leśniewski says, Assistant Director of Elektrownia Turów.

 

The new power unit will conform to the stringent environmental protection standards. Unlike Power Units 8, 9, and 10 which have been decommissioned, the SO2 and PM emission levels of the new unit will be a factor of 20 and 10 lower, respectively. The new power unit will also emit approximately 15% less CO2 than the units currently in operation at Turów. Power Unit 7 is prepared for compliance with the emission limits imposed by the BAT conclusions, which become effective from 2021 and cover the implementation of technologies which are best in terms of practice and environmental footprint.

 

The project is delivered by the consortium of Mitsubishi Power Europe, Tecnicas Reunidas and Budimex. The work on the construction site, or the project implementation phase, began in December 2014. The 496 MW gross rated power unit, complete with a supercritical, pulverized coal steam boiler, will be fuelled with lignite from the nearby Turów mine. Once commissioned for operation, the new unit will help to recover the complete power output of Elektrownia Turów. This means that when all seven power units are in operation, including the completely retrofitted Power Units 1 to 3, the total power plant output will exceed 2,000 MW. The performance of the new power unit was selected so that by its shutdown in 2044, the resources of lignite in the bed mined by KWB Turów will be consumed efficiently and completely, and in compliance with all applicable environmental standards and practices.

 

“The contract for the Turów project is a key power engineering contract of Budimex and the largest power engineering project currently in Poland. The 7-year construction work is being finalized during the difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, we will deliver on the contract in full and in line with the project owner’s expectations. The technologies used for the project implementation are applications of the latest conventional power engineering solutions developed in Poland, Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy and Canada. The commissioning and connection of the new power unit to the National Power Grid is proof of the high competencies of the consortium, its entire engineering team, and of our subcontractors,” says Dariusz Blocher, President of Budimex S.A.

 

Elektrownia Turów is a significant component of the Polish power grid and contributes to the continued energy security in Poland and the uninterrupted supply of electricity. The plant generates approximately 5% of the total electrical power capacity in Poland. The mine and the power plant in Turów are one of the largest and most important industrial operations in the Lower Silesia region, and the biggest regional employers. The work at the mine and the power plant, their affiliates and partners, provide stable living for approximately 60,000-80,000 employees and their families.