Vol. 51 No.

3 FUJI ELECTRIC REVIEW 70

Hiroshi Nishigaki
Trends and Future Outlook for
Thermal Power Plants
1. Introduction
Recent events have caused modern society to
appreciate anew the benefits it derives from electricity.
A wide-ranging massive power outage extending from
the northeastern United States to Canada and a power
failure throughout all of Italy have occurred, and have
had large impacts on the life of residents in those
areas. In Shanghai, rotating power outages have been
implemented for years and are a large impediment to
normal business activities. In Japan, a stoppage of the
operation of all nuclear power plants owned by The
Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. caused a great deal of
anxiety, but aided by the cool summer weather,
ultimately did not result in a power outage. When a
large-scale power outage occurs, trivial problems grad-
ually increase and may potentially cause the collapse
of large systems.
Power plants are part of the infrastructure of
modern society and it is essential that these power
plant facilities by constructed so as to achieve a higher
level of reliability. Moreover, it is the mandate of
companies involved in this industry to contribute to
society by realizing higher performance and lower cost.
2. Market Trends
The climate surrounding Japans domestic electric
utility industry is as severe as ever due to sluggish
growth in the demand for electrical power, the ongoing
decrease in electrical power rates, the advancement of
electric utility deregulation, the establishment of new
environmental taxes, and the rapid rise in prices of
such fuels as oil and coal. Power generation by means
of renewable energy has been favored following the
enforcement of the Special Measures Law Concerning
the Use of New Energy by Electric Utilities (RPS law)
and then the Kyoto Protocol, which came into effect in
February 2005. However this market sector will be
stalled in a wait-and-see situation for the next 1 to 2
years, during which time, efforts to develop new power
sources are expected to idle.
In overseas markets, there is strong demand for
electrical power in both the public and private sectors
of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) where
there has been a significant increase in demand for
electrical power, for Libya which has recently returned
to the international arena, and the Southeast Asian
countries of Indonesia and Vietnam. In these coun-
tries, the supply of electrical power has not caught up
with the speed of economic growth and industrializa-
tion, and this demand for many new power generating
plants is expected to continue for several years. These
power plants will be mainly medium and small capaci-
ty facilities, which is Fuji Electrics area of expertise.
Fuji Electric has a track record of many successful
applications including pure power generation and
cogeneration plants based mainly on coal-fired power
generation, and combined cycle power generation
achieved by connecting an add-on to an existing gas
turbine.
3. Technical Trends
Fuji Electric was founded approximately 80 years
ago through a partnership between The Furukawa
Electric Co., Ltd. and Siemens AG., to introduce
European technology to Japan at a time when US
technology was already widespread. Fuji Electric has
been involved in the production of thermal power
plants for approximately 40 years and has supplied
many distinctive products by introducing technology
from Siemens during construction of mainly utility
thermal power plants. Table 1 shows the history of
growth in Fuji Electrics main technologies and busi-
nesses. Recently, Fuji Electric has delivered a ultra-
supercritical pressure steam turbine to the Isogo
Thermal Power Station of The Electric Power Develop-
ment Co. (EPDC). This ultra supercritical pressure
steam turbine increases the efficiency of the power
plant, or in other words, reduces the environmental
load. Figure 1 shows a view of the entire EPDC Isogo
Thermal Power Station Unit No. 1.
Meanwhile, with the deregulation of the electric
power industry, power plants are now being construct-
ed by independent power producers (IPPs) and Fuji
Electric is supplying various types of economically
beneficial equipment to these plants.
Trends and Future Outlook for Thermal Power Plants 71
Fig.1 EPDC Isogo Thermal Power Station new Unit No. 1
Table 1 History of changes in Fuji Electrics main technologies and businesses
Fig.2 View of the entire UBE Power Center Plant
Era
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Category
Thermal
power plants
for utility in
Japan
Thermal
power plants
for private
use and IPP
plants
in Japan
Overseas
thermal
power plants
Geothermal
power plants
Technical
development
TEPCO Ooi Thermal
Power Station, Unit No. 3
(first pure sliding pressure
operation in Japan)
EPDC Ishikawa Coal
Thermal Power Station,
Unit Nos. 1 and 2
(high-temperature
turbine)
UBE Industries, Ube
plant
(145 MW, largest private-
use power plant in Japan)
Australia: Gladstone
Unit Nos. 1 to 4
(direct hydrogen-cooled generator)
Pakistan: Jamshoro Unit No.1
(largest indirect hydrogen-
cooled generator)
Bangladesh:
Meghnaghat
(combined-used
turbine, large-
capacity air-cooled
generator)
Philippines: Battan, Unit No.2
(full-scale entry into overseas
business of thermal power plant
for utility)
EPDC
Onikobe Geothermal
Power Plant
(generator delivered)
High-temperature
12Cr rotor
Improved 12Cr rotor for
high temperature
Completion of new
Shiraishi Factory
22 kV-class F resin/ F insulation
Automated stator
winding machine
Direct hydrogen-cooling method
F resin/ F II insulation
Experimental prototype of 126
MVA air-cooled generator
Global vacuum pressure
impregnating facility for medium
and small-size generator
Global vacuum pressure
impregnating facility for
large-size
22 kV-class global
vacuum pressure
impregnated
insulation system
El Salvador:
Ahuachapan, Unit No.3
(full-scale entry into
geothermal power plant
business)
USA: Coso Geothermal
Power Plant, Unit Nos. 2 to 9
(modular turbo-set)
Indonesia:
Wayang Windhu,
Unit No. 1
(worlds largest single-
casing geothermal turbine)
TEPCO, Hachijojima
Geothermal Power Station
Thailand: Mae Moh,
Unit Nos. 4 to 13
(largest thermal power plant in
Southeast Asia)
Taiwan: FPCC FP-1,
Unit Nos. 1 to 4
(60 Hz, 600 MW large-capacity
tandem machine)
Fuji Electric Gas Turbine
Research Center
(69 MW gas turbine made
by Siemens)
UBE Power Center
(60 Hz max. global
vacuum pressure
impregnated insulation
air-cooled generator)
Kobe Steel, Kakogawa Works
(axial flow exhaust turbine)
Tohoku Electric Power
Noshiro Thermal Power
Station, Unit No.1
(50 Hz, 600 MW large-
capacity tandem
machine)
EPDC Isogo Thermal
Power Station, new Unit
No.1
(600 MW ultra-
supercritical pressure
plant)
Okinawa Electric Power
Makiminato, Unit No.9
(Fully automated oil
thermal power)
Kansai Electric Power
Miyazu Energy Research
Center, Unit No.2
(DSS operation)
Vol. 51 No. 3 FUJI ELECTRIC REVIEW 72
The construction of utility thermal power plants in
Japan has reached as standstill at present and is not
expected to recover soon. Additionally, IPP planning
has also become saturated. Figure 2 shows a view of
the entire UBE Power Center Plant that was con-
structed as an IPP plant. Fuji Electric will continue to
develop products while carefully monitoring these
market trends in the future. The technical trends of
medium and small capacity power plant equipment,
which are Fuji Electrics main products at present, are
described below.
3.1 New small-capacity non-reheat steam turbines
Fuji Electric has newly developed a steam turbine
(FET-N type) having a simple configuration suitable
for small capacity (25 to 50 MW) applications. A first
unit is already in operation in China, and a second
unit has already been shipped and is being installed
onsite.
3.2 Large non-reheat steam turbines
Fuji Electrics expertise is greatest in the technical
field that involves private-use power plants. These
plants have multiple steam processes and require
complex control. In a turbine, the process steam flow
rate is controlled as required, and at the same time the
electrical power output is adjusted. In the past, the
output power was approximately several tens of MW
but, in response to market needs, technology has been
developed to achieve larger turbines capable of greater
than 160 MW output.
3.3 Single-casing reheat steam turbines
Fuji Electric has developed a reheat steam turbine
configured with a single casing instead of the conven-
tional two-casing construction, and a first unit has
already been placed in service. Shortening the length
of the turbine shaft has enabled a reduction in
construction costs, including civil engineering work,
and the realization of a more economical plant.
3.4 New digital control system
A new digital control system (TGR) that provides
integrated control for a turbine and generator, and
uses Fuji Electrics MICREX-SX, which is a high-
performance PLC, has been placed into commercial
operation and it being applied to other plants.
3.5 Remote monitoring
A remote monitoring system has been developed
that periodically gathers operating status data from
power generating equipment that has been delivered to
a remote overseas location and transmits that data via
the Internet to a maintenance department, where it is
received. Thus, even when a failure occurs in remote
onsite equipment, the customer can be instructed
quickly as to the appropriate measures, thereby mini-
mizing downtime and reducing the customers loss.
Moreover, appropriate advice concerning preventative
maintenance is also provided in order to avoid down-
time due to mechanical failure.
4. Steam Turbines
Various improvements to steam turbine technology
have been previously requested in order to enhance the
thermal efficiency and space efficiency of thermal
power plant facilities. In the large-capacity generator
sector, Fuji Electric has advanced the development of
600 MW-class supercritical pressure steam turbines,
and together with the improved thermal efficiency due
to higher temperature and pressure steam conditions
and the development of large turbine blades, has
reduced the number of low-pressure turbine casings to
realize more compact turbines. In the medium and
small-capacity generator sector, technology has been
developed to increase the efficiency, compactness and
serviceability of steam turbines, enabling smaller
initial investment and higher reliability. Fuji Electric
has continued to improve the space efficiency by
migrating from the conventional three-casing structure
to a two-casing structure and then to a single-casing
structure. With the increase in capacity, the ability to
maintain stability of the shaft system as the distance
between bearings increases in a steam turbine and
measures to prevent erosion of the low-pressure blades
presented technical challenges that have since been
overcome due to greater analytical precision and
structural improvements. A single casing turbine of
165 MW maximum capacity has already been brought
to market and is achieving good operating results. In
order to reduce the construction costs associated with a
combined cycle steam turbine, axial flow steam tur-
bines are being widely used. Fuji Electric will continue
to advance the development of technology to improve
efficiency and lower the cost of medium and small
capacity turbines.
5. Generators
Air-cooled generators, due to their low construction
cost, short production time and ease of operation and
maintenance, are gradually beginning to be used in
applications traditionally associated with hydrogen-
cooled generators. At present, Fuji Electrics air-cooled
generators are suitable for applications ranging up to
280 MVA for 60 Hz generators and 300 MVA for 50 Hz
generators. Because air, which has lower cooling
performance than hydrogen, is used as a coolant with
larger capacity generators, Fuji Electric implemented a
technical verification test by fabricating a 126 MVA
experimental generator and taking on-line measure-
ments at more than 1,000 on the stator and rotor. The
results of this test demonstrated that it was possible to
manufacture a large-capacity air-cooled generator hav-
ing sufficient reliability.
Trends and Future Outlook for Thermal Power Plants 73
For hydrogen-cooled generators, indirect cooling is
also being used instead conventional direct cooling.
Indirect cooling is the method of cooling used in air-
cooled generators, and technology acquired during the
development of air-cooled generators is also being
applied to hydrogen-cooled generators. At present, the
applicable range for indirect hydrogen-cooled genera-
tors has an upper limit of 450 MVA.
6. Geothermal Power Plants
There are presently no plans for the construction of
geothermal power plants in Japan. The reason for this
lack of plans is the high cost due to risks associated
with underground resources, the large initial invest-
ment that is required, and the long lead time required
to coordinate and reach a consensus concerning treat-
ment of national parks and existing hot springs.
However, small-scale binary power generation that
utilizes previously unused steam and hot water from a
hot springs region is a promising model for economical
geothermal power plants because there are no drilling
costs and the lead time is short. The RPS law has been
enforced since 2003, obligating electrical power suppli-
ers to use renewable energy. Because geothermal
binary power generation is also included in this
category, the construction of geothermal power plants
is expected to gain momentum.
Overseas, due to the slowdown in the global
economy that began with the Asian currency crisis
from 1997 through 1998, developing countries post-
poned or froze almost all their geothermal development
plans that required an initial investment or involved
investment risk. However, in response to the increase
in demand for electrical power that accompanied the
subsequent economic recovery, plans that use public
funds such as yen loans or financing from the Asian
Development Bank for investigating geothermal re-
sources and constructing geothermal power plants
have been reinvigorated.
In the past, geothermal power plants commonly
adopted affordably-priced single-flash cycle. In order
to achieve a more efficient use of resources, double-
flash cycle, combination with binary cycle using brine
from flash cycle and cogeneration of hot water for
house heating using exhaust or extracted steam are
adopted.
In order to improve plant efficiency and the
utilization rate of geothermal turbines, the following
technologies are recognized as important for geother-
mal power plants: technology for preventing the adhe-
sion of and removing silica scale from turbines,
monitoring techniques and easy maintenance, and
measures to prevent the adhesion of silica on re-
injection piping or a re-injection well. Geothermal
steam contains a minute amount of hydro-sulfuric gas
and, as environmental quality standards become strict-
er, an increase is expected in the number of installa-
tions of equipment for removing this hydro-sulfuric
gas, which previously had been released into the
atmosphere.
7. After-sales Service
After-sales service has been implement thus far in
a close working relationship with the user, mainly by
providing periodic inspections of delivered equipment
and replacing or repairing parts for preventative
maintenance. These activities include responding to
incidences of sporadic failure and also providing vari-
ous suggestions for improvements. Periodic inspec-
tions are necessary to ensure the safety of a plant, and
in Japan, this is a characteristic of a regulated
industry protected by laws. As the relaxation of
regulations results in a shift from mandatory periodic
inspections to voluntary inspections, technical sugges-
tions by manufacturers are being closely scrutinized
based on economic criteria to determine whether they
are absolutely necessary for ensuring stable operation.
Against this backdrop, specialized maintenance service
companies have already begun operating in Europe
and the US. The necessity for periodic inspections is
also being recognized in Southeastern Asia, and these
European and US maintenance companies are early
participants in those markets. Fuji Electric intends to
leverage its reliable and responsive after-sales service
in order to insure the stable operation of power plants,
and to compete as an equipment manufacturer against
these specialized maintenance companies.
After-sales service for an aged plant can encompass
plans for major renovations or renovation of the entire
plant in order to reuse the plants facilities. These types
of plans can be diverse and may involve conversion of
the type of fuel that was used originally at the time of
construction, massive renovation of the entire plant
such as changing the operating principle of the power
plant, and repairing or replacing worn out parts to
prolong the service life of the equipment or reducing
maintenance cost and enhancing the efficiency of the
plant. Technology has also made great advances since
the time of the initial construction and a wide range of
measures are available for problem solving.
8. Conclusion
Thermal power plants are industrial goods that
produce electricity. Moreover, these plants are impor-
tant to customers and are presumed to have a service
life of greater than twenty years. Accordingly, the
reliability of a power plant is considered most impor-
tant, followed by after-sales service and then economic
efficiency. As demand for electrical power increases
throughout the world, Fuji Electric intends to continue
to strive to supply power plants that provide reliabili-
ty, high performance and low price in accordance with
the needs of customers.