Lessons-learnt during construction,

commissioning and start of operation

Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,
August/September 2015
Dr. Oliver Then, Head of Power Plant
Technologies
 Agenda

Introduction: Overview of the new built plants in Europe

Project Management: key to success

Project Organization
Planning
Scheduling
Quality Management

During construction: material challenges

T24
HR3C
P92

During commissioning: one exampe seawater ingress

First operating experiences: heat recovery concepts

Summary

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 Reference Power Plant NRW

Gross output 600 MW

Net output 556 MW
Net efficiency (cooling tower ca. 46 %
mode)
Net efficiency (river cooling) ca. 47 %
Main steam parameters 285 bar/600°C/620°C
Feed water end temperature 303,4 °C
Condenser pressure 45 mbar, wet closed cooling via natural-draft
cooling tower
Boiler type Benson tower boiler with vertical tubes
Boiler efficiency 95 %
Mills 3 mill-concept with 6 burners each
Economizer stages Eight economizer + external desulpher-heater
Feed water pump concept 3 x 50 % electric motor driven feed water pumps,
variable speed drive with planetary gearing
Utilization of waste heat Use of mill air heat
Flue gas cleaning SCT-DENOX with ammonia, four-grade
electrostatic precipitator, flue gas desulphurization
using limestone-gypsum method
Flue gas discharge Discharge via cooling tower
Steam turbine Three-casing steam turbine with simple
intermediate heating and low-pressure stages
made of titanium alloy (reheating after high
pressure turbine)
Generator Water-/hydrogen cooled
Operating personnel 70

The concept study for the Reference Power Plant NRW served as a blue print for the
European new build program initiated in the late 90s.

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 Overview of new built projects in Europe

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 Overview of new built projects in Europe

Life/RH
start
Name of Name of No. Unit Cap. Tot. Cap. Steam COD Delay (Y)
Country Site of Plant Main Fuel erection
Plant Company Units MW (gr.) MW (el.) Temp. (Y) estimated
(Y)
(°C)

Czech Republic Ledvice 4 CEZ AS Ledvice 1 660 660 LIG 600/610 2008 2014 1,5

Germany Neurath F&G RWE Power Neurath 2 1100 2.200 LIG 595/605 2005 Jul 12 2,5

Germany Datteln 4 E.ON Datteln 1 1100 1.100 HC 600/620 2007 ? >4

Hamburg-
Germany Moorburg A-B Vattenfall Europe 2 820 1.640 HC 600/610 Okt 07 2015 2
Moorburg

Germany Boxberg R Vattenfall Europe Boxberg 1 675 675 LIG 600/605 Okt 06 Okt 12 2

Grosskraftwerk
Germany GKM 9 Mannheim 1 911 911 HC 600/610 2007 2015 2
Mannheim AG

Germany RDK8 EnBW Karlsruhe 1 912 912 HC 600/620 2008 2014 2

Germany Walsum 10 STEAG/EVN Duisburg 1 725 725 HC 610/620 2006 Nov 13 3

Germany Lünen Trianel Lünen 1 750 750 HC 600/610 Sep 08 Jan 14 0,5

Germany Wilhelmshaven GDF Suez Wilhelmshaven 1 800 800 HC 600/610 Sep 08 Apr 14 1,5

Germany Westfalen D&E RWE Generation Hamm 2 800 1600 HC 600/610 Feb 08 Sept 14 (E) 2

Netherlands Eemshaven RWE Power Eemshaven 2 800 1.600 HC 600/610 Sep 08 Jan 15 (A) 1,5

Netherlands Maasvlakte Electrabel Rotterdam 1 750 750 HC 600/610 2009 2013 1

Netherlands Maasvlakte 3 E.ON Benelux Maasvlakte 1 1100 1.100 HC 600/620 Feb 08 2015 2,5

The T24 material is used in European power plant projects with a capacity of 14.8 GW.

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 Project Management is key to success

There are 16 processes covering all tasks that need to be managed for a successful
new build project These processes run within a phase or across phases.

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 Project Management: Organization

The organization structure is usually based on the model of a hybrid project

organization. It combines the advantages of a line and a matrix approach.

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 Project Management: Scheduling

The project schedule is of utmost importance for an efficient project management. The
activities are based on a functional breakdown of the power plant.

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 Integrated planning is the basis for efficient operation

The essential tool for data management is the plant master database. It contains all C&I
equipment, vessels, consumers, valves, actuators, motors, pumps.

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 Quality Assurance & Control are very important

 High time pressure and cost pressure on

suppliers has a negative impact on the quality
assurance & control necessary on the part of
suppliers

 Work is subcontracted (or even sub-

subcontracted) to manufacturers lacking
relevant experience

 Work packages are divided up and allocated

to a large number of different manufacturing
sites

 Staff numbers have been cut in many

manufacturing areas

 In terms of a high quality product, the earliest

possible implementation of quality
management is required

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 Use of new materials

European projects differ in size and steam parameters, therefore varying

material concepts and boiler designs are used.

Source: GKM

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 Use of T24

The T24 material was chosen as material in different parts, e.g. membran tube wall,
superheater and reheater bundles and supporting tubes.

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 Qualification of the T24 material

Qualification of the material 7CrMoVTiB10-10 in AVIF research projects:

 FDBR-/VGB research project „Qualification of materials for the use in steam
generators with high temperature levels“ (A77, duration: 1994-1998)
 Research project „Demonstration of long-term properties of weld joints of modern
steels for the use in steam generators at temperatures of up to 620 °C“ (A129,
duration: 1998-2001)
 Fitness for use established in accordance with VdTÜV materials data sheets 533
 Technical supply conditions pursuant to DIN EN 10216-2 and VGB-R 109

Qualification process revealed small processing

window:
 Accurate adherence to manufacturing prodecures
 Stringent craftsmanship of welders

The T24 material was qualified but it places high demands on processing.

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 T24: series of damage events

Starting March 2010 – hard coal fired power plants in Europe

in the area of superheater

and reheater tube
penetration

transition pieces

upper part of spiral wall

Quelle: Dr. Benesch, Herausforderungen an Werkstoffe durch den

zukünftigen Kraftwerksbetrieb, Ge, 13.09.2012

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 T24: failure characteristics

March 2010 – hard coal fired power plants in Europe

 crack initiation purely at the inner surface

 branched structure
 trans- and intergranular crack propagation
 nearly without any deformation

filler material

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 T23: damage event

2009 – hard coal fired power plants in USA

T23 only at the top of

the boiler

water chemistry was not

controlled in respect to oxygen

Quelle: SUPERCRITICAL UNIT EXPERIENCE WITH GRADE T23 EVAPORATOR

TUBE; Eric Dupont, 2013

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 T24: damage investigations

–Preconditions
Please overwrite
for SCC t SCC
 sensitive condition of base
material and/or weld joint due Material
condition
to chemical composition,
structure, surface condition,
etc.)
Circumferential cracking
 critical stresses resulting from Medium Stress
external impact, welding
stresses and exceeding a
system specific threshold of
stress
 presence of a fluid promoting
SCC (e.g. H)
Cracking rectangular to weld
Appearance of SCC
Quelle: Dr. Benesch, Herausforderungen an Werkstoffe durch
den zukünftigen Kraftwerksbetrieb, Ge, 13.09.2012

Hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC) was identified as a damage

mechanism.

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 T24: preventive actions in three areas

Influencing the medium: Material Influencing stresses:

condition
 Optimised chemical cleaning  Heat treatment at 450°C-520°C
(pickling) of the complete boiler with
 Optimised water chemistry external burners
of boiler water Medium Stress
 Optimised start-up
procedure

Source: Vesta
O2 content in ppb

5 Influencing material condition:

 Local heat treatment at
temperatures in the range of
0 Time Source: RWE 600°C in highly stressed area
O2 content during start-up

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 T24: influencing the stresses by the boiler heating

>20%

0,2%-yield strength versus test temperature

FDBR-/VGB-Forschungsvorhaben A77: „Qualifizierung von Werkstoffen zum
Einsatz in Dampferzeugeranlagen mit erhöhten Temperaturen“

„Boiler heating“ before first commissioning at 480-520°C leads to:

 reduction of lokal stresses (appr. 20%)
 lower sensitivity against HSCC
 increase sensitization of austenitic materials

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 T24: influencing the medium

Reduction of oxygen content

 Increase of pressure loss during the period of low oxygen operation

 Beginning of ripples formation was identified after approx. 1,5 years of operation

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