A Gain in Spain

A Gain in Spain

By A. J. Minchener

The benchmark in Europe for IGCC is the 300 MWe combined-cycle power plant at Puertollano in Spain. The process uses an oxygen-blown Prenflo entrained-phase coal gasifier, followed by extensive coal gas cleaning stages and low NO_x combustion in the gas turbine. Once fully operational, it is expected that the pro-cess will have a net efficiency of 45 percent.

A three-year demonstration phase began in 1997 with the first production of gas from coal occurring in December of the same year. Following this, an extensive assessment was carried out and a series of plant modifications made. Gas turbine operation on coal gas was achieved in March 1998. However, initial runs showed the need for a number of other modifications. These were carried out and trouble-free steady operation was achieved in October 1998. By the end of the year, some 58 gasification runs had been done, amounting to a total of 280 hours of operation. Ten gas turbine runs using syngas had been completed.

With increased fuel diversification in Europe, gas-fired power stations are currently the preferred option for new capacity. Nevertheless, coal will continue to have a role to play in power generation in the future. The technology of choice will not be the conventional pulverized fuel plant; rather, it will be either an advanced PF plant, with higher efficiency steam conditions and ultra-effective gas cleaning, or one of the new, advanced, clean coal technologies that will offer integral pollutant control plus optimized gas turbine and steam cycle systems.