Decarbonization Avenue : Enhancing thermal power plant efficiency

Innovation Insights

Advanced ultra super critical power plant

Conventional coal-fired power plants, which make water boil to generate steam that activates a turbine, have efficiency of about 32%. 

Supercritical (SC) and ultra-supercritical (USC) power plants operate at temperatures and pressures above the critical point of water, i.e. above the temperature and pressure at which the liquid and gas phases of water coexist in equilibrium, at which point there is no difference between water gas and liquid water. This results in higher efficiencies – above 45%. 

Supercritical (SC) and ultra -supercritical (USC) power plants require less coal per megawatt-hour, leading to lower emissions (including carbon dioxide and mercury), higher efficiency and lower fuel costs per megawatt.

Relevant for

Innovation sector

  • Power engineering

Web Resources

R&D Project for “Development of Advanced Ultra Supercritical (Adv. USC) Technology for Thermal Power Plants”

Website : Link

Innovation Category

Stakeholders

Industry


Advanced ultra supercritical boilers

Website : Link

Innovation Category

Stakeholders

Industry


India’s Coal Future Hinges on Advanced Ultra Supercritical Breakthroughs

Website : Link

Innovation Category

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Domain

Energy Efficiency

Type of innovation

Core sciences & engineering

Stakeholders

Corporate researcher

Industry

Power