PSPCL can save Rs. 317 crore annually by fuel audit

by V K Gupta

PSPCL can save Rs. 317 crore annually by fuel audit of thermal plants
Sunday September 9 2012
Chandigarh
Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL) can save 317 crore by investing 8.58 crore in the fuel audit at all three thermal plants as per audit study carried out by Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission(PSERC)
The fuel audit report has covered the complete study of coal and fuel oil including the fuel supply contract agreements. The salient areas of fuel saving and cost reduction are review of the measuring methods and points of measurement of gross calorific value ( GCV) of coal, reduction in the drop of GCV of bunkered coal vis-à-vis receipt coal, reduction in transit loss ,reduction in demurrages through improvement in unloading infrastructure, reduction in quantities of stones received through more vigilance at the loading end. It will also cover review of contract with washeries regarding the quantity and quality of coal inputs and outputs and achievable station heat rate.
With the investment of Rs. 8.58 crore Ropar thermal plant will save Rs.213.71 crore in a year. Bhatinda thermal plant will save 54.37 crore and Lehra Mohabatt thermal plant will save Rs.49.10 crore annually . The investment of Rs. 8.58 crore made by PSPCL will be recovered within one month.
According to PSPCL officials the fuel audit at Lehra Mohabatt thermal plant has already been started from July 20 this year.
As per report while the audit of quantities of coal are in order, a drop in heating value is observed between the receipt and bunkered quantity beyond the normal deterioration. The process needs to be improved to minimize the drop in the GCV before it is fired into the boilers.
Some of the measures suggested in the audit report are measurement process of GCV needs to be modified to introduce uniformity . In cases where the payment is based on quality measurement at the thermal plants end only, random and periodic samples need to be sent to third party truly independent labs under committee supervision.
Considering the national trends in transit loss transit loss may be fully included in the scope of the liasoning agent by linking it up with the coal cost. Upgrading coal handling capacity of tipplers and conveyors; and mechanical equipment for removal of stones could bring down dummerages.
The unloading infrastructure at the three stations needs to be comprehensively reviewed to keep in tune with the increasing of the wagon capacity by 20 % as well as reduction in unloading time by 30 % The percentage of stones at Ropar is on the higher side and steps need to be taken to bring them to under 0.25 % of the receipt coal.
The sampling frequency of the coal lifted by washeries must be on the basis of similar to rake sampling.
PSERC has requested CERC to adopt this energy audit at national level so that all the power utilities get financial benefits from this.