OREANDA-NEWS On 06 October was announced, that Enel OGK-5 improved environmental and economic impact of Reftinskaya GRES by running a pilot test with Kuznetskiy coal.

OJSC Enel OGK-5 runs tests to introduce technical measures aimed at shifting Reftinskaya GRES, the biggest coal fired power plant in Russia, towards the partial use of CC type Kuznetskiy coal from Bachatskiy and Krasnoborodskiy Russian mines. The initiative was adopted in order to diversify the fuel mix of the power plant as well as improve its environmental and operational performances

The Kuznetskiy coal has the following improved characteristics compared with Ekibastuzskiy coal (from Kazakhstan) which is currently used at Reftinskaya GRES as main fuel:

–        caloric value (6500 – 6700 kcal/kg compared to 4000 kcal/kg of Ekibastuzskiy coal),

–        ash contents (6-10% compared to 40%).

Productivity of Kuznetskyi coal is 40% higher than that of coal previously used in Reftinskaya while the amount of hazardous waste and dust emissions in the atmosphere was reduced by 60% by using Kuznetsky coal. The use of the second type of solid fuel increased reliability and security of the power plant fuel supply as well as its stable operation during the autumn-winter energy deficit period also supporting the  development of the Russian coal industry.

Enel specialists in collaboration with UralVTI (the Urals heat engineering research institute) and OAO “Urals Power Engineering Centre” developed the technical arrangements to allow the use of Kuznetskiy coal. Reconstruction of the fuel conveying system with the increase of its fire safety and modernization of the boilers’ flow diagram in terms of regulation of the direct steam temperature were also carried out at Reftinskaya GRES.

Shifting a Russian power plant towards the use of new types of coal with considerably different physical characteristics represents a forefront pilot project.  

This project testifies the efforts Enel is putting in the improvement of its generation fleet contributing with its know-how and is a success case of the fruitful cooperation with the Russian engineering centers.