Plant and turbine controls retrofitted at thermal power plant

06 August 2010

Emerson Process Management has won a contract to apply its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with Ovation expert control system at units 3 and 4 of the Samcheonpo thermal power plant, located in South Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. The six-unit, 3,240-MW plant is owned by Korea South East Power Company (KOSEP), a major player in the Korean market. The company’s power plants currently generate 7,334 MW of electricity – more than 10% of the country’s electric generating capacity.

Plant and turbine controls retrofitted at thermal power plant

In order to extend the service life of these units, the contract calls for replacement of outdated controls at Samcheonpo units 3 and 4 (2 X 560 MW) with Emerson’s Ovation expert control system. The Ovation system, which was designed specifically to meet the unique challenges of the power generation industry, will monitor and control each unit’s Combustion Engineering boiler, GE turbine and balance-of-plant processes. Unifying boiler and turbine operations translates into a number of significant benefits, including improved unit stability, responsiveness and thermal efficiencies; tighter overall control of plant operations; and a more concise view of key plant and turbine parameters. In all, Emerson will install 17 Ovation controllers and 52 workstations that will manage a total of approximately 21,300 I/O points.

In addition, Emerson’s comprehensive solution for Samcheonpo units 3 and 4 includes Rosemount instrumentation, including eight pressure transmitters and 24 differential pressure-type level transmitters, as well as vibration monitoring and protection system equipment, coal feeder controls, soot-blower optimization and a boiler tube leak detection system. Emerson will also remodel a central control room that will enable plant operators to efficiently monitor both units from one location. Equipment delivery for Unit 3 is slated for September 2010, just six months after contract award. Commercial operation for Unit 3 is expected in December 2010; Unit 4 is scheduled to return to service in March 2011.

Emerson and KOSEP have had a long, successful relationship in the power generation industry; Emerson’s technologies are already in use or being installed at numerous KOSEP plants, including Samcheonpo units 1 and 2. In fact, shortly after finalizing the contract to modernize controls at Samcheonpo units 3 and 4, the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the modernization of existing power plants and the construction of new plants in Korea, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

"Emerson offered us not only a comprehensive and integrated control solution, but also the engineering and support capabilities necessary to complete this major retrofit project on an accelerated schedule," said Son Kwang-Sig, general manager, Power Generation Management Team, KOSEP. "The equipment and controls modernization of Samcheonpo units 3 and 4 will not only help us to greatly extend the life of these units, but also ensure that they operate at optimal efficiency and reliability."