Siemens Energy has under contract to Vattenfall supplied an SPPA-T3000 instrumentation & control (I&C) system for the Schwarze Pumpe pilot plant. The coal-fired plant for low-CO2-power generation near Spremberg, Brandenburg, with an installed thermal capacity of 30 megawatts, is operated using the oxyfuel process.
Siemens I&C has already been deployed at the Schwarze Pumpe lignite-fired power plant and demonstrated its capabilities there. For the pilot plant in the immediate vicinity Siemens has supplied the new Web-based I&C system SPPA-T3000, and connections to the air separation unit, the CO2 liquefaction facility and the main power plant as well as the field instrumentation. Siemens is also providing support for the entire trial operation.
The decisive factors in favor of the Siemens solution are the straightforward engineering, user-friendliness and high system flexibility. Since I&C modifications during plant operation often have to be implemented on line within the space of seconds, a high level of flexibility is an important criterion for the I&C installed in such a pilot plant.
“The project is a showcase in the field of power plant automation,” said Karlheinz Springer, CEO of the Business Unit Instrumentation & Electrical at Siemens Energy. “Accompany the eco-friendly coal-based power generation technology from the lab to large-scale deployment and resolving all I&C requirements quickly and unbureaucratically was for us a challenging and at the same time positive experience that fills us with pride. Siemens is thus making a further significant contribution toward clean coal-based power generation in the future.”
At present, there are primarily three technologies offered for CO2 capture: pre-combustion carbon capture in an IGCC power plant. post-combustion carbon capture and the oxyfuel process in which the coal is combusted with pure oxygen and recirculating flue gas.
“Especially because we are breaking new ground with oxyfuel technology, it was important that we had a strong, experienced partner,” said Uwe Burchhardt, project manager of the pilot oxyfuel plant. “Siemens not only provided us with its support on power plant automation but also gave us optimum advice on process engineering. Modifications can thus be readily implemented on site within an appropriate time frame.”