Will Zelenodolsk residents have heat in their houses? To give an affirmative answer to this question, power engineers of DTEK Kryvorizka TPP have been preparing equipment of the power plant for reliable operation during an autumn and winter season. The key objective is to improve the reliability of the heating networks and power units 1 and 3.
The company uses every effort to ensure stable operations of its businesses. This is why specialists from Interenergoservice are preparing power unit 3 of Kryvorizka TPP for operation. By mid-September, they will finish repairing a coal pulverization system, burners, baseload, and auxiliary equipment of the power plant. Power unit 3 is anthracite-fired, due to which it is normally kept in a standby mode and is connected to the system only when power unit 1 has to be shut down for maintenance.
“Power unit 1 is responsible for the baseload of Kurakhivska TPP. Three years ago, it was retrofitted, the service life of its equipment was extended, and the capacity was increased from 282 MW up to 315 MW. During the second phase of a retrofitting project completed in 2019, the power unit was converted from anthracite to Ukrainian steam coal produced by miners in Pavlograd and Dobropillya. This is DTEK’s contribution to Ukraine’s energy independence. By reducing the consumption of specific fuel achieved through the retrofitting effort, we secured the best performance indicators for power unit 1 as compared to other plant’s power units,” says Serhii Dehtyarenko, director of DTEK Kryvorizka TPP.
Kryvorizka TPP is equipped with two-boiler single-turbine units. Due to the reduced demand in the Ukrainian energy system, power unit 1 often operates in a single-casing mode. The time when one of the boiler casings is shut down is used by the power engineers of Kryvorizka TPP to perform preventive repairs. In July, the repairs were performed to the boiler equipment, air duct, and coal pulverization system. Tests are regularly performed on the power unit equipment, alarms, and protective devices.
By performing preventive repairs, we secure an opportunity to be fully prepared for supplying heat to Zelenodolsk as soon as the temperature drops. For this, TPP’s coal warehouse was stocked with 200 thousand tons of coal. This quantity will suffice for three-month uninterrupted operation of the existing equipment. Moreover, we continue receiving coal deliveries.
The repairs to the heating network equipment including a deaerator, boilers, and shut-off valves continue as well. The pipework insulation will be also restored. It means that Zelenodolsk will have heat and the Ukrainian energy system will get the required quantity of electricity.