‘Asset maintenance vital for legacy plants to cope with energy demands’
18 Apr 2023
Rapid synchronisation of legacy or idled power plants to make use of contingency coal power presents a significant operational risk, according to a power industry expert.
IMI Critical Engineering MD Jackie Hu said the problem was not limited to the United Kingdom but most European economies had paused or reversed planned shutdowns for legacy plants to provide a reactive resource in the event of a surge in grid demand, as occurred during the cold conditions of early March.
Hu said that developing a supply diversification strategy would take an extended time but legacy power plants were not designed to provide rapid, short-term relief.
“Doing so on a regular basis – which is a distinct possibility given the fragility of supply and normalisation of unseasonal cold spells – could present a wide range of operational and maintenance challenges if the process is not carefully managed.”
In March, the National Grid’s Electricity System Operator connected two coal units at EDF’s West Burton coal plant to the grid in order to meet increased. Back in September, Germany extended the operation of its hard-coal-fired power plants until March 2024. Meanwhile France restarted its Emile Huchet coal power plant in October less than two months after closing it. Numerous other European countries have had to reconsider using fossil fuel for generation.
Given the level of demand plant operators were urged to increase proactive maintenance on critical items such safety, shut-off, and control valves, advised Hu.
“Coal-fired plants are not designed for rapid synchronisation. However, the reality is that they may have to be used in that way, especially over the next 12 to 18 months. Given that many plants have been earmarked for closure in the not-too-distant future, the temptation for asset managers may be to keep any maintenance or investment activity to a minimum. However, doing so could result in critical component malfunction and a potential synchronisation failure,” he stated.
“A proactive approach to the maintenance, repair, or replacement of core components will give operators the best chance of meeting any future reactive grid demands.”
