Introduction

In our previous blog, we studied the steam power plant and its advantages and disadvantages of the steam power plant.in today’s blog, we are going to discuss Site selection for steam power plant and the factors for Site selection of steam power plant.

While erecting a steam power plant, site selection is an important part because the site life of the plant depends.

Site selection contains a study of various aspects on which the plant is going to rely.

factors for Site selection for steam power plant

Factors that are considered while selecting the site for steam power plant for economical and efficient operation are:

• Nearness to the load center
• Supply of water
• Availability of coal
• Load requirement
• Types of lands
• Transportation facility
• Labour supply
• Ash disposal
• Distance from a populated area

Nearness to the load center for Site selection for steam power plant

The power plant should be located near the load center to reduce the transportation cost of electricity. Also, the losses reduce because as the length of the transmission line increases, line losses dependent on length also increase.

The losses terms are considered for the DC supply system. In contrast, the AC supply system transformation of lower voltage to higher voltage is possible to erect the power plant other than the load center.

Supply of water for Site selection for steam power plant

Water is an important constituent of a steam power plant for generating electricity. A large quantity of water requires in steam power plant for

1. To convert the heat energy generated from coal-burning into steam with the help of a water medium.
2. Water is used as the coolant to cool the steam after expanding on turbine blades in the condenser.
3. After burning, the coal ash remains as wastage for disposal of ash water as a carrying medium.
4. Water is also used for drinking purposes in steam power plants with all the usages.

Hence to fulfill all these usages, a steam power plant should always be located near the water source such as river, sea, or lake.

Availability of coal for Site selection for steam power plant

Coal is used as a primary fuel in the steam power plant for the production of electricity.

So you can imagine that a huge amount of coal is going to require for raising steam. (20,000 tonnes per day for 2,000 MW station.)

And we all know about the government policies that to use only low-grade coal with 30 to 40% ash content for power generation purposes.

Hence, the steam power plant should always locate near the coal mines to avoid coal and ash cost transportation.

Land requirement for Site selection for steam power plant

The land is the most important factor while selecting a site for a steam power plant.

Land requirement for erecting a steam power plant is huge because it is used to erect a plant and used for coal storage, ash disposal, staff colonies, etc.

For a better understanding, let’s take an example  A 20,000 MW plant, the land requirement may be of the order.

Available land should be such that future expansion can be done. In addition, land should be available at a reasonable rate as the cost of land is added to the final cost of the plant.

Type of land for Site selection for steam power plant

The bearing capacity of land should be good as it has to withstand the dead weight of the power plant in working conditions. Also, the forces transmitted to the land during operation.

Land must be selected according to the sea level of that surrounding. Therefore, it should be reasonably level, not low lying.

Transportation facility for Site selection for steam power plant

It is impossible to locate a steam power plant near the coal mine, so a transportation facility for the plant is required to transport the coal from mines. Sometimes water transportation can also be done.

Workers and laborers working in the power plant also need this facility in day-to-day life.

So while selecting the site for the steam power plant, the transportation facility must be available for heavy pieces of equipment and fuels, i.e., near the railway station.

Labour supply

Skilled labor should be available at a reasonable rate at the nearest site of a power plant.

Ash disposal

 Ash is the wastage after burning the coal in the boiler. With low-grade coal, the generation of ash reduces to some extent, but disposal of ash is mandatory.

There are many ways to dispose of this ash

1. Some building contractors purchase this ash for the construction purpose
2. Manufacturing of bricks near the plant site.
3. If the site is near the coal mine, ash can be dumped in one of the disused mines.
4. In the site near the river, sea or lake, ash is disposed of into the nearest water source.
5. If the wasteland is available near the site, ash can be dumped there too.

Distance from a populated area

Since most modern generating stations employ pulverized fuel residues and fumes from them are quite unhealthy, the site for the power station should be away from a populated area.