Correlation between eco-efficiency measures and resource and impact decoupling for thermal power plants in Serbia

Electricity generation using carbon-based fuels is responsible for a large fraction of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. In Serbia, 70% of the electricity is produced from coal-fired power plants. The aim of this investigation was to identify the retrofitting opportunities to reduce the carbon intensity of power generation. Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production assessment was performed in a coal thermal power plant of the public company “Thermal Power Plants Nikola Tesla”, which operates within the Electric Power Industry of Serbia. Assessment of the thermal power plant operation was supported by experimentally measured data (fresh water pressures and temperatures, steam temperatures and pressures, condensing pressure, water flowrate, make-up water flowrate, steam flowrate, coal composition, emissions, etc), emission factor determinations and by using data obtained during unit balancing and simulation of the system's performance. The data collected and analyzed during power plant operation were used for the development of a new general approach with comprehensive analysis of the system, using the following plant eco-efficiency indicators: energy consumption, climate change, acidification, and waste generation. Indicators were used to present decoupling after implementation of the described measures. The analysis of two units showed that the nominal power could be increased by 60 MWe, with an increase of the unit gross efficiency of 0.4%, and a reduction of coal, water and electricity consumption. The implementation of RECP measures in this study enabled analysis of the overall performance of the system as evidenced by the eco-efficiency indicators: energy consumption (decreased by 3%), CO2 emission (decreased by 3%), and SO2 emission (decreased by 39%).