Polish power

Emerson Process Management has received a $27m contract to modernise generating units 3 and 4 of the largest lignite-fired power plant in Europe, the Belchatow Power Plant in Poland.

The plant, which is the largest baseload power plant in Poland, is owned by BOT- Elektrownia Belchatow, part of the BOT Group. It consists of 12 units with a generating capacity of 4,400MW, representing more than 12 percent of the total installed power provided by Polish power generators.

Under the contract, Emerson will modernise the instrumentation, control and electrical subsystems of units 3 and 4. Emerson will serve as the main automation contractor, performing broad engineering and management services that include the installation of its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system.

As the country’s largest baseload power plant, it is critical that the Belchatow units return to service as quickly as possible in order to maintain grid stability. The aggressive schedule for this project calls for Unit 3 to synchronise to the grid in October 2007, with Unit 4 expected to return to service one year later.

As the main automation contractor, Emerson will design, install and commission the digital automation system and also perform various specialised services on the units’ electrical subsystems, such as the generator, transformers, feeder ducts and switchgear.

At Belchatow, Emerson’s Ovation system will monitor and control each unit’s Sulzer-type boiler and balance of plant processes and equipment, as well as the 6kV and 0.4kV electrical switchgears and unit power output. In addition, the Ovation system will interface to each unit’s BBC-type turbine controls. Plant operators will monitor both units from a central, integrated control room.

Emerson’s will also deploy its HART intelligent field devices; Rosemount pressure and temperature transmitters and analytical equipment; Fisher FIELDVUE digital valve controllers and Fisher valves; and SmartProcess Global Performance Advisor optimisation software, which provides customers with critical performance data.

Another core component of the solution is Emerson’s AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager software, which helps power generators not only optimise plant operations and maintenance activities, but also avoid unplanned outages.

In total, Emerson’s control solution will monitor and control roughly 20,000 I/O points (10,000 per unit) via 24 Ovation controllers (12 per unit) and 18 workstations (nine per unit).