This article is an example of correctly determining the cost of electricity and calculating the payback of an object.
Our company’s specialists will promptly carry out the necessary calculations for your individual facility and issue an opinion on the payback period, taking into account the specific features of the facility.
In the process of calculating the payback of a mini-CHP, it is extremely important to take into account all the costs that the owner will bear during the operation of a gas piston power plant. Unfortunately, not all companies offering the construction of mini-CHPs provide future owners with complete and up-to-date information about the cost of further maintenance, sometimes simply not having this information. When calculating the final cost of electricity produced, it is necessary to take into account not theoretical prices at the manufacturer, but the real cost of spare parts, taking into account their transportation and customs clearance.
This calculation is based on the example of a Siemens SGE-56SM power plant, since the cost of servicing Siemens gas piston power plants is one of the lowest in Russia. Due to this, this calculation provides an opportunity to evaluate the “starting data” for the cost of maintenance. Other power plants of comparable capacity will most likely be more expensive in their maintenance, but may benefit in the price of equipment.
The following initial data were used in the calculation:
To determine the final cost of generated electricity, a methodology is used that includes the main cost groups. It is very important not to forget to include all the main cost categories to determine the most complete final cost and further calculate the payback of mini-CHP:
1. GAS COSTS
The gas consumption for the Siemens SGE-56SM power plant in question with a power of 1025 kW is 278.01 nm 3 per hour at 100% load. Thus, costs are determined by the formula:
Fuel consumption of a given calorific value * gas cost per 1000 nm 3 with VAT / 1000 nm 3 / power = 278.01 * 3800 / 1000 / 1025 = 1.03 rub. per 1 kW*h.
2. COSTS OF OIL CHANGE
In the Siemens SGE-56SM gas piston power plant with a power of 1025 kW, oil changes must be carried out every 1250 operating hours, or less often, depending on operating conditions. The replacement oil volume is 232 liters. For calculations, we use the most common replacement period - 1250 hours. If during operation the interval is increased, this will only reduce the cost of electricity. The cost of changing the oil is determined by the formula:
Volume of oil changed * cost per liter / replacement frequency / power = 232*230 /1250/1025=0.041 rub. per 1 kW*h.
3. OIL WASTE COSTS
Each gas piston power plant during its operation is faced with the need to replenish the oil lost due to its waste in the combustion chamber of the gas engine. The estimated amount of oil for waste is 0.2 grams for each kWh generated. The cost of oil waste is calculated using the formula:
Volume of oil per burn * cost of one liter / 1000 grams in one liter = 0.2* 230 / 1000 = 0.046 rub. per 1 kW*h.
4. COSTS FOR SPARE PARTS INCLUDING OVERHAUL REPAIRS
To determine the total cost of spare parts, it is very important to consider all spare parts required for the entire life cycle of a gas piston power plant, including major overhauls. This approach is due to the fact that the estimated costs should ensure the uninterrupted operation of the power plant, both before and after major repairs. Otherwise, it would be necessary to buy a new power plant after each major overhaul. The calculation takes into account the sum of all spare parts replaced throughout the entire life cycle taking into account major repairs. For a Siemens power plant with a capacity of 1025 kW, the cost of all spare parts is 410,000 Euros including VAT and customs clearance. It should be noted that spare parts, like oil, can be changed less frequently under favorable operating conditions, which again will only reduce the cost of the electricity produced.
The total cost of spare parts attributable to the cost of kWh is determined by the formula:
5. COSTS FOR SERVICES OF A SERVICE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTING ROUTINE SERVICE WORK
When calculating the costs of service work, you must remember that for the calculation you need to use the prices only of the organization that has official permission from the manufacturer to carry out these works. This will ensure not only the preservation of the warranty on the equipment, but also confirm that the organization will cope with complex work in the future, and will not limit itself to selling equipment and changing oil.
It is also worth noting that you should not rely on the statements of some manufacturers who promise to teach customer service to the customer’s personnel. As a rule, after the sale of equipment, personnel are trained only to change oil, filters and spark plugs. All qualified work continues to be performed by staff third party organization. This happens not only due to the fact that the work requires high qualifications, but also due to the fact that this work requires expensive professional tools, the total cost of which can be several million rubles. Therefore, the purchase of such a tool can only be afforded by a company that carries out maintenance of gas piston power plants on a massive scale, on an ongoing basis. At the same time, the performance of simple service work by the customer’s personnel actually somewhat reduces the cost. However, the initial calculation should be carried out under the most severe baseline conditions.
For the Siemens SGE-56SM power plant under consideration, the total cost of service, including major repairs, amounts to 48,000 Euros including VAT. The service component in the cost of electricity will be determined by the formula:
Amount of costs including major repairs * exchange rate / time until major repairs / capacity = 48,000 Euro * 60 rub. / 64,000 / 1025 = 0.044 rub. per 1 kW*h.
6. COSTS FOR PAYMENT OF PROPERTY TAX - 2.2% PER YEAR:
Let us determine the tax costs based on the average cost of construction of a mini-CHP in the amount of 50 million rubles. for 1 MW turnkey. Costs are determined by the formula:
Construction cost * tax percentage / 100 percent / capacity / 8000 operating hours per year = 50,000,000 * 2.2 / 100 / 1025 / 8000 = 0.13 rub. per 1 kW*h.
7. DEPRECIATION CHARGES
The inclusion of depreciation costs implies that during the operation of power plants, funds are depreciated that can be spent on a complete renewal of the power unit after its resource has been exhausted (3-4 major repairs, 240,000 - 300,000 operating hours). Costs are determined by the formula:
Construction cost / total resource / power = 50,000,000 / 240,000 / 1025 = 0.2 rub. per 1 kW*h.
8. AMENDMENT DUE TO RECYCLED HEAT:
In parallel with production electrical energy Each power plant with a capacity of 1025 kW produces thermal energy in amounts of up to 1325 kW per hour. To produce the same amount of heat in a boiler room, it would be necessary to burn 140 nm 3 of gas with a calorific value of 33.5 MJ/nm 3. Thus, by utilizing heat from a running engine, each power plant saves up to
140 * 3800 /1000 /1025 = 0.519 rub. per 1 kW*h.
CALCULATION OF TOTAL COST
The final cost is the sum of all costs for electricity production (gas, oil, service, work, taxes, depreciation) and cost savings due to heat recovery
- Excluding recovered heat: RUB 1.03. + 0.041 + 0.046 + 0.37 + 0.044 + 0.13 +0.2 = 1.811 rub. per 1 kW*h.
- Taking into account the recovered heat: RUB 1.03. + 0.032 + 0.036 + 0.28 + 0.033 + 0.08 +0.12 - 0.519 = 1.342 rub. per 1 kW*h.
Payback period calculation
A) Mini-CHP as an alternative to an external network
If the site does not have a full centralized power supply, it is necessary to calculate the payback period not of the entire mini-CHP, but of the difference between the cost of construction and the cost of organizing external power supply (connection, route, limits, etc.). At some sites, the cost of connecting an external network may be even higher than the cost of building a mini-CHP. Due to this, the payback of the project occurs immediately, upon the fact that the mini-CHP is put into operation. And with each kWh generated, the owner receives additional profit.
B) Mini-CHP as an addition to the external network
If the facility has already organized a full external power supply and a mini-CHP is considered only as an measure to reduce electricity costs, it is necessary to compare the costs of producing and purchasing electricity.
With the average cost of purchasing electricity from networks in the amount of 3.5 rubles. with VAT per 1 kWh, savings when generating 1 kWh of electricity, taking into account complete heat recovery, will be:
- Cost of electricity from networks - cost of produced electricity = 3.5 - 1.342 = 2.158 rub. per 1 kW*h.
- With uniform full capacity utilization per year, savings are made in the amount of:
- Savings per kWh * 8000 working hours per year * power = 2.158 * 8000 * 1025 = 17.7 million rubles. per year
TOTAL PAYBACK PERIOD
At the moment, as noted above, the average cost of constructing a turnkey project is from 50 million rubles. for 1 MW on a turnkey basis, depending on the power and composition of the equipment used.
Thus, with full utilization of electrical capacity and heat recovery, the payback period of one mini-CHP can be calculated as Construction amount / annual savings = 50 / 17.7 = 2.8 years.
As can be seen from the above calculations, the greatest impact on the final payback period is exerted by the costs of maintenance, oil and service work. Unfortunately, some manufacturers indicate in their catalogs not real data on maintenance (which is carried out every 1200 - 2000 engine hours), but certain theoretical maximums that are achievable only in ideal conditions operation. In a situation where the owner, having launched a power plant, is faced with reduced maintenance intervals, the expected payback sharply worsens. It is therefore critical to clarify whether the proposed maintenance program specifies minimum intervals that may be extended or theoretical limits that will be reduced. Our company has collected an extensive database of such offers, which we can provide to clients who carefully select equipment.
The prices indicated are current as of the end of 2014 and may vary slightly at the current time.
Recently they have become an increasingly popular product. They needed for autonomous power supply in various situations. A wood-burning electric generator will make it possible to get electric current almost anywhere. The device consists of a firebox and an element that converts thermal energy into electrical energy. This element is heated on one side and cooled on the other. As a result, electricity is generated. In fact, this is a furnace with an energy converter element.
Such a generator can be purchased at finished form, or you can even assemble it from scrap materials, which will cost literally pennies.A wood-burning electric generator is most suitable for providing a backup power source or in a small home, as well as as the main autonomous source of electricity on a hike or during outdoor recreation.
In addition to generating electricity, the furnace-generator performs the main function of heats the room In addition, you can cook food and boil water on it.
The electric generator does not produce a constant electric current of 12 volts. If you connect an inverter, you can convert D.C. AC 220 volts.Pros and cons of the device
Like any device, a wood-burning electric generator has its advantages and disadvantages. By comparing them, you can understand how much you need such a stove and which one to choose.
Advantages
- Possibility of heating a room up to 50 m 3 and cooking,
- Compactness,
- Long service life,
- The ability to use not only firewood, but also wood waste,
- Low energy cost,
- Possibility to make it yourself.
Quite recently, our prime minister made calls to save electricity, and even announced that economical energy-saving light bulbs would be introduced in the country in either the eleventh or twelfth year. But why should we wait another two years, if today we can do a good business by saving energy?
Do you know what day-night electronic systems (relays) are? They are configured so that at dawn, the electric lights connected to them spontaneously go out, and at dusk they light up again. As a result, even with careful turning on and off of street lights, you can save from half an hour to two, or even twelve hours every day - this is the time when they pointlessly illuminate the daytime street. Add to this the numerous entrances in which the lights sometimes burn uselessly for days, and you will understand how much utility workers and residents need energy-saving automatic machines.
Meanwhile, in the same entrances, it is enough to install a simple electronic system that responds to the appearance of a person. In principle, you don’t even have to reinvent the wheel; such an electronic device can be a regular security alarm that is sensitive to human presence. Only instead of a siren or warning signal, you need to connect a sensitive relay to it, which will turn on or off the light bulb in the entrance of the house. As soon as someone enters it will open front door, the light bulb will flash brightly, illuminate the entrance, and a couple of minutes later, after he leaves, it will go out spontaneously, because the electronic timer has worked with a time delay.
I specifically do not present in this publication the electronic circuits of these smart and useful devices. You can easily find them in reference books for radio amateurs, or even on one of the amateur radio sites on the Internet. I have a different goal. This publication is intended to convince you that even by saving electricity, and this, on the scale of our country, will be by no means considerable, you can do a very good business.
As you already understood, your potential buyers electronic devices there will be public utilities - you better clarify whose department is responsible for lighting night streets, as well as private owners, that is, ordinary citizens who do not want to pay for the electricity they uselessly use. Against the backdrop of exponentially growing utility costs, this may not be a penny, but over the course of the year a significant amount of savings on electricity will accrue. Among your possible buyers, there may also be summer residents. For example, I went out onto the porch, and, reacting to your appearance, the light instantly flashed. We returned back, soon it would go out spontaneously.
Let's make a simple mathematical calculation of energy savings using the electronic day-night machine we have virtually installed on one lamp table. We know that in Russia winter nights are long and summer nights are very short, so we will take the average annual time of day to be 6 hours. The power of the flashlight light bulb must be at least 250 watts. Accordingly, electricity is burned uselessly every day: 0.25?6 = 1.5 kW/hour. This doesn’t seem like a lot, but when multiplied by 365 days a year, we get an amount of: 1.5 kW/hour x 365 = 547.5 kW/hour. Our tariff prices for electricity consumption are constantly growing, so if we accept the cost of a kilowatt hour in the amount of 1.0 rubles, then the annual savings from using our machine will be 547.5 rubles. According to my estimates, its price (we remember, this is a very simple device) will not exceed 500.0 rubles. This means that after the first year of its operation, the real savings will be 47.0 rubles. But, this is only the first year, and it will save electricity for at least 5 or 6 years. In the second year, this will already be a full-scale saving.
I am sure that such mathematical calculations will convince even the most skeptical utility workers. Especially when you consider that they are in charge of more than one hundred city lampposts. And the savings due to the use of the inexpensive and reliable machines you proposed are real, and most importantly, noticeable.
By the way, why not install electronic systems that respond to human presence in city apartments? Remember how, when leaving for work, we often forget to turn off the lights in the hallway. Now, an electronic machine will constantly do this for you. Unlike us, he does not suffer from forgetfulness, although it happens that he also breaks down. But this is a force majeure circumstance to which you will instantly respond by handing it over for repairs.
A small modification of the electronic liquid crystal clock (alarm clock) will turn it into an electronic timer for your morning wake-up, turning on the light, TV, or sound signal in your bedroom in the morning, which with a pleasant but annoyingly repeating melody will certainly wake you up.
As you can see, for a creative person with an inventive streak, good idea will definitely be found, and in any area of human existence. In order to practically implement it, sometimes it is enough to first discuss it with a relevant specialist you know, give him the task of finding its electronic circuit in books and magazines, or ask him to design a reliable, workable electronic circuit for you, perhaps even make a prototype, or an experienced sample, and then, based on it, think about how to put it into mass production. If at the time of its development you do not have the funds to pay for the designer’s work, agree with him on a percentage of remuneration for each product sample sold. Perhaps he will accept your offer to participate in your business that promises income.
If you do not interest specialists, take the time to take a look at the Internet and try to find the circuit you need. Both devices are not classified as complex. With some effort, you will quickly figure out how to set up its production. I write about this so confidently because only a person knowledgeable in radio electronics, who has previously held an electric soldering iron in his hands, who clearly knows what solder is and what rosin is, will undertake such work.
Generating electricity from wind is one of the promising forms of business, and the achievements of modern applied science allow small and medium-sized businesses to enter this field of activity.
In Russia, electricity tariffs have more than tripled since 2000 (in 2012 alone, the price of electricity increased by 15%), and in the near future the price of electricity will be higher than in the USA and Europe. Most of the existing power plants were built in the 70-80s of the last century and operate at the limit of their capacity, while there is a shortage of electricity, especially in Eastern Siberia And Far East.
In this regard, the electricity generation industry is very promising and very attractive for investment.
Do you think that entering this market costs billions of rubles and is beyond the reach of small and medium-sized businesses? You are wrong! There is room for small and medium-sized companies in this market.
Entry into the electricity generation market can be achieved with the help of wind power plants. Recently, science has made a significant leap in the development of alternative energy sources, so a wind turbine manufactured by Siemens can generate 100 times more electricity than the wind turbines used 25 years ago (power 3.6 megawatts, rotor diameter 107 meters).
Currently available on the market wind power plants with different capacities, ranging from 1 kW per hour to 1 MW per hour, check out various types.
The EuroWind 100 wind generator with a nominal power of 100 kW per hour costs about 6,000,000 rubles (including delivery and installation)
With a wind speed of 4.5 meters per second, this installation can generate 27,000 kW of electricity per month, in monetary terms the revenue will be 110,000 rubles, for a year 1.3 million rubles. (calculations were made based on the price for 1 kW - 4 rubles)
And with a wind speed of 12 meters per second, the annual revenue will be 3 million rubles. Let’s make a reservation right away: there are very few places in Russia where the wind blows with such force all the time.
After deducting expenses (personnel, rent, current repairs), the net profit from one power plant will be 600,000 rubles. (based on revenue of 1.3 million rubles)
The payback period will be 10 years.
But due to the constant increase in electricity tariffs, the payback will happen much faster, we will try to calculate, assuming an annual increase in tariffs of 5%, just as we assumed an increase in costs (by 7% annually), production remains unchanged.
| Years | price per 1 kW | Annual output, kW | Revenue | expenses | Profit |
| 2012 | 4 | 324 000 | 1 296 000 | 600 000 | 696 000 |
| 2013 | 4,20 | 324 000 | 1 360 800 | 642 000 | 718 800 |
| 2014 | 4,41 | 324 000 | 1 428 840 | 686 940 | 741 900 |
| 2015 | 4,63 | 324 000 | 1 500 282 | 735 026 | 765 256 |
| 2016 | 4,86 | 324 000 | 1 575 296 | 786 478 | 788 818 |
| 2017 | 5,11 | 324 000 | 1 654 061 | 841 531 | 812 530 |
| 2018 | 5,36 | 324 000 | 1 736 764 | 900 438 | 836 326 |
| 2019 | 5,63 | 324 000 | 1 823 602 | 963 469 | 860 133 |
| 2020 | 5,91 | 324 000 | 1 914 782 | 1 030 912 | 883 871 |
| 2021 | 6,21 | 324 000 | 2 010 521 | 1 103 076 | 907 446 |
| 2022 | 6,52 | 324 000 | 2 111 047 | 1 180 291 | 930 757 |
| 8 941 837 |
With this option, payback will occur in the 8th year, the return on investment will be 12.5% per annum.
This type activity is practically risk-free: there are no problems with sales, there is no competition, demand exceeds supply, there is significant support from the state (since alternative electricity is a priority direction for the development of the industry).
Important point: When choosing a location for a wind generator, you first need to analyze what the average wind speed will be in this location.
What should an enterprise do if it is faced with an energy shortage or the need to expand production? The problem of obtaining electrical power also arises for a company that has decided to open a new business, the cost of finished products in which significantly depends on the prices and tariffs for electricity and thermal energy.
Businesses choose energy supply options: power grids or autonomous power plants?
There are two main options for generating electricity. The first method that immediately comes to the mind of an entrepreneur and seems to him the simplest and most effective is to connect to the general power grid in the guise of a supplier of last resort who sells electrical energy to the end consumer. The same scheme is suitable if there is already an existing connection to the network, but there is a lack of electrical power.
Naturally, the main thing that worries a businessman at this stage is: - how much electricity will cost and what quantities and capacities he will be able to obtain.
The cost of electricity will depend, of course, on tariffs, and the electric power will depend on the availability of a free reserve near the existing site. Ultimately, one way or another, electricity will be supplied according to the meter, at tariffs for industrial enterprises, which in Russia remain high and increase every year by 10-15%.
What is the procedure for connecting to the network and obtaining limits on power and amount of electricity? What are the Russian realities when connecting to public power grids?
First of all, the entrepreneur will be faced with the need to fulfill technical specifications network company that will supply him with electricity. It all starts with an application to the appropriate territorial company. The application is considered within the legally specified period, and if the decision is positive, an agreement is concluded between the consumer and the energy sales company.
Depending on the expected amount of electricity, as well as on the presence or absence of electricity transmission infrastructure - transformer substations (TS), power lines (PTLs) or electric cables - the customer will have to build a TS at his own expense or, in case of shortage bandwidth, modernize the transformers that supply it, high-voltage cells, power lines, etc.
And after that, transfer all the equipment to the network company free of charge! Estimated cost transformer substation high degree of readiness 6.3/0.4 kV depending on power (up to 5 MW) starts from 2 million rubles. Moreover, transformer substations differ from each other in terms of equipment composition and design; it is impossible to determine its cost in the absence of design documentation.
Design documentation for the transformer substation is paid separately, as are additional services and work, including:
- network laying project,
- installation, adjustment and delivery of TP to the operating organization,
- supervision of installation of supplied equipment,
- customer technical support.
Each high-voltage cell costs an average of 600 thousand rubles. The construction of a power transmission line with a voltage of 6.3 kV will cost on average from 250,000 to 700,000 rubles per 1 km of route. Laying the power cable - depending on the complexity of the installation, plus the considerable cost of the cable itself.
In addition to direct construction costs, the customer needs to develop and approve a project with all necessary authorities, which should be developed both for new construction and for the modernization of existing equipment.
Hence the corresponding connection times, which depend both directly on the volume of work required, and indirectly on the availability of power reserves and plans for the commissioning of generating capacities by the territorial company.
The official cost of connecting to medium voltage networks from 6 to 20 kV for each new or additional kilowatt is (depending on the region of Russia) from 10 to 45 thousand rubles. The cost of connection in Moscow corresponds to the upper limit of the specified range, and in the center of the capital it reaches 102,000 rubles per 1 kW!
Having gone through all the authorities, built all the necessary network infrastructure, developed and coordinated construction and modernization projects, paid for connection to the energy grid and spent a huge amount of time and money on designers and contractors, the entrepreneur is left alone with the network company. It is absolutely not immune from rising electricity tariffs, interruptions in its supply, as well as from unsatisfactory quality of energy supply.
We eliminate the hassle of connecting to the power grid and paying high tariffs - we build our own power plant!
You can eliminate the problems of power supply by taking a more modern way of solving the issue of power supply to an enterprise - namely, by building your own power center of the required power. What could be the determining factors influencing the decision to build an autonomous power plant?
As a rule, the attitude of business towards the construction of its own gas power plant is very wary. This is due to the novelty of autonomous power supply projects, the reluctance of organizations to engage in non-core business, and the lack of the ability to sell excess electricity produced.
Abroad, autonomous energy centers operate according to the following scheme: a mini-CHP covers the base load of the facility, and consumption peaks are taken from the external power grid. If the power produced by the energy center is greater than the load of its own consumer, then the excess electrical energy at the established tariff is sold (!) to other consumers through external networks. Unfortunately, this scheme does not work in Russia, since the surplus electricity produced in this way is small and “not interesting” for purchase by an external power grid.
By the way, it should be noted that in order to connect an autonomous power plant to an external power grid, it is necessary, first of all, to obtain the consent of the network company itself. From a technical point of view, this problem is solvable and not costly from a financial point of view.
An entrepreneur, as a rule, does not always have a good idea of what a power plant should consist of, what basic and additional equipment should be installed, who and how should create, coordinate and approve this project, and then build an energy center. And after commissioning - how to operate it all and supply it with spare parts.
Meanwhile, the number of autonomous power plants of small and medium power in the world amounts to thousands. The vast majority of such power plants run on natural gas, which is by far the most economically viable type of fuel. The main generating equipment of an autonomous power plant, as a rule, are microturbines, gas piston or gas turbine units.
Cost of construction of an autonomous power plant
The next question that influences the customer’s decision to build their own energy center is how much it will cost to implement the entire turnkey project. What is the price of energy independence?
At this stage, the customer tries to take into account all possible costs, calculating options, as well as using the experience of his fellow producers on similar facilities. At the same time, he widely involves his proposed construction contractor to estimate the scope of costs - from design to commissioning - and the contractor's task is to calculate the cost of implementation as fully as possible.
Today, the cost of building an energy center from 1 to 10 MW of installed capacity averages from 20 to 90 thousand rubles per 1 kW, depending on the type and composition of the equipment of an autonomous mini-CHP, in the turnkey solution used.
Who can build an autonomous power plant?
About an engineering company performing work on the construction of an autonomous power plant.
In addition to performing its main functions - project development, supply of main equipment, installation and commissioning - the engineering company must provide pre-project studies, help the entrepreneur in obtaining gas limits, coordinating the project, obtaining permits, and possibly assist in financing decisions project.
Operating costs - expenses for maintaining an autonomous power plant
Having compared the cost of connecting to the network and building an energy center, we can conclude that it is more profitable to build your own energy center.
However, we must not forget that operating the energy center will require certain costs.
Typically, all these costs are included in the cost of electricity produced and, as a rule, they do not exceed 30 kopecks per 1 kW/hour. A separate expense item will be the cost of natural (mainline) gas - they will amount to 80 kopecks per 1 kW/hour. Taking into account minor fluctuations, the cost of 1 kW/hour can be considered equal to 1 ruble. And what about the free heat that comes with it? About him below...
Bonuses or direct benefits of owning your own power plant
An important aspect that significantly influences the decision to build your own power plant is the ability to generate thermal energy together with electricity without consuming excess fuel. This technology for producing thermal energy is called cogeneration.
When producing electricity, thermal energy is supplied by any gas power plant. To collect thermal energy, heat from exhaust gases and coolant can be recovered by installing heat exchangers. At the same time, the gas fuel utilization rate will increase from 30–45% to 75–90%.
Cogeneration plants are configured with circulation pumps and chemical water treatment systems. To relieve peak heat loads, there is an economical boiler with calculated power parameters. Cogeneration plants are equipped automatic control, which connects all nodes and ensures the maintenance of specified temperature conditions in electrical and heating systems. Automation of cogeneration plants includes electric drives, microprocessor controllers, temperature sensors, pressure gauges, computers and an equipped operator station.
What types of power plants run on natural gas?
Gas piston units (GPU) or gas turbine units (GTU) can be used as the main generating equipment. But the future owner is not concerned about the type of equipment used as the main one at his power plant, but about the most effective solution that will allow, having solved the main problem of providing the enterprise with electricity - heat, to minimize both the initial investment in construction and subsequent operating costs.
Types of generating equipment of autonomous power plants
The type of main generation equipment affects technological features his work. The overall fuel utilization factor for both gas turbine units and gas piston units equipped with a heat recovery system is approximately 80%.
At the same time, the electrical efficiency of a power plant based on a gas piston engine is 40-44%, while for gas turbine plants this figure is usually 30-35%.
If in front of the customer priority costs to generate electricity, and thermal energy is a by-product or is not required at all, then the use of a gas piston installation is more appropriate. In this case, much less fuel will be consumed to produce the same amount of electricity and, as a result, businessmen will have clear savings on gas payments, up to 30%, compared to gas turbines.
There is no universal formula by which one can choose one or another type of generating power equipment - a gas piston unit (GPU) or a gas turbine unit (GTU). Each autonomous power supply project is completely individual. For example, with a power plant capacity of 70 MW using thermal energy, gas turbines are more appropriate.
When constructing an autonomous power plant, the following key factors determine the choice of main generating equipment:
- nature of loads (electrical and thermal);
- electrical efficiency;
- distance from potential consumers of thermal energy;
- fuel consumption;
- required deadlines for implementation.
Economic efficiency of building your own power plant
Now let's look at the main issue - the economic feasibility and efficiency of building our own power plant. Businesses and entrepreneurs are primarily concerned with how long it will take, taking into account the initial investment in construction and subsequent operating costs of the power plant, for the entire project to pay off. The following indicators are taken as the basis for this calculation:
- electrical power required by the enterprise;
- the cost of meeting the technical conditions for joining a grid company;
- connection cost;
- electricity tariff;
- thermal energy tariff;
- cost of building a power plant;
- the cost of natural gas;
- cost of operating expenses.
Payback period for own power plant
Calculations show that a customer, purchasing electricity from a network company in the amount of, for example, 2 MW, is forced to spend about 28 million rubles every year. When buying heat, you spend up to 10 million rubles a year. If you use your own power plant, all operating costs, including costs for natural gas, scheduled maintenance, consumables and spare parts, will not exceed 8–14 million rubles per year.