Fact-finding mission to German power plants

India is experiencing a period of rapid change as it develops into an industrial nation. At the same time, nine per cent annual growth to gross domestic product has been leading to increased demand for electricity. The Indian energy sector had already shown a large deficit in energy conversion capacities, resulting in a low level of energy security. Growing demand will aggravate this situation; one way to ease this is to improve the efficiency of existing plants, particularly coal-fired power facilities.

This is where the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indian Ministry of Power stepped in with the Indo-German Energy Programme. In the first stage of the project, Indian coal-fired power plants were assessed and optimised. In the second stage, a number of the 60 engineers involved in the optimisation process visited German power plants. During the course of the fact-finding mission, they got an insight into recent research, toured supplier and service company facilities and met representatives from the energy sector.

The goal of the study tour was to broaden existing knowledge on critical issues in heat-power plants and possible efficiency improvement measurements. Critical issues were approached in terms of operation and maintenance while efficiency measurements were linked with boiler optimisation, turbine retrofit, optimisation during operation and fault diagnostics. The participants extended their knowledge and potential by exchanging experiences with German experts.

adelphi was appointed with organising and hosting the three planned study tours.