Emerson automates India’s 1st state-owned 800 MW supercritical power-generating unit

Emerson Process Management has completed automating a new 800-megawatt, supercritical thermal power-generating unitowned by APPDCL, a special purpose entity of APGENCO, the Andhra Pradesh state government power generation utility. This is the first state-owned supercritical power station being built in India. Located in Krishnapatnam, the Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah  Thermal Power Station is a USD 2billion investment by APGENCO that will provide new, low-emissions generation capacity to support the region’s rapid economic growth.

The new power station uses supercritical boiler/turbine technology that operates at a higher temperature than traditional coal-fired units, boosting the efficiency of electricity generation while reducing carbon and other emissions. Emerson’sautomation technology has been selected for more than 300 of these complex units worldwide, 10 of which are located in India.

Emerson was selected as the main automation contractor by Tata Projects Ltd., the engineering, procurement and construction(EPC) contractor for critical sections of the plant.The first unit at Sri DamodaramSanjeevaiah is ready to begin commercial operations; Emerson is currently automating the second unit at the site, which is expected to be completed this spring.

Mr. A.S. Bhattacharya, Project Director, TATA Projects Limited,commented, “As prime EPC contractor it was a challenging task to work with many stakeholders. Strong support from key partners like Emerson Process Management played an important role in the successful completion of this highly complex project.”

According to APPDCL, the supercritical units are performing exceedingly well and this new power station will provide a reliable source of electricity for Andhra Pradesh. Emerson’s experience and expertise in managing large, complex supercritical projects provides the confidence that the full benefits of these new units will be gained.

“Over the coming years, India will see several more plants powered by supercritical technology, which are more cost efficient and help protect the environment,” said Dr. Amit Paithankar, managing director of Emerson Process Management India.  “Emerson’s technologies play a key role in this project, which is a very important asset for economic growth in Andhra Pradesh and the country.”

At the new unit, Emerson’s Ovation™distributed control system monitors and controlsplant equipment and processes including the boiler, water treatment system and other critical balance-of-plant processes. Emerson also installed its Rosemount® measurement and analytical technologies to monitor sections of the plant for optimal performance.