The document summarizes a seminar presentation on improving the plant load factor of thermal power plants through optimal operational practices. It discusses how the plant load factor of coal-fired power plants in India has declined in recent years. The presentation covers the working principle of thermal power plants, identifies problems leading to lower plant load factors, reviews literature on factors affecting plant load factor, discusses the research objective to identify major reasons for declining capacity utilization, and presents the results of a regression analysis conducted to analyze the relationship between various factors and plant load factor. It concludes that urgent policy support is needed to improve the plant load factor of thermal power plants in India.

1. A SEMINAR PRESENTAION
ON
. OPTIMAL OPERATIONAL PRACTICE TO INCREASE PLANT LOAD FACTOR OF
THERMAL POWER PLANT
PRESENTED BY
HEMANT RAO
M.TECH (2020-21)
(2000520405008)
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY LUCKNOW

2. CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION
 LITERATURE REVIEW
 WORKING PRINCIPLE
 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION
 The capacity enhancement of coal fired power plants through operational
optimization, control techniques and better maintenance practice to improve the
Plant load factor (PLF) of plant.
 The utilisation factor of coal-based thermal power plants in India is consistently
falling.
 The average national capacity utilisation factor, commonly known as plant load
factor (PLF), has dwindled from 78.6% in 2007–08 to 56.01% in 2019–20. Several
highly efficient and modern power plants are destined to run at very low PLFs. On
top of this, 59,810 MW of new and advanced technology thermal power plants are
in pipeline

4. INDIAN SCENARIO:
 The Indian power sector is highly dependent on thermal power generation i.e., 62.2%
of total generation till June 2021.
 The power generation by coal forms about 53.6% of total energy generation as on
30.06.2020 as per Ministry of Power, installed capacity of power generation in India.
 The coal is fossil fuel which is a finite source of energy and is going to be exhausted.
Therefore, it is essential to generate the power with energy efficiently.
 The performance improvement of individual thermal power generating units
 Increased power generation and there-by reducing the demand supply gap
 Reduction in power generation cost and improving the competitiveness of Indian
industry
 Reduction in Greenhouse gas emissions and Global warming

6. Author , year key work Analysis
Ref
T. SUDHKAR
Dr. B ANJANAYA
PRASAD,
Dr. K. PRAHALD[1]
(2017)
Load factor
Economic efficiency
Operational efficiency
Aims to identify the operational gaps
associated with running operational
parameter in power plant process .
1
Wang and Li [2]
(JUNE 2019)
Ease of doing power
business
Analysis in the electric power industry
under the implementation of the
electricity market reform and a carbon
policy in China.
2
A. K. TRIPATHI [3]
(2021)
Future scenario of
PLF
Falling Capacity Utilization Of
Thermal Power Plants in India 3
LITERATURE REVIEW

7. WORKING OF THERMAL POWER PLANT
• A thermal power station is a power station in which heat energy is converted to
electric power. The share of thermal power plant in the overall power generating
capacity in India is 62.24%.
• In most, a steam-driven turbine converts heat to mechanical power as an
intermediate to electrical power .
• Based on Rankine cycle.
• Water is heated, turns into steam and drives a steam turbine which drives an
electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine the steam is condensed in
a condenser and recycled to where it was heated. It uses conventional sources of
energy like coal, diesel and other fuel oils to generate heat to produce the power.

8. LAYOUT OF THERMAL POWER PLANT

9. ANIMATION OF WORKING POWERPLANT

10. Problem
identification
Declination of PLF
Cause and
effect
Teriff rate
increases
Focus on
Renewable
energies
Timely Warning given
by National Green
tribunal
(NGT)
Role of
TRANSCOM
GENCOM
DISCOM

11. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:
To find out the major factors responsible for falling Capacity
Utilization or plant load factor (PLF) of thermal power plants
in India.
Qualitative research : On the basis of literature surveys.
Quantitative research: Regression analysis using MS Excel
software on the basis of data published by ministry of
power.

12. Plant Load Factor:
 The Plant Load Factor is commonly considered as a measure of a power
plant’s capacity utilization.
 The Central Electricity Regulatory commission defines Plant Load Factor
as a percentage of energy sent out by the power plant corresponding to
installed capacity in that period.
 For example, if a power plant with an installed capacity of 500 MW operates
through the day at its maximum load, the energy generated will be: 500 MW
X 24hr = 12,000 MWh.
 The energy sent out by the plant when operating at 450 MW for 24 hours will
be: 450 MW X 24hrs = 10,800 MWh
 Plant Load Factor (PLF): 10,800 MWh ÷ 12,000MWh = 0.9 (90%)

13. Year National PLF % Sector-wise PLF (%)
Central State Private
2009–10 77.5 85.5 70.9 83.9
2010–11 75.1 85.1 66.7 80.7
2011–12 73.3 82.1 68.0 69.5
2012–13 69.9 79.2 65.6 64.1
2013–14 65.60 76.10 59.10 62.10
2014–15 64.46 73.96 59.83 60.58
2015–16 62.29 72.52 55.41 60.49
2016–17 59.88 71.98 54.35 55.73
2017–18 60.67 72.35 56.83 55.32
2018–19 61.07 72.64 57.81 55.24
2019–20 56.01 65.36 50.26 54.73
 Source-Government of India, Ministry of Power and Central Electricity Authority (CEA)

14. Result of Regression analysis using Excel:

16. Discussion on Factors affecting Thermal Power Capacity
Utilization or plant load factor on the basis of literature
surveys:
 Effect of Renewable Energy
 Low Growth of demand as against projected
 Overcapacity
 Financial health of DISCOMS.
 Fuel Availability
 Evacuation constraints
 Policy issues discouraging the thermal power generation

17. Conclusion
 Urgent review and reduction of fresh thermal capacity addition until 2024-25,
immediately starting phasing out of old inefficient thermal power plants,
policy and fiscal support to the power generator.
 According to report of Central Electricity Authority 2021-National PLF
should maintain at 68% & above.
 Otherwise many of the new, efficient thermal power assets created with large
capital investment may face unsustainably low level of utilization and may
become unavailable soon.
 Meanwhile electricity storage technologies should be supported (along with
renewable energy) with intensive R&D, policy push and incentives so that
renewable energy can sustain the grid when coal based generation is reduced.

18. Reference
1. IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-
ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 14, Issue 1 Ver. II (Jan. - Feb. 2017), PP 57-64 .
2. Wang, P. & Li, M., Scenario analysis in the electric power industry under the
implementation of the electricity market reform and a carbon policy in China.
Energies, 12(11), 2152, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en12112152
3. International Journal of Energy Production & Management, Vol. 6, No. 1 (2021)
94-104