RIL to set up 1,000-mw Jamnagar power plant
Reliance Industries (RIL) is planning to set up the country’s first integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant in Jamnagar.
By Soma Banerjee, TNN |
NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries (RIL) is planning to set up the country’s first integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant in Jamnagar. The plant will produce power and hydrogen, besides petrochemicals. The petcoke-based power plant is expected to generate at least 1,000 mw.
RIL would be investing a little over Rs 10,000 crore on this project, which will set in a new level of thermal efficiency in the country. RIL is in talks with Shell and GE Texaco for the technology and a decision on a technology partner will be taken shortly.
High-level technical teams from both companies have recently made presentations to RIL. A final offer on the technical collaboration will be made shortly, after which RIL will select their technology partner, sources said. The project is set to be commissioned in about three years.
RIL plans to use petcoke, a refinery residue which is usually blended with coal to be used as fuel for power plants. The IGCC technology would provide for the petcoke to be gasified before it can be used to produce heat and electricity, fertilisers, hydrogen and petrochemicals.
While RIL itself would need to ramp up its power capacity to meet its increased requirement, there is also a demand from other players setting shop within the RIL SEZ for power and water. RIL’s advantage lies in the fact that the plant will use refinery residue and produce power which is much cleaner than coal.
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Petcoke has a higher calorific value of almost 8,400 kilocal/kg as compared to 4,000 kilocal/kg in the case of coal. While the thermal efficiency, a measure of the efficiency to convert fuel to energy, is 35% in coal-based power plants, in IGCC plants it could be as high as 50%. Put simply, this would mean that the plant would be in a position to produce more efficient and green energy as compared to a coal-based thermal plant.
soma.banerjee@timesgroup.com
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