In this article, I will share different factors that should be considered when choosing a type of power plant station to erect.
The first thing you should know is that the power plant chosen should be able to meet the demands of the consumers.
There is no debate on that; it doesn’t matter the type of power plant you will choose; it has to generate sufficient energy.
These factors that influence the type of power plant to be erected can give the power plant a strategic advantage and make it easier for investors to earn huge profits.
There are different types of power plants station such as steam power plants, nuclear power plants, geothermal power plants, and so many others that you can think of.
So, when it comes to choosing the one you should build, there are different factors that you should consider.
You can’t just tell yourself that I will go with a certain type of power plant because you like how fancy it looks.
That is not how engineers make their decisions.
Without wasting time, let me share what you should know about this topic.
These are the factors to be considered when choosing a type of power plant;
1. The type of fuel available.
This is the first factor that should be considered when choosing a type of power plant.
As you know that power plants mainly depend on the conversion of energy from one source to energy to generate electricity.
In most cases, for electrical energy to be produced, fuel will be needed in abundance.
The type of fuel can affect the choice of the power plant since it’s the first thing that engineers search to erect a type of power plant that will utilize the fuel.
If coal is the type of fuel that is available in abundance, it’s affordable, and it can easily be acquired and used in the power plant, the steam power plant will be considered.
The best that can be done here is to ensure that the power plant is installed close to the coal mines so that to make it easier for the steam power plant to acquire and utilize it.
When choosing a hydropower plant, then it should be installed around a large water body.
Hydropower plant needs a lot of water to generate electricity, and having it around a large water body is strategic and beneficial to the investors.
If it’s a nuclear power plant, it should be located near the river and sea to make it easier to obtain cooling water and dispose of the waste easily.
You might like this: Nuclear Power Plant: Introduction, Components And Working Principle
On the other hand, if the power plant needed is going to be supplying a smaller load, then a diesel power plant should be chosen for this part.
These are just some of the factors that should be considered when choosing a type of power plant.
2. The power plant site.
In the first section of this article, I already talked a little bit about the site of the power plant and how it affects the choices.
The power plant site is another important part that determines the type of power plant that should be chosen.
The site selected should offer added advantages to the activities of the type of power plant that will be chosen.
There are several factors that the plant site should satisfy before choosing to place any type of power plant.
All these factors are going to help in designing and installing the power plant.
You might like this: Requirements Of Power Plant Station Design
The cost of the land chosen should be low to lower the initial investment of the power plant, which will significantly help in the future to reduce the cost of energy generation.
Another thing is that the land be close to the load centre to lower the transmission costs that may be incurred.
The site of the power plant should be easily accessible by roads, rails or any other common form of transport to make it easier to supply anything that will be needed to make the power plant operation smooth.
Also, the plant site should be close to a large quantity of water that will help in cooling the machines.
Water is going to be needed in large quantities, especially if it’s a hydro or steam power plant.
The area where the plant will be erected shouldn’t be highly populated to reduce the noise and avoid atmospheric pollution.
The plant site should allow room for future expansion; it should be a big site that will not bring any issues when the plant needs other additional equipment.
The land should have amazing soil conditions that will allow the foundation of the power plant to have a strong foundation of considerable depth.
All these factors about the plant site I have talked about in this section of the article are important to any type of power plant that will be chosen.
3. The type of load to be produced by the power plant.
The type of load to be produced by the power plant is another factor that influences the choice of a power plant.
You need to select a power plant that can easily provide the load that is needed by the consumers.
So, if the load needed is industrial, then the power plant should be able to match up the load needed.
This must be considered deeply before choosing a power plant.
The power plant chosen should be reliable and be able to constantly supply power without any disruptions.
This means that the type of power plant chosen should make it all possible.
Diesel power plants should be chosen if the load needed by the consumers is not that large, and it varies from time to time.
That will be the best choice for the varying and small load.
A hydropower plant, on the other end, can also be used to supply electrical energy to the varying loads and large base loads since its starting period is shorter and it can supply the load quicker.
Also, the large base load can be supplied by steam and nuclear power plants.
The point to note is that if the load varies, a nuclear power plant will not be a good choice since it can’t be operated efficiently in this condition.
But if the load needed is large and it doesn’t vary, then a nuclear power plant is the best choice of the plant to erect.
The type of power plant chosen to be erected should at least meet the peak load of the consumer requirements.
This is a very important key when it comes to choosing the type of power plant to build.
If this is messed up, the power plant will be rendered useless and big losses will be incurred.
4. The generating units of the power plant.
The generating units of the power plant are very significant when it comes to supplying electrical energy.
The choice of the power plant is also affected by the generating units selected.
There should not be only one generating unit in any power plant chosen or too many generating units of small capacities.
It’s economical to select a few large generating units than use many small generating units for the same capacity that you will get from the few large ones.
For any power plant chosen to be built, the generating units should have different capacities so that it suitably suits the load curve, which will help them be operated at nearly full load when generation is done.
The generating set should be at least two, whatever the capacity of the power plant may end up being.
This is a very important point that one should consider when choosing the type of power plant.
When it comes to generating units, they play a big role in electrical energy generation.
Selecting generating units with higher efficiencies is likely to boost energy generation at a big step.
The generators cut across all kinds of power plants that you might think of erecting.
Steam generators of 80 to 200 MW are usually preferred in large steam power plants, whereas hydroelectric generators that are set up to 200 MW are usually preferred.
The main takeaway here is that you should select a power plant that will have generating units with efficient capacities depending on the load that you will be supplying.
5. The initial cost of the power plant.
The initial cost of the power plant is another factor that influences the choice of type of power plant.
We all aim to reduce the initial cost of the power plant so that we can be able to run the power plant effectively.
The initial investment in the power plant plays a big role in the total cost of energy generation, as I talked about it earlier.
You might like this: The Cost Of Electrical Energy Produced By A Power Plant Station
But sometimes, the initial cost of the power plant affects the overall operations of the power plant.
For instance, the initial cost of a hydropower plant is usually high, but fortunately, the operation cost is low, the nuclear power plant has a higher capital cost, but it produces a big load and gas turbine power plants are less expensive in the initial and operating cost than the equivalent steam power plant.
What I’m trying to tell you here is that though the initial cost of the power plant plays a big role in the choice of type of power plant you want to erect, there are also other factors that you should consider.
It won’t be of any benefit choosing a power plant with lower initial cost but doesn’t provide the appropriate load you need from it.
If you choose a power plant with a higher initial cost, you should come up with a way to get the maximum out of its operation so that you can cover the operating cost.
A balance should be maintained by how the energy is generated and supplied to the consumers.
It doesn’t matter the cost of the power plant, one should be able to select a power plant that will be able to provide the necessary load, and one will figure out a way to cover the coming cost of the power plant.
You can’t tell me that you will go for a diesel power plant simply because its initial cost is less but doesn’t meet up the peak load most of the time.
It won’t be reliable at all.
The best thing one should do after choosing the type of power plant he or she desires to erect is to ensure that it runs at the highest possible load factor to use its capacity to the maximum.
This will end up lowering the cost of energy generation (both fixed and operating), thus making it easier to cover the initial cost of the power plant.
Running the power plant at a lower load factor will only increase the cost of operation, and losses will always be incurred.
Lastly…
The choice of type of power plant is affected by the type of load it should generate.
This is the first thing that everyone who is seeking to erect a power plant should think about.
The type of power plant chosen should be reliable in all conditions and be able to supply the needed load without disruptions.
That is what will bring the profits and make the operations of the power plant easier to manage.
The other factors also come in handy if you want to ensure that the power plant chosen is effective, whatever the challenges hit.
Anyway, I hope you have obtained value from this article. If you have any questions, just leave a comment.
Thanks for reading, see you in my next article.
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