Rovinari power station

Lignite fired power station in Romania fits FGD with Wet Booster Fans and PennguardTM lined concrete chimneys for maximum efficiency.

The Rovinari lignite fired power station near Targu Jiu, Romania has four, 330 MW units. The four units were constructed between 1976 and 1979 and are considered to be the most efficient, low cost electricity generators in the country.

The lignite used by the Rovinari power station is locally mined and has a sulfur content between 0,5 and 1,35 %. Romania has joined the European Union and consequently, the Rovinari station will have to reduce its sulfur emissions to the EU standard.

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Hadek QA inspector at work in one of Rovinari’s New Chimney Design chimneys

The owner of Rovinari power station and his consultants, Swedpower, decided that their selection of Flue Gas Desulphurization (“FGD”) technology should be based not only on minimized construction cost, but equally on minimized operational cost.After considering numerous options, the owner of Rovinari power station placed an order with Alstom for the construction of two wet limestone FGD plants, with an option for two further FGD plants at a later stage.

One significant decision for the project was to place the required booster fans downstream, rather than upstream of the FGD absorbers. Compared with booster fans placed in the hot, untreated flue gas, Wet Booster Fans operate with significantly reduced power consumption.

The second important decision was to use the New Chimney Design for the new, 120 m high chimneys of each of the four units. The New Chimney Design is a PennguardTM lined concrete chimney that offers lower construction cost than more traditional chimneys that contain internal flues. Additionally, a study by Alden Research Laboratory has shown that the combination of Wet Booster Fans and PennguardTM lined chimneys results in minimized condensate formation within the FGD wet stacks.