Siemens' supercritical steam turbine packs a punch for medium-sized power plants

摘要

Coal-fired power plants are scrambling to boost operational flexibility as more renewable energy sources gain a bigger chunk of the electrical power generation market. Siemens has rolled out a new range of supercritical steam turbines aimed at helping conventional plants maximise efficiency and improve adaptability. "Because the share of renewables is hard to predict and they generate steep load ramps, flexibility will be a major feature of all conventional power plants in the future," explains Thomas Achter, steam turbine portfolio manager at Siemens. "Due to the higher cost of gas, simple cycle and combined cycle power plants had to confront these flexibility requirements in the past - and now coal-fired plants also need to provide flexible operation modes due to the growing share of renewables!'