Utilities Market Drivers: Technology

Publication Date	August 2006
Publisher	Datamonitor
Product Type	Report
Pages	21
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	DAT00450

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Summary

Introduction

Power generation investments must be made with capital cost, commodity prices and environmental performance in mind. Modular gas-fired generators and renewable generators are making their contribution to the new decentralisation of power networks which are also forcing changes in investment strategy.

Scope

Explanations of the functionality and operation of key power generating equipment.
Insight into the drivers behind technical development in the field of power generation
Data on the cost and performance of leading power plant technologies, enabling an easy comparison across them to be carried out.
Description of the impact that distributed energy networks can have, should technical and commercial barriers to their deployment be reduced.

Highlights

Combined Cycle Gas Turbines continue to be the dominant new build technology as a result of its low installed cost, modularity, high efficiency and low rate of emissions. High gas prices in many parts of the world are however, impinging on their economic performance.

Renewable new build is lead strongly be onshore wind which demonstrates its maturity by its consolidation behind three-bladed, horizontal axis machinery. The off-shore market is both technically and economically more challenging despite the energy advantages to be gained from both higher average wind speeds and larger machines.

The decentralisation of energy networks, that is enabled by both small gas-fired generators and renewable generation, should allow both technical and commercial advantages to be achieved as improvements in efficiency and a reduction in the cost of transmission can be realised.

Reasons to Purchase

Understand the functionality and role of today's key generating technologies.
Show what impetus policy and commercial developments have on technological development and research.
Benchmark generating technologies on the basis of cost and operating performance.

Content

Catalyst
Summary
Analysis
- Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) continues to be the dominant new build generation technology.
- CCGT are proven technologies that combine low capital build cost with high thermal efficiency.
- Switching from coal to natural gas inherently improves carbon efficiency and emissions performance.
- Emissions reduction technology is central to life extensions for old plants.
- Flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) is an established and capable technology.
- A range of technologies can enable coal to reduce its carbon emissions.
- On shore wind continues to dominate new renewable build.
- On shore wind is the dominant renewable technology.
- Off shore wind promises to be the next most attractive technology of choice.
- The historical renewable of choice, large hydro, has fallen out of favour.
- There are also proponents of energy from tidal and wave energy.
- Both gas-fired and renewable generation contribute to a new decentralisation of power networks.
- Technical and commercial advantages should be realisable from Distributed Generation (DG) networks.
- Small-scale gas fired generation enables a transition towards a less centralised power network.
- There are many technical and commercial barriers before true Distributed Generation (DG) networks are built.
- Third generation nuclear reactor technology is reviving opportunities for new build.
- Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) are currently the most commonly installed design.
- Pebble bed reactors are passively safe and expected to feature prominently in the future.
- Technology Descriptions
- Simple cycle gas turbine power plants are available as components and are relatively simple to install.
- Steam power plants offer the widest selection of fuel choice as the exhaust gases do not pass through the turbine.
- Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plants use both a gas and steam cycle together to maximise efficiency.
- Fuel Cells react Hydrogen with Oxygen to produce electric current directly.
- Small scale Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units can enable significant fuel savings for domestic customers.
- Photovoltaic cells generate power without any mechanical components.
Appendix
- Definitions
- Ask the analyst
List of Tables
- Table 1: Comparison of power plant costs and efficiencies
- Table 2: Gas Turbine Datapoints
- Table 3: Coal (Steam) Power Plant Datapoints
- Table 4: Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Plant Datapoints
- Table 5: Report Definitions
List of Figures
- Figure 1: Chemical Structure of Fuels
- Figure 2: Flue Gas Desulphurisation Example
- Figure 3: Carbon Capture and Storage
- Figure 4: Wind Turbine Schematic
- Figure 5: Output vs. Average Wind Speed
- Figure 6: Axial flow turbine used for tidal power schemes
- Figure 7: Traditional Centralised Power Network
- Figure 8: Decentralised power generation
- Figure 9: Pressurized Water Reactor schematic
- Figure 10: Pebble Bed Reactor schematic
- Figure 11: Gas Turbine Schematic
- Figure 12: Coal (Steam) Power Plant Schematic
- Figure 13: Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Plant Schematic
- Figure 14: Internal Structure of PEM Fuel Cell
- Figure 15: Small-scale CHP system
- Figure 16: Photovoltaic Cell Schematic