Energy - EU-Russia Energy Dialogue

With the main provisions of Russia’s “Energy Strategy until the year 2020” document projecting a 75% increase in coal production and for an increasing role for coal in electricity generation, it is important to encourage the use of modern, efficient and cleaner coal combustion technologies.

For this reason, and to order to promote the most efficient EU Clean Coal Technologies, Russia has been considered a priority in the call for proposals under the CARNOT programme related to the promotion of the clean and efficient use of solid fuels.

Four CARNOT projects are currently underway related to Russia:

“Cost Effective Clean Coal Improvements to Russian Utility Plant”. The objective is to gain better market and technical information to facilitate the technology transfer of relatively low cost methods to improve the efficiency and environmental performance of conventional coal-fired power plants in Russia.
“Promotion of Renovation Activities in the Russian Energy Sector”. This study will be a market assessment of the perspectives for rebuilding/rehabilitating coal-fired power plants in Russia to increase efficiencies and thereby reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Data is currently being collected on the Russian coal-fired power sector in co-operation with the VTI All-Russia Thermal Engineering Institute with a view to suggesting measures for the modernisation of selected power plants. The results of this work were presented at a workshop held in Moscow on 26^th-27^th May. This is being followed by field visits to the most representative Russian coal-fired power plants.
“Circulating Fluidised Bed for the Clean and Very Efficient Retrofit of an Existing Coal-Fired Power Plant”. This project is studying the rehabilitation of the “Novocherkasskaya GRES” coal-fired power plant, with the focus on the operational problems and determining the most appropriate technical solutions, bearing in mind the quality of the coal used and the increasing environmental constraints. Currently data is being collected from similar Clean Coal Technologies world-wide. This will be followed by the work on the specific plant, which will result in a detailed technical description and cost estimation of the Circulating Fluidised Bed technology, as adapted for the plant, being prepared and presented to the plant’s operators. The replication potential of this project across Russia and Eastern Europe will then be assessed and a training seminar will be held aimed at the local market actors and decision makers.
“Pre-Engineering Studies for a new Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) Plant based on the Puertollano Elcogas Plant Experience: IGCC technology possibilities in the new Russian power sector”. The Puertollano IGCC plant, at 335 MWe, is the largest in the world and the consortium of eight major European utilities and three technology suppliers behind the project was supported by Community Research and Demonstration funds from 1992 until 2000. The IGCC concept is based on a coal gasification process, which converts coal into a synthetic gas which is then subject to an exhaustive cleaning process. The result is a combustible gas which is virtually free of pollutants and which can be burned with high efficiency in a combined-cycle electricity generating unit (Further information on the Puertollano project can be found on the CARNOT on-line case studies website). In addition, this technology presents two important possibilities:
- CO2 capture, which the possibility then of sequestration;
- Hydrogen production. This can be used in the refining sector and, in the future, in fuel cells.

The objective of the project is to develop the concept for an improved IGCC plant, based upon that used at Puertollano. Potential locations for an IGCC will be identified in Russia and the pre-design adapted to meet the site conditions, namely the characteristics of the local coal, the demand for the co-generation of steam for local district heating and local environmental regulations. In addition, the economic viability and market potential in the opening Russian electricity market will be assessed.