INSIGHT INTO ONE OF THE WORLDS LARGEST THERMAL POWER PLANTS
29th Mar 2015
Crest Pumps provides a unique, efficient and reliable chemical pumping solution for the super-critical Jeddah and Shuqaiq Thermal Power Plant supplying 4 million people with electricity – One of the largest thermal Power Plant projects in the world.
The Project
The city of Jeddah is one of the largest urban commercial centres in Saudi Arabia, with large investment into science and manufacturing industries. The city is also considered Saudi Arabia’s largest resort, due to its proximity to the red sea and is considered the most ‘exciting’ and ‘up-and-coming’ city to do business in.
Due to the economic success of the city, the population has grown rapidly in recent years, growing from 2 million in 1994 to 3.4 million by 2010. With many city officials claiming the number has well surpassed this figure at over 4 million in 2014 and forecast to balloon to a massive 6 million by 2030.
The population influx has caused strain on the city’s infrastructure, most notably on the power generation and the road and rail network which is swelling under a crumbling and outdated design. The growing status of the city has led to large investment into showcase projects in the region, including the (under construction) Kingdom Tower, soon to be the world’s largest skyscraper at 1 mile high, due to be completed in 2019. (Pictured Right).
As a result the local government had fast tracked a range of projects to boost energy and infrastructure capacity, ensuring the city can compete and retain its status as the county’s most exciting city.
Part of these projects included the construction of the oil-fired thermal power plant planned by the state owned Saudi Electricity Company in co-operation with Hyundai Heavy Industries and OVIVO water in the UK.
The supercritical Thermal Power Plant project which commenced in 2013, is designed to increase Saudi Arabia’s total power capacity by 5% by 2017 when the plant is complete thanks to the four 660 MW steam turbines. Enough power generated to provide 2 million homes in the region with power!
The new power plant is designed to be highly efficient and produce fewer greenhouse gases than any other conventional power plant. The whole project is forecast to be worth over $3.3 billion.
Where does Crest Pumps come in?
The Jeddah South Thermal Power Plant is one of the largest power plants of its type in the world. With its vastly complex design, the plant’s equipment needed specific chemical pumps and process systems which could be tailored in line with the plant’s requirements.
OVIVO were commissioned by Hyundai to provide the desalination equipment and process systems for the super-scaled thermal plant which included providing chemical process pumps that would conform to the specific efficiency, reliability and longevity requirements of the plant.
OVIVO awarded Crest Pumps Group the contract to supply the highly specialised process pumps for the power plant thanks to our strong track record of working alongside high profile chemical, petrochemical and utility companies to provide safe, efficient and reliable process pumps for companies including INEOS, ConocoPhillips and BASF.
Design Challenges
To conform to the technical and engineering efficiency requirements of the new thermal power plant, the pumps needed to;
- To be magnetically driven to eliminate the risk of any dangerous liquid leakages.
- 4 of the pumps would be positioned outside, meaning the outer casing should include protection against the elements. Including the hot 40+°c climate, protection again rust, element damage or acid rain via metallic armour and marine grade paint specifications.
- Pumping 98% sulphuric acid, the pumps would need to be extremely corrosion resistant, built for a long life span within the system.
- The 98% sulphuric acid would be processed at 85°c with a flow rate of 21m3/hr and a head of 8.7 meters.
- Conformity to ISO 2858, 3661, 2084, and 5199 standards.
- Minimum pump efficiency of 70%
- ATEX Zone 2 certification
- IE3 Motors
Pump Supplied
Crest Pumps Group supplied the AMA range of sealless ETFE lined thermoplastic magnetic drive chemical centrifugal pumps built with cast iron casing armour and a patented buffer system fully specified to meet the complex safety, technical and environmental challenges of the power plant.
The thermoplastic ETFE inner lining featured in the AMA range is stronger than most other thermoplastics, making it most suitable for the high temperature and corrosive nature of the sulphuric acid used.
The ductile iron casing of the AMA perfectly suited the hostile environment the pumps would be positioned in. The casing was painted to a specific marine grade to reject UV ray and protect the pump from heat and direct sunlight.
The AMA range is magnetically driven, which uses a balanced magnetic field to create the rotation of the fluid impeller. Unlike a traditional centrifugal pump which has a direct drive connection between impeller and motor, a mag-drive pump eliminates the direct drive mechanism and replaces it with a magnetic field. By eliminating the rotating mechanical seal of traditional centrifugal pumps, sealless magnetic drive pumps eliminate the possibility of fluid leaks and for potentially harmful sulphuric acid to escape. Thus ensuring the safety of the staff in the immediate area.
With most of our magnetic drive range, the pumps featured our Patented Run-Dry design, meaning that if there was a fault within the process system, the pumps would continue to operate without damage for an extended period of time. This feature can provide much needed emergency time to sort the problem without the process faltering as a result.
The pumps were all certified to ATEX Zone 2 standards ensuring absolute safety in a potentially explosive atmosphere.
Benefits
Crest Pumps Group supplied each of the mag drive pumps with high efficiency IE3 5.5kW motors for total energy efficiency combined with the high efficiency pump design. This key energy saving would reduce the total power cost by 23% compared to 3 other competitor pump offerings.
All 8 pumps averaged 77% efficiency when witness tested at our in-house testing – well above the 70% efficiency process requirement.
Conclusion
By relying on Crest Pumps Group, both the Jeddah and Shuqaiq Thermal Power Plants secured a safe and efficient chemical pumping solution, ensuring the cities future as the most important in Saudi Arabia.
The pumps high efficiency performance, patented run-dry design and the rugged and robust nature of the pumps will ensure a long lifespan, particularly in such a corrosive and arduous application.
Our role in the Middle East
We continue to support a vast range of industries in the Middle East, notably chemical and petrochemical companies. Most recently working with Osmoflo in Dubai and Muharraq Wastewater Services Company in Bahrain providing custom specified chemical process pumps for harsh and acidic applications.
Our Middle Eastern distributors Almosawe Trading are at the forefront of effective supply chain management with the brand heritage that ensures an efficient and robust pumping future.
Our Suppliers are at Achema
While Crest Pumps Group isn’t exhibiting this year, ASSOMA will be showcasing the Magnetic Drive range of chemical centrifugal pumps.
Why not visit them and see exactly how our Mag Drive pumps are changing the way companies process harsh and corrosive chemical with efficient and long lasting pumps.
Crest Pumps Group are the sole distributor in Europe for ASSOMA mag drive pumps.
