Barge mounted power plants

8/7/2019 Barge mounted power plants

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FLOATING POWER PLANTS


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Floating Power Plants

Waller Marine has played an important role in the reintroduction of the Floating Power Plant (FPP) since the

late 1980s when the Company was asked to inspect the power barge Impedance; a barge constructed with

steam generating technology that was first used in the Philippines by the US Army in 1940.

Advantages of the Power Barge

Since that time, Waller has been involved in

development, design, construction and opera-

tions of numerous power barge projects using

all available generating technologies, different

fuels and cooling systems

Simple Cycle FPP

220 MW Combined Cycle FPP Installed at site

Constructed in shipyards under controlled

conditions

Relatively fast Construction dependent upon

equipment availability

Can utilize any electrical generating

technologies

Transportable power; large capacity

can be moved to areas of need quickly

Fuels can be supplied by ocean transport

and stored in adjacent barges

Financially viable asset for installation in

developing countries


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Historical Perspective

Floating Power Plants (FPPs), or Power Barges as they are more commonly called, have been around for

many years. In fact one of the earlier units, constructed in 1940 by the US Army Corp of Engineers, a 30 MW

steam generation facility and put into service in the Philippines, is still in operation at a site in Ecuador.

Since then, the idea has lain dormant; in fact it was not until the early 1990s when acute power shortages were

being experienced in several countries in South America and SE Asia that the concept was revisited. This

spurred the construction of several power barges designed with medium and slow speed diesel engines burning

heavy fuel oil, with installations in Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines.

Heavy fuels were selected as the fuel of choice mainly due to cost and availability, with consideration being

given to simply meeting World Bank emissions standards being made at the time. Single barge designs ranged

from 30 MW up to 100 MW.

66 MW FPP with Sulzer Engines - Philippines


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In the early 2000s, the capacity of the floating power plant was pushed to a much higher level with the design

and construction of a 220 MW combined cycle power barge that was installed in India. This barge used aero-

derivative gas turbine technology with heat recovery, inlet air chilling and a steam turbine generator produc-

ing a highly efficient plant that initially used naphtha as a fuel.

Floating power barge designs are now charting new territory with projects on the boards with capacities up to

550 MW using technologies that include combined cycle with industrial and aero-derivative gas turbines and

Integrated Gasification combined cycle (IGCC) schemes. Greater consideration is also being given to emis-

sions and different fuels, particularly as the cost of oil increases to higher levels. LNG, CNG and coal fueled

projects are now being considered for installation on FPPs.

Shortly thereafter, designers looked to gas

turbine generation for mounting on floating

structures and a series of power barges were

built using industrial turbines with capability

to operate on diesel fuel or natural gas. Theseunits found their initial employment in the

Philippines, Bangladesh and Kenya, with

maximum single barge output of 105 MW.

They have since been moved for service in the

Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

105 MW Westinghouse 501 Gas Turbine


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Design Considerations

The barge, constrained in its moorings, can thus move vertically with the tides, river levels or storm surges,

without any rotational motion. The overall design and construction process are reviewed and surveyed by

third party organizations, the international Classification Societies, such as Lloyds Register, the American

Bureau of Shipping and others, that not only ensure engineering compliance with Class Rules, but also com-

pliance with international protocols concerning pollution and emissions. The completed vessel receives a Clas-

sification as a Power Barge.

Internals of a 220 MW FPP

100 MW FPP Designed for Orimulsion Fuels

The design of an FPP marries the engineer-

ing protocols of the Marine and Power Gen-

eration Industries. It operates like a ship at

sea only requiring fuel for its generating

machinery.

The FPP is not designed to sit in waters that

are aggravated by waves however, that make

it move like a vessel at sea, but rather they

are designed for service in protected inland

waters such as rivers, lagoons, or ports.


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However with modern structural marine engineering and construction capabilities coupled with and under-

standing of power generation concepts, the two industry technologies can be fully integrated to perform their

intended functions while afloat.

The power barge is the integration of the technical

elements of two industries, marine and power gen-

eration. While diesel engines have been installed on

ships for electrical generation and propulsion since

the diesel engine was invented, this is not generallythe case for the gas turbine, particularly the indus-

trial gas turbine, for which special consideration is

needed for hull and foundation loading, stress and

vibration.

Conceptual 80 MW CC FPP with Pratt & Whitny

FT8 Twin Pak Gas Turbines

Conceptual 530 MW CC FPP with GE 7FA Gas Turbines


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Fuels

One of the biggest advantages of the power barge is its constructability; the whole power plant can be con-structed under ideal conditions at a shipyard in a location far from the eventual operational site. Much of the

system testing is achieved prior to the barge leaving the shipyard. This feature is particularly important for

installation of barges in locations where Greenfield construction may be difficult and expensive.

However, by virtue of its very description, the power barge is usually positioned in a coastal location where it

can be supplied from various sources by ocean transport, thus providing greater opportunity for lower cost

and cleaner burning fuel supply.

The economics of fuels for any power

plant, on land or floating, in any part of

the world is a matter of availability and

cost.

Options are often limited in many coun-

tries and thus one has to use available

fuels irrespective of cost.

Two 60 HFO FPPs with Fuel Barge - Philippines

Constructability

220 MW Combined Cycle FPP under constructionKeel of a 220 MW CC FPP


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Transportation

One of the more significant differences of a floating power plant to a land based plant is its transportability;

being capable of moving the unit from one location to another. This is achieved with the use of submersible

heavy lift ships, designed to move very large structures around the world weighing upwards of 60,000 tons.

Ocean Transport of Five FPPs Plus a Fuel Barge

A power barge can be moved from one location to

another in a matter of weeks and connected to the

grid to alleviate local shortages.

220 MW FPP Ready for Voyage to Site


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FPP operations are carried out very much the same as land based facilities, with the plant being dispatched in

accordance with grid demand. Irrespective of the generating technology installed, the FFP is fitted with an

onboard control room complete with data acquisition and all machinery and equipment controls. Switchgear,

motor controllers, main breakers and station and step up transformers are all installed on the barge.

Barge Operations

Control Room on an HFO FPP Switchgear on an HFO FPP

Waller Marine, Inc. has designed FPPs using every available generating technology for a worldwide clientele.

The Company has also manage the procurement and construction process and taken on complete EPC pro-

jects including delivery to site.


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WALLER MARINE, INC.

14410 W. Sylvanfield Dr.

Houston, TX 77014PH: 281.444.9650

FX: 281.444.8055

www.WallerMarine.com

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Barge mounted power plants