Heat Rate Reduction Kit to Help Control Energy Efficiency

Magnetrol International (Belgium), has introduced the Heat Rate Reduction Kit, aimed at helping power companies manage controllable losses through effective, accurate feedwater heater level control. The Heat Rate Reduction Kit is available for download and addresses the mission-critical need to increase the efficiency of power plants in today’s challenging economic and regulatory environment. The Heat Rate Reduction Kit, an industry first, provides solutions that will help reduce fuel expenditures, which can account for 70% to 80% of production costs, by minimising heat rate. According to Magnetrol, the potential savings represent an estimated €500,000 annually for a 500 megawatt power plant.*

Included in the Magnetrol Heat Rate Reduction Kit are several useful guides to reducing heat rate, why it is important and how the process will help reduce costs: Heat Rate and Feedwater Heater Level Control white paper, Managing Heat Rate and Controllable Losses video, Next-Generation Level Instrumentation for Heat Rate Awareness and Control special applications bulletin, Reduce Your Heat Rate and Drive Down Fuel Costs brochure.

“We created the Heat Rate Reduction Kit because we recognise the challenges power companies face today in an increasingly competitive environment and with the advent of climate change protocols and the Clean Air Act,” said Magnetrol's Product Manager Jim Homoly. “The kit explains how minimising heat rate can help plants use energy more efficiently and save significant fuel expenditures.”

The causes of heat rate inefficiency can be due to aging level instrumentation or instrument-induced errors, which negatively impact heat rate and fuel costs, according to Homoly. 

“Effectively controlling feedwater heater levels drives overall plant performance and fuel cost savings,” said Homoly.

* A 1% improvement in heat rate is worth €500,000 in annual fuel cost savings based on: Fuel cost of €1.25/million kJ, capacity factor of 85% and boiler efficiency of 88%.