The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) in collaboration with KWS Energy Knowledge eG, Steag Energy Services India and vgbe conducted an online training for Indian power plant operators from 4 to 8 July 2022. The aim of the training was to familiarize the participants with the flexible operation of coal-fired power plants. Initially theoretical impulses from Indian and German experts were given – the focus, however, was on the practical exercises on the simulator. The KWS simulator in Germany, which could be accessed via an internet connection, was used for this purpose. A total of ten participants were able to operate the simulator from the Steag Office in Noida.
The KWS simulator refers to an 800 MW power plant with a Benson once-through boiler. Although this design does not correspond to the Indian conditions, the participants were able to take some insights from the training for their own work – e.g. in relation to fast start-ups through effective use of preheating and condensate throttling as an option for frequency support. Everyone involved agreed that practicing with the simulator is very good preparation for flexible power plant operation. In addition, the simulator is an efficient tool for testing flexibility options and optimizing the operating regime.
The development of a simulator tailored to the Indian market is the focus of another IGEF project, which is being driven by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Steag Energy Services India. A broad-based simulator training program is being planned for this simulator, which will also include blended learning components. The training just carried out represented a first test run to generate ideas for future training concepts.
