Factors Affecting the Selection and Location of Power Plants | Nikhil Technochem

Factors Affecting the Selection and Location of Power Plants | Nikhil Technochem Many factors influence the location of a steam, diesel or a rooftop solar power plant, including the cost of energy transmission, the cost of fuel, the cost of land and taxes, the need for space, the availability of a site for water power, fuel storage space, transportation facilities, the availability of cooling water, the nature of the load, the degree of reliability, pollution and noise, interest and depreciation, and so on.

The location of a power plant should be as close to the load centre as practicable. Transmission costs and losses are reduced as a result. Hydroelectric, steam (coal-based), and nuclear power facilities cannot be built near demand centres and require transmission lines of varying lengths.

Because diesel and gas turbine power plants may be positioned anywhere, there is no need for a transmission line.

On the other hand, modern power plants have a vast capacity and feed a grid that provides electricity to wide areas. As a result, other considerations take precedence over the siting of the plant near the load centre. The fuel cost is an important factor to consider when choosing the kind of power plant for a certain region.

There is no fuel expense with hydroelectric power plants because the source of electricity is water, but water must be accessible in large quantities and at an adequate head. The cost of coal for the boilers and the availability of coal are major issues for steam plants.

If cheap oil is available, the boilers and steam plants may be oil burned, and various types of power plants may be completed. Another factor to consider is the power plant's space and construction needs. If the building and the needed space are both enormous, the cost of both land and building will be high.

Large power facilities in the heart of major cities and near the load centre are thus uneconomic.

A hydroelectric power plant needs much room for civil engineering construction. Steam power plants may not require as much room as other power plants like diesel and gas turbines, but they still require more space.

A diesel power plant requires very little space. Gas turbine power plants demand more area than diesel power plants but less than hydro and steam power plants. A steam power plant requires more cooling water than a diesel or gas turbine.

Water is pumped through condenser tubes to condense the steam and maintain a high vacuum in the turbine condenser. As a result, locations near large bodies of water are ideal.

Alternatively, tube wells and cooling towers must be erected, and their costs must be considered. Another necessity is the availability of reasonably pure water as make-up water.

A diesel power plant requires water to cool the engine cylinders, which must be pumped through the cylinder jackets. However, the amount of water required is quite modest in comparison to the requirements of the steam power plant.

Alternatively, you can consult with an expert like Nikhil TechoChem who is a leading solar, diesel and sewage treatment plant supplier for more information.