The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Marubeni Utility Services, Ltd., and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., announced on March 2 that they had begun trial operations in January for a 17MW medium scale gas turbine-based high efficiency cogeneration system for a demonstration site established in the city of Fergana in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The trial operations were scheduled to continue until the end of FY2020.
A 7MW small scale gas turbine-based cogeneration system is already undergoing trial operation at an RK3 heat supply plant in the city as part of the project since December 2019, and the two small- and mid-sized cogeneration systems will continue operations to distribute the power supply from local sources rather than the distant large scale power plant being used to date.
This project will not only improve energy efficiency at the facilities, but is also expected to reduce electricity transmission loss by reducing transmission distance, with a target of a 38% reduction in energy consumption and greater stability in power and heat supply.
The stable supply of electricity and heat is becoming essential for the further economic development of Uzbekistan. The demand for electricity and heat is rising continuously, particularly in the Fergana region, due to the increase and concentration in population there, and the region was facing issues such as dependency on a distant electricity supply and the low efficiency in the heat supply due to aging facilities.
Accordingly, the region has been seeking a system for local production and consumption of energy using a local, high efficiency heat and electricity source. In response to this need, NEDO concluded a cooperation agreement with the government of Uzbekistan in October 2015, coinciding with the visit by (then) Japanese Prime Minister Abe to the country, to help solve those issues, followed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concluded in October 2016 to carry out a trial project for the introduction of gas turbine-based cogeneration systems to achieve a stable electricity and heat supply.
At the same time, Marubeni Utility Services and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the contractors for the trial project, both concluded an Implementation Document (ID) with Uzbekenergo, the state-owned energy company. To date, the project has focused on testing the entire range of processes related to small- to mid-sized gas turbine-based cogeneration systems, including design and manufacturing, transport, installation guidance, startup, and the optimization of energy consumption.
The launch of trial operations for the medium scale gas turbine-based cogeneration system will enable the supply of heat and electricity in combination with the small scale system already in operation. Together, this system can now help modernize the heat supply facilities (through cogeneration) and provide a stable supply of heat and electricity to neighboring regions.
This article has been translated by JST with permission from The Science News Ltd.(https://sci-news.co.jp/). Unauthorized reproduction of the article and photographs is prohibited.