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Coal Sorting Yields Multi-Crore Gains for MahaGenco Power
Mumbai. Across all thermal power stations in the state—operating under the aegis of the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco)—a continuous process of sorting stones out of coal is being carried out on the moving conveyor belts within the coal handling plants. The responsibility for executing this complex task with efficiency has been entrusted to a company based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (South India). This arduous undertaking has been made possible solely through the efforts of the company’s trained and highly skilled workforce. Within the power station’s coal handling plant, workers diligently sort out stones and wood fragments from the coal as it travels continuously along the conveyor belts toward the coal bunkers and coal mills. Trained and courageous workers from the South Indian firms—M/s Chandy & Company, the Prince Group of Companies (including Prince Thermal), and M/s Priyatech—are engaged in the task of separating stones from coal with remarkable ease and agility.
Disregarding their own personal safety and well-being, these brave workers remain vigilantly dedicated to the critical task of sorting stones from the coal supply.
The result is a significant improvement in the thermal efficiency of the boiler tubes. Furthermore, the removal of stones reduces the moisture and ash content within the coal, thereby yielding a higher calorific value. This, in turn, facilitates superior combustion and enhances the overall operational efficiency of the boilers. The coal-sorting operation—conducted on the continuously moving conveyor belts within the coal handling plants—is currently underway at various power generation centers, including the Koradi Power Plant, Khaparkheda Station, Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station, Paras Power Station, Deepnagar Bhusawal Power Station, Nashik Road Thermal Power Station, and Parli Vaijnath Power Station. The practice of sorting stones from the coal conveyor belts has led to a tangible increase in electricity generation output. Since purified coal possesses a higher heat content, this process ultimately results in an improvement in the Plant Load Factor (PLF). According to studies, for every 10% reduction in the ash content of feed coal, there is an increase of approximately 1.5% in the Plant Load Factor (PLF). According to technicians, the process of manually sorting stones from coal belts within the coal handling plants is currently underway across numerous power generation facilities—including those in Maharashtra, the Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company, the Rajasthan Power Corporation, power plants in Gujarat, the UP Power Generation Company, plants in Chhattisgarh, power stations in West Bengal, and facilities under the Jharkhand State Electricity Board.
The reduction in electricity generation costs presents opportunities for significant economic savings for the government. The utilization of high-quality coal reduces the quantity of coal required to generate each unit of electricity. Furthermore, the lower ash content leads to a corresponding reduction in transportation and ash handling costs.
This practice also ensures greater ease, simplicity, and efficiency in boiler maintenance. The sorting of coal removes impurities, thereby mitigating the problem of clinkering within the boilers. Consequently, the maintenance costs for boilers and associated equipment (such as mills) are reduced, while their operational lifespan is simultaneously enhanced. Naturally, this also leads to a reduction in environmental pollution; the use of purified coal generates less smoke, resulting in lower emissions of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Sulfur Dioxide (SOx) into the atmosphere.
Conclusion: Coal sorting not only enhances the operational efficiency of power plants but also plays a pivotal role in ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted power supply. Moreover, it is an environmentally friendly practice that can boost thermal efficiency by up to 10%. This socially beneficial initiative has garnered high praise from senior officials of the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited, as well as from the Ministry of Power
Tekchand Sanodia Shastri, General Secretary of the All India Social Organization, provided the aforementioned technical information
