Current status and outlook of Fuji Electric's power generation plant business

Fuji Electric has set forth its management philosophy of "Contributing to a Rich Society, Challenging the Limits of Creativity, and Developing in Harmony with the Natural Environment," and one of the pillars of its management policy is to contribute to the sustainable development of society through energy and environmental businesses.

In this article, we will introduce Fuji Electric's efforts to realize a low-carbon society, with a focus on the energy sector, and give examples of typical contributions to the current situation and prospects.

Geothermal power generation

Geothermal power generation, which is not affected by natural conditions such as weather, is once again attracting attention in Japan and abroad as a stable renewable energy source. Although there are only a limited number of geothermal sources that can be used for flash cycle power generation (*1), there is a trend on the increase in flash cycle power generation facilities, including large-scale facilities.

On the other hand, dual-cycle power generation (*3) that can use low-level (*2) heat sources has great potential due to the wide range of geothermal sources that can be utilized, and it is only a matter of time before the annual scale of new construction exceeds that of flash cycle power generation.

As a world-renowned manufacturer of geothermal power generation, Fuji Electric is continuously developing technologies to improve the economy and operational efficiency of plants, as well as improve corrosion resistance, scale inhibition, reliability, and maintenance.

In the flash cycle power generation, complete plants for Indonesia and Kenya are under construction. In terms of dual-cycle power generation, two sets of large-scale 5MW plants in Japan have been completed to replace Freons and n-pentane as working media.

(*1) Flash cycle power generation

When the steam emitted from the pit mouth contains a large amount of hot water, the steam is extracted by a separator and the steam turbine is directly rotated to generate electricity.

(*2) Low

It refers to low-temperature areas that have not been effectively used until now, such as hot water at about 100°C, process steam used in factories, etc., and hot water for heat discharge.

(*3) Dual-cycle power generation

When using a heat source such as steam and hot water at a low temperature, heat is transferred to a medium with a low boiling point, such as n-pentane, to generate high-pressure steam, which is used to generate power from a rotating turbine, and is suitable for low-level (low-temperature) heat sources that cannot be used by flash cycle power generation.

Fuji Electric delivered the first hydroelectric power generation unit in 1936. Since then, Fuji Electric has developed, designed, manufactured, and delivered a wide range of turbines, from high-drop Pelton turbines to low-drop spherical shell turbines.

Hydroelectric power is positioned as a base-load power source that is a baseload power source that is the base of electricity supply because it is a green and pure domestic energy source with low CO2 emissions, and can be used stably regardless of the weather.

By using 3D flow analysis technology, each power station has been able to achieve excellent condition, which not only increases the output power, but also greatly increases the annual power generation. In the future, we will contribute to reducing the environmental impact by developing environmentally friendly oil-free technologies that do not use hydraulic pressure and next-generation hydroelectric power generation equipment that improves maintenance and service life.

In order to realize a low-carbon society through the spread of renewable energy, Fuji Electric is achieving rapid economic growth from a global perspective and increasing demand for electricity. At the same time, due to the abundant sunshine in Southeast Asia, there are high hopes for megawatts of solar power as a renewable energy source.

However, in every country, grid lines are expanding, so peak reduction and wave suppression technologies are essential.

Fuji Electric has developed a new high-capacity 2,500 KVA PCS that supports DC1500V and has increased the overload rate to 200% and significantly increased the power generation of megawatt solar power plants.

Based on a global perspective, Fuji Electric aims to contribute to the spread of low-cost, stable, megawatt-scale solar power generation by making full use of system constraint response equipment and battery control technology, taking into account the characteristics of each country and region.

In addition, in consideration of the future spread of offshore wind power generation, it is necessary to solve the problems in the design, supply, and long-distance transmission of 275kV transformer equipment, such as voltage fluctuation countermeasures and higher harmonic resonance countermeasures. At the same time, it is necessary to meet the various requirements of customers.

In order to solve these issues and meet customer needs, Fuji Electric has also developed technologies in the areas of simulation technology and countermeasures against the effects of cable stray capacitance.

The effective use of hydrogen contributes to the realization of a low-carbon society. Fuel cells, the representative form of fuel cells, have been rapidly gaining popularity in various businesses in recent years.

Hydrogen is needed for power generation, so biogas such as city gas, LPG, and sewer splitting gas can also be used by using a hydrogen production method called steam reforming in a chemical reaction.

At the international conference led by COP21, CO2 reduction targets were clarified, and from the current high dependence and stable energy supply, fossil fuel power generation is expected to decrease, but it will not disappear completely.

From this viewpoint, the stability of the power system will be affected by the increase in the proportion of renewable energy, and the demand for high-efficiency and environmentally low-load gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power generation is expected to continue to increase.

In the area of end-of-life treatment of nuclear power plants, Fuji Electric is also designing cement curing equipment to process demolition waste, in addition to the fuel removal and fuel cleaning of the high-speed breeder prototype reactor "Monju".

Fuji Electric and Jacobs Corporation of United States have jointly conducted research and development on curing technologies that utilize geopolymer materials with various excellent properties to safely handle, dispose of, and store radioactive waste generated during the operation of nuclear power facilities and the process of furnace disposal. At the same time, in order to contribute to the recycling of nuclear fuel, Fuji Electric also provides technologies and products such as manufacturing equipment for uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel, remote operation devices, seismic power distribution cabinets, and fire prevention and extinguishing that comply with the new restrictions.

Fuji Electric will continue to focus on its customers, listen to their voices, and work with them to create value for their customers and continue to innovate and improve their services. At the same time, we will continue to contribute significantly to the realization of a sustainable society by providing safe, secure, and environmentally friendly energy creation and social infrastructure solutions.
Current status and outlook of Fuji Electric's power generation plant business

Current status and outlook of Fuji Electric's power generation plant business

Current status and outlook of Fuji Electric's power generation plant business

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