Emerson migrates legacy power plant controls

Emerson Process Management has won a contract to replace existing controls at Boryeong thermal power plant Unit 1 and Unit 2 with its PlantWeb digital plant architecture. The contract was awarded by Korea Midland Power Company (KOMIPO), which operates the plant, while the primary architect-engineer for the project is Korea Power Engineering Company (KOPEC).

Previously, the two 500 MW units each utilized multiple control systems – analog Toshiba turbine controls and a Bailey 820 analog system that controlled each unit’s Babcock & Wilcox boiler and balance of plant (BOP) processes. Emerson’s Ovation expert control system will now offer an integrated control solution for the nearly 25-year-old units.

The Boryeong power plant, located in middle of South Korea, consists of six operational units with two additional units (units 7 and 8) slated to connect to the grid in 2009. When completed, the facility will produce 4,000 MW of electricity to serve the region.

“This project, in which separate islands of automation are replaced with a tightly integrated control system, is a model for how to modernize controls of an existing power generating facility,” said Bob Yeager, President, Power & Water Solutions. “By adopting an integrated control strategy based on our PlantWeb architecture and Ovation technology, we expect Boryeong units 1 and 2 to achieve greater operational efficiency and enhanced plant performance – all of which will help KOMIPO best serve the burgeoning electricity needs of this region.”