20 Power Plant Open Cooling System in the Context of the Objectives …
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20.3 Power Plant Open Cooling System
20.3.1 Case Study
The conventional power plant in question, which is situated in the Upper Vistula
River sub-basin, is one of the largest in the region. Its operation results in ensuring
the stability of power grids, which has a significant impact on the security of the
national power grid (NPG) due to that power plant’s ability to provide grid recovery
services in the event of a blackout. It is one of the utility power plants included in
the NPG.Since it features a common steam header, it can produce energy for its own
needs as well as for supplying a separate part of the NPG within the framework of
so-called “island mode” operation. Owing to its location at the junction of power
transmission and power distribution grids, it can play a strategic role within the
NPG, in particular in the area covering the Kraków metropolitan area and the city of
Skawina. In addition to the combined generation of electricity and heat, this power
plant is also a supplier of process steam.
The conventional power plant has an open cooling water circuit, which is fed by
a surface intake situated within the power plant canal. Before entering the central
pumping station, the water flows through grilles and sieves, and it is subsequently
pumped through two collecting pipes from which it is distributed to the condensers of
individual turbines and other locations. Spent cooling water from turbine condensers
and auxiliary equipment is discharged to a river which is the right-bank tributary of
the Vistula River. The hydropower plant converts potential energy of water gained
by water in a natural circulation in nature, so this energy should be regarded to be
renewable. The doubts about whether energy acquired in a hydropower plant comes
from a renewable source should be decided by physics of power processes [15].
According to the RBMP for the Vistula River basin district [14], one of the artificial canals which supplies water from the Vistula River to cool the turbine sets of the
conventional power plant is a body of surface water included in the Upper Vistula
River region. This canal has the status of an artificial water body. In terms of water
quality, its condition is described as bad, which results directly from the quality of
water in the Vistula River (which is salinated as a result of drainage from mines).
The power plant canal was considered at risk of failing to achieve the environmental
objectives set forth in the WFD and was therefore covered by the temporary derogation under Article 4(4)(3) (natural conditions, i.e. conditions which do not allow
for improvement in the status of a body of water): “due to the salinity and impact of
mine waters”.
The body of water receiving spent cooling water from the conventional power plant
also has a European body of water code within the water region of the Upper Vistula
River assigned. The river, just as the power plant canal, is located within the Eastern
Plains Euroregion. In the RBMP, it was defined as a river which is a heavily modified
water body with a bad ecological status and was covered by a temporary derogation
resulting from Article 4(4)(1): “in connection with the fact that it directly receives
spent CHP cooling waters, the water in the river has an elevated temperature which
401
20.3 Power Plant Open Cooling System
20.3.1 Case Study
The conventional power plant in question, which is situated in the Upper Vistula
River sub-basin, is one of the largest in the region. Its operation results in ensuring
the stability of power grids, which has a significant impact on the security of the
national power grid (NPG) due to that power plant’s ability to provide grid recovery
services in the event of a blackout. It is one of the utility power plants included in
the NPG.Since it features a common steam header, it can produce energy for its own
needs as well as for supplying a separate part of the NPG within the framework of
so-called “island mode” operation. Owing to its location at the junction of power
transmission and power distribution grids, it can play a strategic role within the
NPG, in particular in the area covering the Kraków metropolitan area and the city of
Skawina. In addition to the combined generation of electricity and heat, this power
plant is also a supplier of process steam.
The conventional power plant has an open cooling water circuit, which is fed by
a surface intake situated within the power plant canal. Before entering the central
pumping station, the water flows through grilles and sieves, and it is subsequently
pumped through two collecting pipes from which it is distributed to the condensers of
individual turbines and other locations. Spent cooling water from turbine condensers
and auxiliary equipment is discharged to a river which is the right-bank tributary of
the Vistula River. The hydropower plant converts potential energy of water gained
by water in a natural circulation in nature, so this energy should be regarded to be
renewable. The doubts about whether energy acquired in a hydropower plant comes
from a renewable source should be decided by physics of power processes [15].
According to the RBMP for the Vistula River basin district [14], one of the artificial canals which supplies water from the Vistula River to cool the turbine sets of the
conventional power plant is a body of surface water included in the Upper Vistula
River region. This canal has the status of an artificial water body. In terms of water
quality, its condition is described as bad, which results directly from the quality of
water in the Vistula River (which is salinated as a result of drainage from mines).
The power plant canal was considered at risk of failing to achieve the environmental
objectives set forth in the WFD and was therefore covered by the temporary derogation under Article 4(4)(3) (natural conditions, i.e. conditions which do not allow
for improvement in the status of a body of water): “due to the salinity and impact of
mine waters”.
The body of water receiving spent cooling water from the conventional power plant
also has a European body of water code within the water region of the Upper Vistula
River assigned. The river, just as the power plant canal, is located within the Eastern
Plains Euroregion. In the RBMP, it was defined as a river which is a heavily modified
water body with a bad ecological status and was covered by a temporary derogation
resulting from Article 4(4)(1): “in connection with the fact that it directly receives
spent CHP cooling waters, the water in the river has an elevated temperature which