Co-generation is the production of thermal energy and electricity from a single source of fuel, such as natural gas. Unlike other power plants, where the heat produced together with the electricity is released or wasted into the environment.
Cogeneration plants are thermal generators that can be installed in industries, they can produce heat or they require heat. The fuel or heat can be used once or twice to produce electricity, making it a resourceful process.
In Europe and United State of America (USA) they have cogeneration plants and
Urban Energy and use them as a source of energy in their industries. Such industries are hospitals, wood processing, hotels, steel and dairy industries. A cogeneration plant system consists of an engine, combustion turbine or steam turbine that drives an electrical generator.
What Are The Types Of Cogeneration?
There are two types of cogeneration plants namely bottoming Cycle plants and topping Cycle plants.
Bottoming cycle plant
The bottoming cycle plants exist in the heavy industries such as metals or glass manufacturing. These industries require very high temperature to heat up furnaces.
This cycle has a waste heat recovery boiler that recaptures all waste heat from the manufacturing heating process. The recovered heat is used to produce steam that drives the steam turbine or the generator to produce electricity. There is no extra fuel required to produce electricity since it was burned first in the production process.
Topping cycle plant
The topping cycle plant generates mechanical or electricity power first. The electricity that is generated is usually through an open cycle gas turbine. The waste heat is used to produce steam for manufacturing reasons.
A topping cycle cogeneration plant always has to use some additional fuel, beyond what is normal required for manufacturing.
What Are The Products And Services Offered By Cogeneration?
There are many products and services provided by cogeneration technologies, these are power and energy project development services:
Offer renewable brokerage services, emission reduction credits, carbon dioxide credits, energy credit; application and permitting. These services have helped in environmental conservation.
They offer project engineering viability and economic analysis studies.
They offer other services such as project funding, debt financing, and equity investment and municipal lease.
They offer assistance in project commission, operations, maintenance and development.
They offer permits on environmental engineering.
Pros and Cons of Cogeneration
Cogeneration has provided many benefits both to the companies and the environment.
Pros
Cost of production
Using cogeneration as a method for heat and electricity production is cheaper. The energy production will use one source of fuel to produce to different types of energy, thus reducing the cost of production.
Increased power reliability
The power and heat produced using the cogeneration process is of high quality and reliable to the user.
Reduce pollution
Use of cogeneration reduces the amount of fuel burned for a given energy production, thus reducing pollution emission and greenhouse gases.
Conserves limited resources (fossils fuel)
Because cogeneration requires less fuel for a given energy output, the use of cogeneration reduces the demand on our limited natural resources such as coal, natural gas, and oil and improves our nation's energy security.
Increased employment
A number of new studies have shown that the development of
Cogeneration systems have lead to creation of jobs.
Cogeneration is an established form of technology that has been used for many years.
