Soma Energy Park Begins Using MHPS-TOMONI™ at Pulverized Coal-Biomass Power Plant

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) has applied MHPS-TOMONI™, its digital solutions service that utilizes leading-edge technologies to optimize thermal power plant operations, at Soma Energy Park, a pulverized coal and biomass co-firing power plant in Soma-shi, Fukushima Prefecture Japan. This application provides advanced operations and maintenance (O&M) for the Soma plant. It also includes advanced controls to achieve stable operations and improved operability with a wide range of fuels, while expanding data collection and development of analysis methods aimed at future autonomous operation.

Soma Energy Park is a 112 MW power plant operated by Soma Energy Park LLC. MHPS manufactured and supplied the coal-biomass mixed-combustion boiler, steam turbine, FGD (flue gas desulfurization), and SCR (selective catalytic NOx reduction) systems. Construction was completed in March 2018.(Note)

ICT applications provided by MHPS-TOMONI include remote monitoring, indication and early detection of abnormalities, remaining life assessment, monitoring of operational status and efficiency, guidance for optimal operation of equipment, water quality diagnosis, and auxiliary power diagnosis. These applications allow the Soma plant to co-fire pulverized coal and biomass, as well as utilize ICT to provide life assessment of the SCR and operational supervision of FGD and ESP (electrostatic precipitators).

MHPS will continue to work closely with Soma Energy Park LLC to expand the range of applications that benefit the power plant. The use of MHPS-TOMONI will lead to optimization of O&M via the extension of regular remote monitoring and diagnostics, improvement in facility operations and performance, and enhancement of overall efficiency and operational resources.

Globally, MHPS is expanding applications for MHPS-TOMONI, and by working even closer with customers to optimize the operation of power plant facilities, is enhancing economic efficiency in power generation and contributing to social development.

• Find further information about MHPS-TOMONI at https://www.changeinpower.com/mhps-tomoni/

• Soma Energy Park is the first 100 MW-class, large-scale pulverized coal-fired power facility in Japan to achieve a biomass mixing ratio of about 34% at rated load during the trial operation stage prior to completion.