GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

CENTRAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY

(MINISTRY OF POWER)
Sewa Bhawan (North Wing), Room No. 622, 6th Floor,
R. K. Puram, New Delhi-110066
Tel. Fax -011-26103246, email: [email protected]
Website: www.cea.nic.in

PUBLIC NOTICE

In accordance with the Section 177 of the Electricity Act, 2003,

the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), proposes to notify the draft
Central Electricity Authority (Flexible operation of thermal power
plants) Regulations, 2022. The proposed draft regulations are available
on the CEA Website www.cea.nic.in for inviting public comments. The
Regulations can also be inspected in the office of Chief Engineer (Legal),
Sewa Bhawan (North Wing), Room No. 622, 6th Floor, R. K. Puram, New
Delhi-110066 on any working day till 26th August, 2022 between 1100
hrs to 1600 hrs.

2. All the Stakeholders including the public are requested to send

their comments on the draft regulations to Chief Engineer (Legal), Sewa
Bhawan (North Wing), Room No. 622, 6th Floor, R. K. Puram, New
Delhi-110066 by post or through e-mail ([email protected]) latest by
26th August, 2022.

(Rakesh Goyal )
Secretary, CEA
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[To be published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, in Part III, Section 4]

Government of India
Ministry of Power
Central Electricity Authority

New Delhi, , 2022

NOTIFICATION

File No. CEA-TH-17-13/4/2022-TETD Division - In exercise of the powers

conferred by sub-section (2)(g) of Section 177 of the Electricity Act 2003, the
Central Electricity Authority hereby makes the following Regulations namely:

1. Short Title and Commencement-(1) These Regulations may be called

the Central Electricity Authority (Flexible operation of thermal power plants)
Regulations, 2022.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official
Gazette.

2. Definitions- (1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise

requires,

(a) “Act” means the Electricity Act, 2003;

(b) “Authority” means the Central Electricity Authority established under sub-
section (2) of Section 70 of the Act;

(c) “Base load operation” means operation at maximum continuous rating

(MCR) or its high fraction;

(d) “Boiler Maximum Continuous Rating (BMCR)” means the maximum steam
output, the steam generator (boiler) can deliver continuously at rated
parameters;

(e) “Cold start”, in relation to steam turbine, means start up after a shut down
period exceeding 72 hours (turbine metal temperatures below approximately
40% of their full load values);

(f) “Control load”, in relation to coal or lignite based thermal generating units,
means the lowest load at which the rated steam temperature can be
maintained under auto control system;

(g) “Flexible operation” means the ability of thermal plant to adjust the net
power fed into the grid as per the dispatch schedules where must run power
plants like renewable energy sources are taking part in meeting grid load
demand.
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(h) “Hot start”, in relation to steam turbine, means start up after a shut down
period of less than 10 hours (turbine metal temperatures approximately 80%
of their full load values);

(i) “Maximum Continuous Rating (MCR)”,-in relation to coal or lignite based

thermal generating units, means maximum continuous output at the
generator terminals expressed in kilo volt ampere (kVA) (net of any external
excitation power) as guaranteed by the manufacturer at the rated
parameters;

(j) “Minimum Power Levels (MPL)” means the minimum output power at the
generator terminals that the power plant can sustain continuously without oil
support. It is expressed as percentage of maximum rated capacity.

(k) “Must run” status for a power plant means generation of power from such
power plant should not be curtailed for factors other than on account of grid
safety or safety of equipment or personnel.

(l) “Ramp rate” means the measurement of how quickly a power plant can
change its output. It is calculated as the ratio of change in power output to
time taken for such change in power output. It is expressed as percentage
(of unit rating) per minute.

(m) “Retrofit” means modernization or upgradation of power plant

components or subsystems.

(n) “Shut down” means total stoppage of power plant and production activities
by cutting off in- coming power supply to the power plant.

(o) “Startup / shutdown time”, in relation to power plants means the time
required to move from nonoperational state (cold, warm, hot state) to
operational state and vice versa. It is expressed in minutes.

(p) “Sub-Critical Unit”, in relation to coal or lignite based thermal generating unit,
means a unit designed for main steam pressure less than the critical
pressure (225.56 kg/ cm2) of water;

(q) “Super-Critical Unit”, in relation to coal or lignite based thermal generating

unit, means a unit designed for main steam pressure more than the critical
pressure (225.56 kg/cm2) of water;

(r) “Thermal Power Plants (TPP)” means the ‘generating station’ as defined in
the Act for generating electricity using fossil fuels such as coal, lignite, gas,
liquid fuel or combination of these as its primary source of energy to
generate electric power;

(s) “Ultra Super-Critical Unit”, in relation to coal or lignite based thermal

generating unit means a supercritical unit with steam temperature of
600/6000C or higher at turbine inlet;
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(t) “Unit”, in relation to a coal or lignite based thermal generating station,

means steam generator with interconnected steam turbine-generator and
auxiliaries, operated as one single set or system to generate electric power;

(u) “Warm start”, in relation to steam turbine, means start up after a shut down
period between 10 hours and 72 hours (turbine metal temperatures between
approximately 40% and 80% of their full load values).

(2) words and expressions used but not defined in these Regulations shall
have the meaning assigned to them in the Act.

3. Applicability - These Regulations shall apply to all coal and lignite based
thermal power plants and load despatch centers.

4. General Requirements - (1) The Thermal Power Plants shall be suitably

designed for full range of ambient and other environmental conditions
prevailing at site.

(2) The various parts or components or assemblies of equipment and

systems shall be of proven materials with established physical and chemical
properties appropriate to the service as intended.

(3) All equipment and systems installed shall comply with the provisions
of statutes, Regulations and safety codes, as applicable.

(4) (1) The Thermal Power Plants shall be designed to comply with
requirements stipulated in

(a) Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Connectivity

to the Grid) Regulations, 2007 as amended time to time;
(b) Indian Electricity Grid Code issued by Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission (CERC);
(c) Applicable State Grid Code issued by appropriate Regulatory
Commission;
(d) Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction
of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines) Regulations, 2010 as
amended time to time;
(e) Central Electricity Authority. (Measures relating to Safety and
Electricity Supply), Regulations, 2010 as amended time to time;
(f) Central Electricity Authority (Safety Requirements for
Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Electrical Plants and
Electric Lines) Regulations, 2011 and;
(g) Central Electricity Authority (Grid Standards) Regulations, 2010.

(2) The conditions stipulated in these Regulations shall prevail upon in

case of contradictions.

5. The flexible operation of a power plant shall refer to the characteristics

indicated in Fig. 1.
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Fig 1: Characteristcs o Flexibility

6. Suitability of units for flexible operation:

i. The units throughout their service life shall be considered for flexible
operation.
ii. The suitability of units for start/stops and deep load following (Ramps) shall
be assessed beforehand.
iii. The condition assessment of existing plant systems and its upgradation, if
required, to accommodate operating requirements arising out of flexible
operation shall be addressed beforehand.

7. Flexible Operation of the Thermal Power Plants (TPP):

i. All TPPs shall be capable of providing the required output as per the
schedule for generation finalized by appropriate Load Despatch Centers.
Based on the availability of must run stations, plants or units shall follow
the variable load requirements.

ii. The appropriate Load Despatch Centers shall schedule all coal based
thermal power plants, upto the MPL of 55%, to support the operation of
must run stations.

iii. The appropriate Load Despatch Centers may schedule all coal based
thermal power plants, upto the MPL of 40%, to support the operation of
must run stations, subject to the provisions mentioned at Sub-clause (v)
of this Clause.

iv. The minimum rate of loading or unloading for coal based thermal power
plants shall be 3% per minute above the MPL.

Provided that for supercritical and ultra-super-critical units, minimum rate

of loading or unloading shall be 5% per minute above the MPL.

v. The thermal power plants shall implement the necessary modifications, if

any, to achieve the requirements as specified in Sub-Clause (ii), (iii) and
(iv) of this Clause to generate flexible power according to schedules
finalized by appropriate LDCs.
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Provided that the implementation of Sub-Clause (iii) and (iv) of this

Clause would be completed by all thermal power units within three years
from the date of notification of these Regulations, subject to the technical
feasibility studies to be done in consultation with concerned OEMs or
qualified consultants with regard to the requirements mentioned at
Clause 6 and Clause 8 of these regulations.

Provided further that the implementation of Sub-Clause (ii) shall be

implemented by all thermal power units within one year of the notification
of these Regulations.

8. Process for implementing Flexible Operation of the Thermal Power Plants:

Measures to lower minimum limits of power output, increase the ramp
rates and optimize the start-up of the power plants should be
implemented based on technical feasibility studies involving assessment
of the following factors in consultation with the concerned Original
Equipment Manufacturers/ Qualified Consultants:
a. Rated Capacity
b. Minimum load Design rating with no oil support
c. Design Ramp rate.
d. Influence of low load operation on components and systems.
e. Technical boundary conditions for flexible operation
f. Combustion system optimization, co-ordination of mill and
burner systems.

TPPs may decide adoption of suitable modifications in consultation

with concerned OEMs/ qualified consultants.
9. Any deviation from the limits prescribed under these Regulations shall be
brought before the Authority on case to case basis by the thermal power plants for
exemption, if any.
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