Page 25 - CARILEC CE Journal CEMAY2021

Operational Ramp Rate (% per minute)

Loading Rate (MW / minute)

The green dot also represents the ramp rate of Powerships. [3]

Then, how does ICRE technology-based
Powerships triumph over other solutions – for
There is a strong positive example CCGTs?

correlation between Primarily, in warmer climates, such as the entire
Caribbean and Latin American Region, engines out-
having flexible & compete turbines, and are resilient to fluctuations
dispatchable generation in temperature and humidity. In practice, large-
scale gas turbine technology is not as efficient and
assets and being able
reliable as combined cycle internal combustion
to integrate more engines. Gas turbines (this is also applicable for coal
renewable generation plants) become very efficient only at full load and
lose efficiency on partial loads. They are incapable
into the generation mix. of responding to load variations in short response

times, when compared to the medium-speed
reciprocating engines which run on combined cycle
mode. Therefore, the actual (net) level ICRE efficiency
dispatch are usually ICRE technology-based power becomes higher than the one of a large-scale gas
plants (except large scale gas turbines). turbine.
Dispatchable sources must be able to quickly One other parameter that measures power plant
ramp up or shut down within a few seconds even flexibility is the ramp rate. It is the rate at which a
up to a couple of hours, depending on the need power plant can increase or decrease its output.
for electricity. On paper, large scale gas turbines The engines used in Powerships can ramp at more
have efficiency levels up to 60% and they may be than 250 MW/minute whereas most of the industrial
considered as “dispatchable” however, in practice, frame gas turbine models can ramp between 10 MW/
numerous applications of CCGTs exhibit a much min to 100 MW/min.
lower efficiency level. On the other hand, the starting load capability of

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