Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment of 2 × 300 MW Thermal Power Plant with Their Control Measures to Optimize the Risk

Abstract

In India, a coal-based thermal power plant generates 93,918.38 MW approximately of total energy production. A coal-based thermal power plant converts the chemical energy of the coal into electrical energy. The company is operating coal-based 2 × 300 MW thermal power plant which is driven by steam and generates electricity by expanding and raising the steam in the boilers and coupling the turbines to the generators which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. In this operation, there are many stages and processes that steam and coal have to pass through which involves various unsafe acts and sometimes unsafe conditions while operating and handling equipment or processes that could lead to potential failure of the equipment, interrupting the normal working of the plant that ultimately have a detrimental effect on the production of the plant, probability of accidents, injury to human lives, damage to property and environment becomes quite high. For protecting plant from such condition, a quantitative risk assessment can be very useful as it helps in focusing and prioritizing the risk which are more severe and catastrophic. In this project, a HIRA is prepared for each process, and risk factor has been calculated by assigning frequency of occurrence and severity of the hazards. The finding of the study suggested the possible control measures and corrective actions to reduce or eliminate the risk that can be used by power plant in preventing accidents from occurrence.