In 2013, Panjin, Liaoning released its Panjin “Blue Sky Project” Implementation Scheme, introducing the project to implement regional unified efficient heating supply to speed up the promotion of “dismantling small ones and merging big ones”. The project focused on promoting the heating supply construction of CR Power’s Panjin Power Plant with an aim to increase thermal power cogeneration efficiency, realise central heating in main districts and replace coal-fired heating supply boilers in certain areas so as to maximise emission reduction benefits.
However, Panjin Power Plant already reached the limits by providing heating supply for 13.5 million square metres in 2016, and could not meet the implementation requirements of the “Blue Sky Project”. Faced with the bottleneck, the power plant did not retreat, knowing that it was their responsibility to ensure heating supply and protect the blue sky.
Following proactive communication, research in many areas and collaboration with experts from Northeast China Region and the headquarters, the power plant took 20 days to decide on the proposal regarding the low-pressure cylinder lightchanging shaft of No.1 unit steam turbine. Due to the long supply cycle of main equipment for light shaft retrofitting of the unit, the effective construction time was greatly shortened; the construction of the first station for supporting heat network was also carried out in the rain season with underground water level rising quickly, making the geological conditions even worse and significantly increasing the difficulty in construction.
Again, Panjin Power Plant did not hide behind the difficulties. Instead, to provide heating on November 1 as planned, they worked in shifts, strengthened their communication and collaboration with the construction company and equipment manufacturers, and thoroughly managed and controlled the project in the areas including safety, quality and progress. They worked over time and spared no efforts, eventually completing the time- and energyconsuming retrofitting project in only 2.5 months.
The retrofitting results were proven after a short while. During the heating supply season of 2017-2018, the area for which Panjin Power Plant supplied heating increased to 21 million square metres, up by 55.6%. The percentage of complaints made through the mayor hotline on heating supply by Panjin Power Plant decreased by 35% compared to the heating supply season in 2016-2017, while the percentage of complaints made through www.mxwz.com went down by 85%, with 100% of the complaints resolved. With the significant improvement of heating supply quality, the power plant won the honourable title “Excellent Heating Supply Company in Liaoning Province” for the second consecutive year. The retrofitting project of the lowpressure cylinder light-changing shaft of Panjin Power Plant’s No.1 unit steam turbine effectively supported the local government in replacing coal-fired heating supply boilers within the city, saving approximately 110,000 tons of standard coal as well as reducing 286,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission, 935 tons of sulphur dioxide emission and 814 tons of nitrogen oxides every year. This greatly increased the clean heating supply area and the quality of heating supply in Panjin, making outstanding contribution to realising efficient clean heating supply and eventually bringing the blue sky back to Panjin.