ТОТЕМА is a successor of the departments of former Public Enterprise for Automation and Modernization of Power Industry providing design, research and development, commissioning and tuning of the equipment. The company has been established in the mid 60s together with Energoproject and Energomontazh to service the expanding Power Complex in Bulgaria. The enterprise has undergone a number of transformations as follows.
1967 г. - Energoremont and Energomontazh
1967 г. - Automation and Modernization of Power Infrastructure (АМЕС)
1969 г. - Centenergoremont and Automation (CERA)
1975 г. - Public Enterprise ORGRES
1979 г. - Research and Manufacturing Enterprise Techenergo
1988 г. - R&D centre for Techenergo
Toploenergetica Directorate
1990 г. - ТОТЕМА Company
1993 г. - ТОТЕМА ЕООD with a court decision from July 2, 1992
2004 г. - ТОТЕМА ЕООD was acquired by Energoremont Holding under a privatization contract from April 1, 2004
The coal-fired power plants in Bulgaria were built to burn either local low-grade lignite and brown coal (Republica TPP, Maritza East 1 TPP, Maritza East 2 TPP, Maritza East 3 TPP, Bobov Dol TPP), or semi-anthracite coal of low-volatile content imported from Ukraine, (Varna TPP, Russe TPP).
Technologies for burning Ukrainian coal had been well developed by the ex-Soviet Union experts.
The lignite and brown coal mined in the country in opened and underground pits were of extremely low quality and were little known both to the established European producers and to the Bulgarian professionals.
The efforts to cope with the bad coal and the foreign equipment unfit to its “unique” features created new design and technological solutions for coal processing, pulverization and efficient combustion.
At the turn of the 70s and 80s ТОТЕМА rolled out a technological concept for efficient combustion without slagging of low grade coal, which was further developed and applied later in burning high grade coal with reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides.
In the 80s ТОТЕМА used the technology to develop combustion systems with pulverized coal concentrators, with a staged concentration of the pulverized coal/gas mixture along the height of the burner. The first project was the modification of the pulverized fuel plants of the double - boiler 150 MW units of Maritza East 2 TPP, so that they could burn as received local lignite directly without pre-drying. Then followed the 210 МW units of Rovinari TPP in Romania, the 110 МW units of Kraiova TPP in Romania and the 500 МW units of Hagenwerder TPP in Germany modified for ensuring stable combustion without supporting fuel.
In 1986 - 1989 the technology was applied for preventing slagging at the Puentes TPP in Spain and the Novaki TPP in Slovakia.
The successful application of TOTEMA’s technology at the Puentes power plant made a name for the company and it was invited to prepare a solution for converting the plant to a new fuel – mixture of local and imported coal from the international market. Initially, the plant envisaged reconstructing two of the units to burn imported bituminous coal, while the other two continued burning local lignite. Then ТОТЕМА’s team came up with the idea of finding coal with combustion characteristics similar to the ones for which the plant has been designed and feeding it with a mixture of the two types of coal. That was how ТОТЕМА’s professionals came to work first with the low-ash, low-sulfur PRB coal of US and then with the envirocoal of ADARO - Indonesia. In 1990 – 1991 a TOTEMA’s team took part in the combustion tests on mixtures of PRB and ADARO coal at the Puentes power plant. Then, the new project for burning a mixture of local coal and imported sub-bituminous coal was developed with the purpose of lowering sulfur dioxide emissions. The design of the coal burners and the thermal calculations of the boiler unit in the new conditions were made by TOTEMA in 1991-1993.
The good results attained from burning mixtures of lignite and sub-bituminous coal with high-volatile content in tangential system pulverizing the coal with fan mills in the Puentes power plant encouraged ТОТЕМА’s professionals to implement the solution at some Bulgarian plants with similar problems – Bobov Dol TPP, Maritza East 3 TPP in Dimitrovgrad, where some coal from ADARO and Russia was delivered. The tests were successful, but the combustion of blended mixture of local and imported coal was not implemented on a long-term basis.fired
In 1992 – 1993 a TOTEMA team took part in the development of a major project for the rehabilitation of the energy complex in Bulgaria as a subcontractor of Overseas Bechtel Inc.- USA. Then TOTEMA’s team brought up the suggestion of the conversion of the Bulgarian power plants Varna TPP and Russe TPP to a new fuel – imported coal from the international coal market. The proposal for Bobov Dol TPP was to be converted to burning mixtures of local and imported coal.
Later, ТОТЕМА’s experts developed a conceptual, technical and economic assessment of these alternatives for Varna TPP and Russe TPP, preparing a study on the supply of such coal jointly with ЕЕRC - UK. The proposed solution ensures at a relatively small cost regular supplies of imported fuel and solving the environmental issues of NOx and SO2emissions. The proposed combustion technology was that of TOTEMA, but in that case milling was realized with medium speedpulverizers. The idea was approved by the international experts, but has not been realized.
In the last 10 years, having sufficient experience in the efficient utilization of low grade coal, TOTEMA’s engineering professionals have taken part in the rehabilitation of the boilers in the biggest power plant on the Balkan Peninsula – Bulgarian Maritsa East 2 TPP.
ТОТЕМА’s scope of services in that project included:
- delivery of new pulverized coal combustion systems for the П 62 boilers;
- delivery of new membrane water walls for the П 62 boilers;
- delivery of new pulverized coal combustion systems for once through ПК 38-4 boilers;
-delivery of new steam reheaters for the ПК 38-4 boilers;
- upgrade of the air ductwork of the ПК 38-4 boilers.
The project aims to achieve stable combustion and slag-free operation of the furnace at increased heat generation. For the implementation of its technological solutions ТОТЕМА worked jointly with the Thermal Power department of the Technical University of Sofia, where three-dimensional models of П 62 and ПК 38-4.boilers have been made on assignment by the company. The operation characteristics of the rehabilitated in 2000-2001 two 210 MW units and in 2006-2009 four 150 MW units are very good.
Evidence of the successful implementation of TOTEMA’s technologies for low-volatile, high-grade coal combustion in a wet bottom furnace, with lower NОx emissions, is the modernisation of two boilers with a capacity of 160 t/h at the Deven TPP, owned by Belgian soda ash producer Solvay. Along with the replacement of the combustion system, the company upgraded the adjacent part of the furnace chamber mounting membrane water walls.
1967 г. - Energoremont and Energomontazh
1967 г. - Automation and Modernization of Power Infrastructure (АМЕС)
1969 г. - Centenergoremont and Automation (CERA)
1975 г. - Public Enterprise ORGRES
1979 г. - Research and Manufacturing Enterprise Techenergo
1988 г. - R&D centre for Techenergo
Toploenergetica Directorate
1990 г. - ТОТЕМА Company
1993 г. - ТОТЕМА ЕООD with a court decision from July 2, 1992
2004 г. - ТОТЕМА ЕООD was acquired by Energoremont Holding under a privatization contract from April 1, 2004
The coal-fired power plants in Bulgaria were built to burn either local low-grade lignite and brown coal (Republica TPP, Maritza East 1 TPP, Maritza East 2 TPP, Maritza East 3 TPP, Bobov Dol TPP), or semi-anthracite coal of low-volatile content imported from Ukraine, (Varna TPP, Russe TPP).
Technologies for burning Ukrainian coal had been well developed by the ex-Soviet Union experts.
The lignite and brown coal mined in the country in opened and underground pits were of extremely low quality and were little known both to the established European producers and to the Bulgarian professionals.
The efforts to cope with the bad coal and the foreign equipment unfit to its “unique” features created new design and technological solutions for coal processing, pulverization and efficient combustion.
At the turn of the 70s and 80s ТОТЕМА rolled out a technological concept for efficient combustion without slagging of low grade coal, which was further developed and applied later in burning high grade coal with reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides.
In the 80s ТОТЕМА used the technology to develop combustion systems with pulverized coal concentrators, with a staged concentration of the pulverized coal/gas mixture along the height of the burner. The first project was the modification of the pulverized fuel plants of the double - boiler 150 MW units of Maritza East 2 TPP, so that they could burn as received local lignite directly without pre-drying. Then followed the 210 МW units of Rovinari TPP in Romania, the 110 МW units of Kraiova TPP in Romania and the 500 МW units of Hagenwerder TPP in Germany modified for ensuring stable combustion without supporting fuel.
In 1986 - 1989 the technology was applied for preventing slagging at the Puentes TPP in Spain and the Novaki TPP in Slovakia.
The successful application of TOTEMA’s technology at the Puentes power plant made a name for the company and it was invited to prepare a solution for converting the plant to a new fuel – mixture of local and imported coal from the international market. Initially, the plant envisaged reconstructing two of the units to burn imported bituminous coal, while the other two continued burning local lignite. Then ТОТЕМА’s team came up with the idea of finding coal with combustion characteristics similar to the ones for which the plant has been designed and feeding it with a mixture of the two types of coal. That was how ТОТЕМА’s professionals came to work first with the low-ash, low-sulfur PRB coal of US and then with the envirocoal of ADARO - Indonesia. In 1990 – 1991 a TOTEMA’s team took part in the combustion tests on mixtures of PRB and ADARO coal at the Puentes power plant. Then, the new project for burning a mixture of local coal and imported sub-bituminous coal was developed with the purpose of lowering sulfur dioxide emissions. The design of the coal burners and the thermal calculations of the boiler unit in the new conditions were made by TOTEMA in 1991-1993.
The good results attained from burning mixtures of lignite and sub-bituminous coal with high-volatile content in tangential system pulverizing the coal with fan mills in the Puentes power plant encouraged ТОТЕМА’s professionals to implement the solution at some Bulgarian plants with similar problems – Bobov Dol TPP, Maritza East 3 TPP in Dimitrovgrad, where some coal from ADARO and Russia was delivered. The tests were successful, but the combustion of blended mixture of local and imported coal was not implemented on a long-term basis.fired
In 1992 – 1993 a TOTEMA team took part in the development of a major project for the rehabilitation of the energy complex in Bulgaria as a subcontractor of Overseas Bechtel Inc.- USA. Then TOTEMA’s team brought up the suggestion of the conversion of the Bulgarian power plants Varna TPP and Russe TPP to a new fuel – imported coal from the international coal market. The proposal for Bobov Dol TPP was to be converted to burning mixtures of local and imported coal.
Later, ТОТЕМА’s experts developed a conceptual, technical and economic assessment of these alternatives for Varna TPP and Russe TPP, preparing a study on the supply of such coal jointly with ЕЕRC - UK. The proposed solution ensures at a relatively small cost regular supplies of imported fuel and solving the environmental issues of NOx and SO2emissions. The proposed combustion technology was that of TOTEMA, but in that case milling was realized with medium speedpulverizers. The idea was approved by the international experts, but has not been realized.
In the last 10 years, having sufficient experience in the efficient utilization of low grade coal, TOTEMA’s engineering professionals have taken part in the rehabilitation of the boilers in the biggest power plant on the Balkan Peninsula – Bulgarian Maritsa East 2 TPP.
ТОТЕМА’s scope of services in that project included:
- delivery of new pulverized coal combustion systems for the П 62 boilers;
- delivery of new membrane water walls for the П 62 boilers;
- delivery of new pulverized coal combustion systems for once through ПК 38-4 boilers;
-delivery of new steam reheaters for the ПК 38-4 boilers;
- upgrade of the air ductwork of the ПК 38-4 boilers.
The project aims to achieve stable combustion and slag-free operation of the furnace at increased heat generation. For the implementation of its technological solutions ТОТЕМА worked jointly with the Thermal Power department of the Technical University of Sofia, where three-dimensional models of П 62 and ПК 38-4.boilers have been made on assignment by the company. The operation characteristics of the rehabilitated in 2000-2001 two 210 MW units and in 2006-2009 four 150 MW units are very good.
Evidence of the successful implementation of TOTEMA’s technologies for low-volatile, high-grade coal combustion in a wet bottom furnace, with lower NОx emissions, is the modernisation of two boilers with a capacity of 160 t/h at the Deven TPP, owned by Belgian soda ash producer Solvay. Along with the replacement of the combustion system, the company upgraded the adjacent part of the furnace chamber mounting membrane water walls.