Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Energy Generation Plants and
Leakages of
Energy in Urban Egypt
5.1 Conventional Power Plants
5.1.1 General
In general, the construction and operation of a power plant requires the
existence of some conditions such as water resources and stable soil type.
There are other criteria that, although not required for the power plant,
should be considered—such as population centres and protected areas—
because they will be affected by either the construction or operation of the
plant. The following list covers most of the factors that should be studied
and considered in the selection of proper sites for power plant construction:
1. Transportation network: Easy access and enough access to a trans-
portation network are required during power plant construction
and during operation periods.
2. Gas pipe network: Vicinity to the gas pipes reduces the required
expenses.
3. Power transmission network:
To transfer the generated electricity to
the consumers, the plant should be connected to an electrical trans-
mission system. Therefore, the nearness to the electrical network can
play a roll.
4. Geology and soil type: The power plant should be built in an area
with soil and rock layers that can stand the weight and vibrations of
the power plant.
5. Earthquake and geological faults: Even weak and small earthquakes
can damage many parts of a power plant intensively. Therefore, the
site should be far enough away from faults and previous earthquake
areas.
6. Topography: It has been proven that high elevation has a negative
effect on production efficiency of gas turbines. In addition, changing
a sloping area into a flat site for the construction of the power plant
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