Latvenergo AS owns two large combined heat and power plants – Riga TEC-1 and Riga TEC-2 – that generate electricity and thermal energy in cogeneration mode. The combined heat and power plants generate approximately 30% of the overall amount of electricity generated by Latvenergo AS and 70% of the heat supplied to the Riga city central district heating supply system per year. At present, the aggregated heating capacity of the heat generation facilities set up at the combined heat and power plants (CHPPs) of Riga is 1525 MWth, whereas their electrical capacity is 474 MWel (TEC-1 – 144 MWel, TEC-2 – 330 MWel).
Both HPPs work in cogeneration mode, which is the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly type of energy generation, especially in comparison with separate electricity and heating energy generation at condensing power plants and boiler houses respectively.
Riga TEC-1. The plant was built from 1954 to 1958 and fully reconstructed in 2005. At present, it has two gas turbines, one steam turbine and two water-heating boilers for centralised heat supply. The electrical and heating capacity of TEC-1 is 144 MWel and 377 MWth respectively.
The plant’s operation is based on combined heat and electricity generation. TEC-1 transfers the generated electricity to Augstsprieguma tikls AS (TSO), whereas the generated heating energy is distributed by Rigas siltums AS – the company that supplies the city of Riga with central heating and hot water. After the reconstruction, TEC-1 operates in compliance with the requirements of the environmental regulations of EU and their Latvian counterparts.
Presently, the construction of an additional hot water-heating boiler takes place at the heat power plant, increasing the reliability of heat supply. In 2009, TEC-1 generated 566 GWh of electricity.
Riga TEC-2 is the largest combined heat and power plant in Latvia. Its first water-heating boilers were launched in the period from 1973 to 1992 and four power-generating steam boilers and four steam turbines (CHPP’s power-generating section) – from 1975 to 1979. Presently, the installed electrical capacity of TEC-2 is 330 MWel and its thermal capacity – 1148 MWth. It was planned to complete the construction of a new substitute power unit at TEC-2 by the end of 2008. As a result, TEC-2 will become the most advanced electricity and heat power plant in the Baltic region, increasing the overall reliability of electricity supply in Latvia.
After the construction of the first substitute power unit is complete, the generation of electricity in cogeneration mode will increase from 820 GWh per year on average to 2200 GWh per year on average, providing Latvia with approximately 1400 GWh of additional electricity per year. It is planned to build another analogous high-capacity power unit by 2012. Consequently, it will be possible to close down completely the existing power-generating section of TEC-2. As a result of this modernisation, significant increase in the power plant’s electrical capacity and electricity generation amount is expected in 2012.
In 2009, TEC-2 generated 909 GWh of electricity.
