Sharing with the reporter of Cong Thuong Newspaper, Master Nguyen Van Minh, Deputy Director of the Mechanical Manufacturing Center, National Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering (NARIME), stated that the fire prevention and firefighting system is of particularly importance for coal-fired thermal power plants, where equipment is arranged at a very high density, spread over a large area. In addition, in thermal power plants, there are many devices that generate high heat sources, high pressure, and flammable materials. Therefore, fire prevention and firefighting are always given top priority.

The fire prevention and firefighting system must always be ready to operate in any situation. The equipment in the system must strictly comply with Vietnamese fire prevention and firefighting standards as well as foreign standards… 

However, fire prevention and firefighting systems for coal-fired thermal power plants in Vietnam are mainly handled by foreign entities, leading to a lack of proactiveness in the design, manufacture, installation, and operation processes. Domestically, some companies have also participated in research, but it remains fragmented and isolated, with no complete research on design calculation, manufacture, and assembly.

In response to that situation, the National Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering implemented the project to improve research quality, aiming to fully master the fire prevention and firefighting system from design, manufacture, operation, and maintenance of the entire fire prevention and firefighting system for coal-fired thermal power plants currently and to be built in Vietnam.

The specific objective of the project is to master the design, manufacturing process, assembly process, installation and operation procedures of the fire prevention and firefighting system for coal-fired thermal power plants with unit capacity up to approximately 600 MW, ensuring a mastery rate of not less than 40% for the first project, not less than 60% for the second project, and not less than 80% from the third project onwards.

In addition, to manufacture and assemble one fire prevention and firefighting system installed and operated at a coal-fired thermal power plant with unit capacity up to 600 MW. The implementation of the project also contributes to improving the scientific and technical level, technology, management, consulting, operation... for the domestic scientific and technical staff.

Ensuring Occupational Safety and Production

Through the research process, the research team successfully designed and manufactured one fire prevention and firefighting system for the Song Hau 1 coal-fired thermal power plant with a unit capacity of 600 MW, meeting the requirements, standards, fire prevention and firefighting regulations, and those of the investor.

In addition, a set of calculation and design documents for the fire prevention and firefighting system for coal-fired thermal power plants with unit capacity of 600 MW has been developed; a set of documents on technological manufacturing and assembly processes for the fire prevention and firefighting system; a set of documents on installation procedures for the fire prevention and firefighting system; a set of documents on testing, inspection, operation, and maintenance procedures for the fire prevention and firefighting system…

The fire prevention and firefighting system has been put into operation at Song Hau 1 Thermal Power Plant and has been evaluated by the general contractor LILAMA as well as the investor PVN as achieving good results.

“The system meets the requirements set by the investor, Vietnamese fire prevention and firefighting design standards, and contributes to ensuring occupational safety and production for Song Hau 1 Thermal Power Plant” - said Master Nguyen Van Minh, while affirming that the research results of the project can be applied and transferred to units carrying out the localization of auxiliary equipment systems for domestic thermal power plants.

Mastering technologies for fire prevention and firefighting systems in coal-fired thermal power plants is very important, ensuring the ability to make quick, accurate, and flexible decisions in possible fire and explosion incident situations, maximizing the preservation of facilities and human life after a fire occurs.

Source: Cong Thuong Newspaper