Indicators of Coal-to-Electricity Energy Price Ratio for Coal-Fired Power Plants and Their Applications

doi:10.12096/j.2096-4528.pgt.260115

Abstract

Abstract:

Objectives Over the past 30 years, the conflict between electricity and coal prices has persisted in China. To straighten out the relationship between coal and electricity prices and to promote the comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development of the coal and power industries, it is necessary to establish evaluation indicators and price adjustment formulas for quickly assessing the rationality of electricity and coal prices for coal-fired power plants, so as to provide a new set of indicators for economic decision-making analysis for coal-fired power plants. Methods First, the energy value analysis method is applied to investigate and analyze the physical process of converting coal energy into electric energy in coal-fired power plants. Then, the intrinsic relationship between coal and electricity prices is derived through mathematical deduction. Finally, the calculation formulas for indicators such as the coal-to-electricity energy price ratio and for the coal-electricity price linkage are derived. Results Indicators such as the critical coal price, critical coal-to-electricity energy price ratio, reasonable coal-to-electricity energy price ratio, reasonable on-grid electricity price, and reasonable coal price are proposed. The reasonable coal-to-electricity energy price ratio for different units ranging from 300 to 1 000 MW is calculated to be 3.68-4.17. Conclusions The coal-to-electricity energy price ratio and related indicators provide a new method for power plants and relevant government departments to evaluate the rationality of electricity and coal prices. They can provide a scientific basis for government departments to formulate reasonable on-grid electricity prices, for coal-fired power plants to develop scientific operational strategies, and for plants to set bidding prices.

Key words: coal-fired power plants, coal price, electricity price, economic analysis, coal-to-electricity energy price ratio, power generation cost, coal-electricity price linkage

CLC Number:

TK 12

Yili ZHOU, Xiaoyun DAI, Xiyuan ZHOU, Guonian CHEN. Indicators of Coal-to-Electricity Energy Price Ratio for Coal-Fired Power Plants and Their Applications[J]. Power Generation Technology, 2026, 47(1): 168-175.

Figures/Tables 6

Tab. 1 Relationship between fuel cost energy price and value-added energy price for a subcritical 300 MW unit under different coal prices

标煤单价 R_m/(元/t)	标煤原始能价 R_bm/[元/(kW⋅h)]	发电燃料成本能价 R_fd/[元/(kW⋅h)]	发电增值能价R_zz/[元/(kW⋅h)]
900	0.111 0	0.248	0.130
1 000	0.122 8	0.310	0.068
1 100	0.135 1	0.341	0.037
1 219	0.149 8	0.378	0
1 500	0.184 3	0.465	-0.087
2 000	0.245 7	0.620	-0.242

Tab. 2 Relationship between fuel cost energy price and value-added energy price for a 1 000 MW supercritical unit under different coal prices

标煤单价 R_m/(元/t)	标煤原始能价 R_bm/[元/(kW⋅h)]	发电燃料成本能价 R_fd/[元/(kW⋅h)]	发电增值能价R_zz/[元/(kW⋅h)]
900	0.111 0	0.239	0.144
1 000	0.122 8	0.265	0.117
1 100	0.135 1	0.292	0.091
1 300	0.159 7	0.345	0.038
1 442	0.177 0	0.382	0
1 600	0.197 0	0.424	-0.042
2 000	0.245 7	0.530	-0.148

Tab. 3 Reasonable coal-to-electricity energy price ratio and on-grid electricity price of different types of wet-cooled coal-fired units

机组类型	基准供电煤耗率b₂/[g/(kW⋅h)]	合理电煤能价比 $k h l$	1 000元/t标煤对应的合理上网电价R_d/[元/(kW⋅h)]
平均	302	3.93	0.393
1 000 MW超超临界	283	3.68	0.368
600 MW超超临界	291	3.78	0.378
600 MW超临界	299	3.89	0.389
600 MW亚临界	312	4.06	0.406
300 MW超临界	308	4.00	0.400
300 MW亚临界	321	4.17	0.417

Tab. 3 Reasonable coal-to-electricity energy price ratio and on-grid electricity price of different types of wet-cooled coal-fired units

机组类型	基准供电煤耗率b₂/[g/(kW⋅h)]	合理电煤能价比 $k h l$	1 000元/t标煤对应的合理上网电价R_d/[元/(kW⋅h)]
平均	302	3.93	0.393
1 000 MW超超临界	283	3.68	0.368
600 MW超超临界	291	3.78	0.378
600 MW超临界	299	3.89	0.389
600 MW亚临界	312	4.06	0.406
300 MW超临界	308	4.00	0.400
300 MW亚临界	321	4.17	0.417

Fig. 1 Variation trend of coal-to-electricity energy price ratio and gross profit margin for a 300 MW unit

Tab. 4 Main operating indicators of a 600 MW unit over past ten years

年度	上网电价R_d/[元/(kW⋅h)]	标煤单价R_m/(元/t)	电煤能价比k_dm	毛利率/%
平均	0.404	956	4.48	13.60
2014	0.415	700	5.93	32.63
2015	0.415	686	6.05	34.59
2016	0.415	700	5.93	34.46
2017	0.364	840	4.33	14.76
2018	0.364	910	4.00	8.50
2019	0.391	882	4.43	16.90
2020	0.391	924	4.23	14.86
2021	0.400	1 260	3.17	-8.62
2022	0.460	1 540	2.99	-14.2
2023	0.420	1 120	3.75	2.10

Tab. 5 Coal-electricity price linkage for different types of wet-cooled coal-fired units

机组类型	临界电煤能价比k_lJ	标煤价格变动量ΔR_m/(元/t)	上网电价调整量ΔR_d/[元/(kW⋅h)]
平均	3.02	100	0.030 2
1 000 MW超超临界	2.83	100	0.028 3
600 MW超超临界	2.91	100	0.029 1
600 MW超临界	2.99	100	0.029 9
600 MW亚临界	3.12	100	0.031 2
300 MW超临界	3.08	100	0.030 8
300 MW亚临界	3.21	100	0.032 1

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