Spatial Distribution of Noise Levels In

The Vicinity of Power Stations

Ashraf Ramadan
Environmental Pollution and Climate Program
Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

20-23 June 2016

 SETTING THE SCENE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS APPROACH

Spatial
Distribution of
Noise Levels In
The Vicinity of
Power Stations

CONCLUDING
METHODOLOGY
REMARKS

RESULTS
 Setting the Scene
• MEW-Kuwait decided to extend the power-generation
capacity by installing standalone OCGTUs at four power
plants
• Reason: meet increasing demand on electricity + more
importantly to avoid blackouts experienced in the past
• Locations selected based on: space and fuel availability +
natural grid balancing for short circuit loading to be fed with
more electrical energy at these locations 140000
National Annual Electrical Energy Consumption [source: NCC - Load Demand Analysis Sheet]
Predicted National Annual Electrical Energy Consumption [4th order ploynomial fits for 1968-2003 data

• OCGTUs commissioned in two phases 120000

Annual Electrical Energy Consumption [MkWh]

100000

National annual
electrical energy 80000

consumption 60000

values
(Source Ramadan 40000

et al. 2005)
20000

0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030
Year
 Setting the Scene
• Distribution of new OCGTUs:
– SHDP: six units - total 252 MW (100.00%)
– DWPS: five units - total 141 MW (5.88%)
– SPS: ten units - total 500 MW (20.83%)
– ZSPS: five units - total 826 MW (23.26%)
• The planned upgrade has an impact on the air quality, hence
needs careful assessment before permit is given by KEPA
 Approach
• Prior to MEW’s plan approval to install/operate
OCGTUs at four power stations....EIA
• Measure equivalent average SL (LAEQ) over 10-min
periods + calculate the maximum average SL
(LAFMAX)
• Five locations per power plant
• Compare measurements to enforceable KEPA
standards
Approach

SPS

DWPS

SHDP

ZSPS
Approach

• Oldest power station

SHDP •
•
Retired post 1990 – Gulf War
Back in operation in 2007
• Electricity production capacity 252 MW
• Six 42 MW gas turbines
• Fuel: NG/GO
Approach

• Electricity production capacity 2541 MW

DWPS •
•
Eight 300 MW steam turbines
Five 28.2 MW gas turbines
• Fuel: HFO/FO/GO/CO/NG
Approach

• Electricity production capacity 4867 MW

• Eight 300 MW steam turbines
SPS • Six 41.7 MW gas turbines
• Four 62.5 MW gas turbines
• Six 220 MW gas turbines
• Three 215.5 MW gas turbines
• Fuel: HFO/FO/GO/CO/NG
Approach

• Electricity production capacity 5306 MW

• Eight 300 MW steam turbines
ZSPS • Four 27.7 MW gas turbines
• Eight 130 MW gas turbines
• Two 280 MW gas turbines
• Five 165 MW gas turbines
• Two 185 MW gas turbines
Approach
• Selection of locations in accordance with 40 CFR
Part 58/Appendix E and took into account:
– representative of area selected
– not be near pollution sources
– convenience of access + security/safety
• ASTM: simultaneous meteorological
measurement:
– Portable weather station (Visala): WS, WD, T, BP, SR,
RN – short-term.
– KNMN fixed stations (MetOne)
– – long-term
Methodology
• Cortex Instruments NC-10 portable
dosimeter fitted with an A-weighting filter
and built-in Type 1 ANSI 1/3 Octave Band
Filter
• Minimum six 10-minute measurements:
– Day noise levels: 07:00 - 21:00
– Night noise levels: 22:00 and 07:00
• Surveyor present to control measurement
+ record specific noise incidents
Methodology
• Min. 1-h intervals between measurements at
each sampling point
• Wind velocity < 5 m/s
• Slow winds blowing from the power station
towards the measurement location, or at least
not from other major noise sources in the area -
preferable, not mandatory
• Calibration of the measurement equipment
before and after each measurement session
Results - SHDP
• Avg LAEQDT = 56.9 dB / Avg LAEQNT = 49.5 dB
• Highest LAEQDT (61.0 dB) / LAEQNT (53.3 dB) at
N05
• Lowest LAEQDT (49.9 dB) / LAEQNT (46.7 dB) at
N01
LAEQ (Day)
LAEQ (Night)
110
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 8hr Exposure(dB)

• Highest LAEQ over 10 105 KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 9min&27s Exposure(dB)

100

min < KEPA 8-h noise

95

90

85

exposure limit (85 dB)

80

75
dB

70

and the 9min 27s noise 65

60

exposure limit (102 dB)

55

50

45

40
SHDP-N01 SHDP-N02 SHDP-N03 SHDP-N04 SHDP-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - SHDP
• Avg LAFMAXDT = 67.8 dB / Avg LAFMAXNT = 60.5 dB
• Highest LAFMAXDT (70.4 dB) / LAFMAXNT (66.1 dB) at
N05
• Lowest LAFMAXDT (62.6 dB) / LAFMAXNT (57.6 dB)
• Highest LAFMAX < KEPA 130

1-s noise exposure limit 120

LAFMAX (Day)
LAFMAX (Night)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 1s Exposure(dB)

(129 dB) 110

100

90
dB

80

70

60

50

40
SHDP-N01 SHDP-N02 SHDP-N03 SHDP-N04 SHDP-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - DWPS
• Avg LAEQDT = 53.4 dB / Avg LAEQNT = 51.3 dB
• Highest LAEQDT (59.3 dB) / LAEQNT (59.4 dB) at
N05
• Lowest LAEQDT (48.5 dB) / LAEQNT (39.6 dB) at
LAEQ (Day)

N02
LAEQ (Night)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 8hr Exposure(dB)

• Highest LAEQ over 10

105 KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 9min&27s Exposure(dB)

95

min < KEPA 8-h noise 85

exposure limit (85 dB) 75

dB

and the 9min 27s noise

65

55

exposure limit (102 dB) 45

35
DWPS-N01 DWPS-N02 DWPS-N03 DWPS-N04 DWPS-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - DWPS
• Avg LAFMAXDT = 65.6 dB / Avg LAFMAXNT = 60.6 dB
• Highest LAFMAXDT (75.3 dB) at N01 / LAFMAXNT (68.9
dB) at N05
• Lowest LAFMAXDT (59.4 dB) at N04 / LAFMAXNT (54.1
LAFMAX (Day)

dB) at N02
LAFMAX (Night)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 1s Exposure(dB)
130

• Highest LAFMAX < KEPA 120

1-s noise exposure limit 110

100

(129 dB) 90
dB

80

70

60

50

40
DWPS-N01 DWPS-N02 DWPS-N03 DWPS-N04 DWPS-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - SPS
• Avg LAEQDT = 48.3 dB / Avg LAEQNT = 49.3 dB
• Highest LAEQDT (54.0 dB) at N04 / LAEQNT (53.2
dB) at N01
• Lowest LAEQDT (43.6 dB) / LAEQNT (45.5 dB) at
LAEQ (Day)
LAEQ (Night)

N03
110 KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 8hr Exposure(dB)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 9min&27s Exposure(dB)
105

• Highest LAEQ over 10 100

95

min < KEPA 8-h noise

90

85

80

exposure limit (85 dB) 75

dB

70

and the 9min 27s noise 65

60

exposure limit (102 dB)

55

50

45

40
SPS-N01 SPS-N02 SPS-N03 SPS-N04 SPS-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - SPS
• Avg LAFMAXDT = 58.9 dB / Avg LAFMAXNT = 59.5 dB
• Highest LAFMAXDT (61.6 dB) at N04 / LAFMAXNT (63.9
dB) at N01
• Lowest LAFMAXDT (55.8 dB) / LAFMAXNT (56.4 dB) at
N02 130

• Highest LAFMAX < KEPA 120

LAFMAX (Day)
LAFMAX (Night)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 1s Exposure(dB)

1-s noise exposure limit 110

100

(129 dB) 90
dB

80

70

60

50

40
SPS-N01 SPS-N02 SPS-N03 SPS-N04 SPS-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - ZSPS
• Avg LAEQDT = 57.7 dB / Avg LAEQNT = 55.7 dB
• Highest LAEQDT (68.1 dB) / LAEQNT (66.2 dB) at
N05
• Lowest LAEQDT (46.5 dB) / LAEQNT (50.2 dB) at
LAEQ (Day)
LAEQ (Night)

N04 110 KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 8hr Exposure(dB)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 9min&27s Exposure(dB)

• Highest LAEQ over 10

105

100

95

min < KEPA 8-h noise 90

85

exposure limit (85 dB)

80

75
dB

70

and the 9min 27s noise 65

60

exposure limit (102 dB)

55

50

45

40
ZSPS-N01 ZSPS-N02 ZSPS-N03 ZSPS-N04 ZSPS-N05
Monitoring Location
Results - ZSPS
• Avg LAFMAXDT = 67.0 dB / Avg LAFMAXNT = 63.0 dB
• Highest LAFMAXDT (74.4 dB) at N02 / LAFMAXNT (68.9
dB) at N05
• Lowest LAFMAXDT (53.9 dB) / LAFMAXNT (55.9 dB) at
N04 130

• Highest LAFMAX < KEPA 120

LAFMAX (Day)
LAFMAX (Night)
KEPA Allowable Noise Limit at Work for 1s Exposure(dB)

1-s noise exposure limit110

(129 dB) 100

dB

90

80

70

60

50
ZSPS-N01 ZSPS-N02 ZSPS-N03 ZSPS-N04 ZSPS-N05
Monitoring Location
 Results – General
• Except for NT at ZSPS-N05, all LAEQDT and LAEQNT
individual values as well as overall spatial average
values were lower than corresponding KEPA limits
for community noise due to traffic movement
• Except for DT and NT measurements at ZSPS-N05,
all LAEQDT and LAEQNT individual values as well as
overall spatial average values were lower than
corresponding KEPA limits for community noise due
to industry and noise allowed in outdoor
environment
 Concluding Remarks
• The noise measurements were considered
reliable and typical for the receptor areas
• Highest DT and NT levels were at ZSPS (highest
capacity)
• Lowest DT and NT levels were at SPS
• Exceedance of LAEQDT & LAEQNT measured values
at ZSPS-N05 of KEPA standard for community noise
due to industry is not considered a violation as the
8-h exposure limit was not exceeded
• ZSPS-N05: center of ZSPS not far from the OCGTUs
 Concluding Remarks
• To reduce noise levels at ZSPS-N05 retrofits are
the only choice
• This is a direct result of ignoring the noise
propagation phenomenon expecting once the
local occupational health standard related to
noise at the work place are satisfied, the problem
will fade away
• The end result in cases like this is a much higher
cost than the upfront cost one tried to avoid
Acknowledgement

The author would like to acknowledge the

generous sponsorship of this study by
Ministry of Electricity and Water – Kuwait