A lignite fired steam power plant comprising: a water/steam power cycle having: a pressure series of steam turbines; a condenser at a low pressure end of pressure series of steam turbines configured and arrange to condense steam exhausted from the low pressure end of the pressure series of steam turbines; a first condensate line connected to the condenser; and a low pressure condensate preheat system, in the first condensate line, adapted to preheat condensate from the condenser; a dryer system for drying lignite coal, the dryer system having: a dryer; and a vapour outlet line for removing vapour from the dryer, a heat recovery system for recovery of thermal energy from the vapour outlet line, the heat recovery system comprising: a second condensate line, fluidly spanning between the condenser and the first condensate line so as to at least partially bypass the low pressure condensate preheat system; a third condensate line extending from the condenser to the low pressure condensate preheat system so as to bypass at least a portion of the low pressure condensate preheat system and at least a portion of the second condensate line; a condensate evaporator fluidly connected to the vapour outlet line and the third condensate line so as to enable evaporation of a condensate in the third condensate line against condensing vapour in the vapour outlet line; a first compressor, in the third condensate line downstream of the condensate evaporator, adapted to compress the evaporated condensate from the condensate evaporator; and a first heater connected to and downstream of the first compressor for desuperheating and condensing vapour from the first compressor. a water/steam power cycle having: a pressure series of steam turbines; a condenser at a low pressure end of pressure series of steam turbines configured and arrange to condense steam exhausted from the low pressure end of the pressure series of steam turbines; a first condensate line connected to the condenser; and a low pressure condensate preheat system, in the first condensate line, adapted to preheat condensate from the condenser; a pressure series of steam turbines; a condenser at a low pressure end of pressure series of steam turbines configured and arrange to condense steam exhausted from the low pressure end of the pressure series of steam turbines; a first condensate line connected to the condenser; and a low pressure condensate preheat system, in the first condensate line, adapted to preheat condensate from the condenser; a dryer system for drying lignite coal, the dryer system having: a dryer; and a vapour outlet line for removing vapour from the dryer, a dryer; and a vapour outlet line for removing vapour from the dryer, a heat recovery system for recovery of thermal energy from the vapour outlet line, the heat recovery system comprising: a second condensate line, fluidly spanning between the condenser and the first condensate line so as to at least partially bypass the low pressure condensate preheat system; a third condensate line extending from the condenser to the low pressure condensate preheat system so as to bypass at least a portion of the low pressure condensate preheat system and at least a portion of the second condensate line; a condensate evaporator fluidly connected to the vapour outlet line and the third condensate line so as to enable evaporation of a condensate in the third condensate line against condensing vapour in the vapour outlet line; a first compressor, in the third condensate line downstream of the condensate evaporator, adapted to compress the evaporated condensate from the condensate evaporator; and a first heater connected to and downstream of the first compressor for desuperheating and condensing vapour from the first compressor. a second condensate line, fluidly spanning between the condenser and the first condensate line so as to at least partially bypass the low pressure condensate preheat system; a third condensate line extending from the condenser to the low pressure condensate preheat system so as to bypass at least a portion of the low pressure condensate preheat system and at least a portion of the second condensate line; a condensate evaporator fluidly connected to the vapour outlet line and the third condensate line so as to enable evaporation of a condensate in the third condensate line against condensing vapour in the vapour outlet line; a first compressor, in the third condensate line downstream of the condensate evaporator, adapted to compress the evaporated condensate from the condensate evaporator; and a first heater connected to and downstream of the first compressor for desuperheating and condensing vapour from the first compressor.