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U.S. Air Pollution Control Companies Can Adjust To the Shrinking Coal Market
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Renewable Energy Briefs
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Headlines for the May 9, 2014 – Utility E-Alert
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McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration
U.S. Air Pollution Control Companies Can Adjust To the Shrinking Coal Market
Suppliers of air pollution control systems in the U.S. have relied on huge
purchases by owners of coal-fired boilers as the leading source of business
since the 1920s. More than 50 percent of U.S. air pollution control
purchases have been by the power companies. There are not likely to be any
new coal-fired boilers in the next decade. This creates a significant challenge
but one that can be met, says the McIlvaine Company in
Air Pollution Management.
There are several routes:
Divestiture:
One option for large multi-product
companies is to sell their air pollution control division. This was the
route taken by Siemens when it sold Wheelabrator to Foster Wheeler.
Acquisition: Another
option is to diversify into non-power related industries. This was the
route taken by Babcock & Wilcox when it purchased MEGTEC earlier this month.
MEGTEC is a major air pollution control system supplier to the chemical
industry and to many plants which utilize solvents.
International Expansion: The
market for air pollution control systems in China is more than twice as large as
the U.S. market was at its peak. India is a generation or two behind China
but has extensive needs.
Total Solutions: The
world’s knowledge is expanding geometrically, whereas individual ability remains
relatively static. The increasing knowledge gap can be eliminated through
outsourcing. Suppliers of air pollution control systems can become the
virtual operators of those systems. Remote monitoring of operations along
with smart valves, pumps, neural networks, optimization software and many other
digital innovations allow the offsite experts to perform at a level which was,
heretofore, impossible.
Maintenance should be anything but routine. All the digital tools can
reduce the cost and increase reliability by focusing on the components likely to
fail if not attended. The air pollution system supplier can also minimize
the aggregate inventory of parts by storing them for multiple systems.
Typically, 80 percent of the components of air pollution control systems are
supplied by third parties. This includes fans, dampers couplings, nozzles,
dust valves, pumps mist eliminators, motors, PLCs, DCS, bags, etc.
The system supplier can generate
significant profits by supplying the repair parts for all of the components in
the system.
The major contribution of the system supplier can be to take responsibility for
the results. The system has to meet emission limits. It should do so
with minimum expense and with the least effect on production. Plant
operators can afford significant payments to achieve these goals.
Over 250,000 MW of coal-fired boilers will remain in operation in the U.S. for
the next forty years (McIlvaine and DOE forecasts). The absurdity of
retrofitting and upgrading ancient boilers is a political reality. It is also a
very big opportunity. Building new boilers for the forty year run would be
much less expensive. Instead, the large outlays for keeping the old fleet
running can be converted to profits by the APC companies.
For more information on Air Pollution
Management, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/2-uncategorised/100-5ab
Renewable Energy Briefs
Deepwater Wind to Develop West Coast’s First Offshore Wind Farm
Deepwater Wind announced plans to develop the West Coast’s first-ever offshore
wind farm – a project poised to become the world’s first commercial
project to use cutting-edge floating foundation technology.
Deepwater Wind entered into an agreement several months ago with Principle Power
to complete the development of the 30-megawatt (MW) WindFloat Pacific project,
using Principle Power’s
groundbreaking WindFloat technology.
This
agreement demonstrates Deepwater Wind’s success in building a portfolio of
offshore wind projects across multiple technologies and geographic areas. Much
as Deepwater Wind’s Block Island Wind Farm is jumpstarting the East Coast
offshore wind industry – where water depths are suitable for fixed foundations –
the WindFloat Pacific project will similarly act as a catalyst for large-scale
floating offshore wind farms in the
deep waters of the Pacific Ocean that are unsuitable for fixed foundations.
The
5-turbine WindFloat Pacific project would be built within a 15-square mile lease
area in federal waters roughly 15 miles off Coos Bay, OR, with the wind farm in
operations in 2017.
Principle Power has successfully operated a full-scale WindFloat prototype off
the coast of Portugal since 2011, where it’s delivered in excess of nine
gigawatt (GW)-hours of wind energy to the local grid.
Abengoa
Obtains Environmental Approval for South America’s Largest Solar Thermal Plant
Abengoa
the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for
sustainability in the energy and environment sectors, has obtained a favorable
environmental rating from the authorities of the Chilean Environmental Service
to develop a solar-thermal plant using molten salts tower technology with an
installed capacity of 110 MW.
The
project is located in the Atacama Desert, the region with the highest levels of
solar radiation in the world.
Cerro
Dominador will be the first solar-thermal plant for direct electricity
production in South America. It is also the first non-conventional renewable
energy plant to serve as a baseload power plant thanks to its production
stability and reliability. Furthermore, it will have a thermal storage system
designed and developed by Abengoa, which will enable electricity to be produced
for approximately 18 hours without the need for a solar resource. This will
enable it to supply electricity in a stable way, 24 hours a day, and to respond
to all demand periods for electricity consumption.
SkyPower Global and FAS Energy to Build 3,000 MW of Solar Power in Nigeria
SkyPower FAS Energy signed agreements with both the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Government and the Delta State of Nigeria Government for the development of
3,000 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects within
Nigeria and the Delta State of Nigeria to be built over the next five years.
These
foundational agreements represent a monumental renewable energy milestone, which
entails a multi-phase development and build schedule that will result in
production of clean, sustainable, cost-effective energy to support the growing
energy needs of Nigeria. SkyPower FAS Energy is committed to work closely with
both governments for the planning, financing, and construction of 3,000 MW of
utility-scale solar PV energy projects for the Nigerian power grid, which are
expected to reach commercial operation in phases starting in 2015.
Planning Begins on Northern California Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project
GEI
Consultants, Inc., a geotechnical, environmental, water resources, and
ecological science and engineering firm, announced that it is providing certain
Owner's Engineer services for the proposed Sacramento Municipal Utility District
(SMUD) Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage Development project. GEI is pleased to be a
member of the Jacobs Associates team for the project. SMUD recently awarded the
Jacobs Associates team the Owner's Engineer services contract for preliminary
design and construction services on their proposed Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage
Project. If constructed, Iowa Hill would be a 400 megawatt pumped storage
hydroelectric facility. GEI will lead the design of the 6,400 acre-foot upper
reservoir, a lined impoundment that will be formed by an earth- and rock-fill
dam with a maximum height of more than 200 feet and a crest length of 5,900
feet. The design of the dam and reservoir will be under the regulatory authority
of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the California Division
of Safety of Dams (DSOD).
The
project would utilize an existing reservoir on the American River, from which
water would be pumped up to a new 6,400 acre-foot capacity upper reservoir,
where the water would be stored. During peak electrical demand periods, water
would flow from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir via a 1,000-foot-deep
(305 m) shaft through 3,500 feet (1,067 m) of water tunnels. The electricity
generated would connect the existing transmission line that connects SMUD's
existing Upper American River hydroelectric project with the District's
customers.
Bluesphere Announces Start of 5.2 MW Waste to Energy Project in Charlotte, NC
Bluesphere Corp, a clean energy company that develops, manages and owns
waste-to-energy projects, announced commencement of detailed design and
engineering work for its 5.2 megawatt (MW) waste-to-energy project in Charlotte,
N.C. This detailed design and
engineering work, which is expected to take about two months, is the first stage
of project execution, launching the project in full force.
This will be followed by work onsite.
Bluesphere is the project owner, developer and manager for this 5.2 MW
organics-to-energy anaerobic digester. The facility will intake organic waste
such as food and farm waste that would normally go into landfills. The organic
waste is processed in an anaerobic digester to emit biogas, which then is turned
into electricity and compost is a by-product. The facility generates revenues
from intake of organic waste, as well as the sale of clean, renewable
electricity, and the sale of compost.
A Fortune 50 company has signed on to
provide $13.8 million in debt project financing for the facility and a leading
environmental finance fund will provide equity project financing of $9.1
million,. One of the largest power holding companies in the U.S. has a signed a
long-term contract with Bluesphere to purchase electricity generated at the
Charlotte plant. Compost, which is a by-product of the organics-to-energy
generation process, will be purchased under a contractual agreement, by one of
the largest privately held composting companies in the world.
Blue
Sphere is developing its second U.S. organics-to-waste facility in Rhode Island
and by 2018 the company plans to have 11 facilities built with 6 more under
construction and development.
For more information on
Renewable Energy Projects and Update
please visit
Headlines for May 9, 2014 – Utility E-Alert
UTILITY E-ALERT
#1174 – May 9, 2014
Table of Contents
COAL – WORLD
GAS/OIL – US
GAS/OIL – WORLD
CO2
NUCLEAR
BUSINESS
§
Hot Gas Filter Market has Potential to Grow by a Multiple of 100
§
Siemens to acquire the Rolls-Royce Energy Gas Turbine and Compressor Business
§
Foster Wheeler purchases Siemens Emissions Control Company
§
Demir Madencilik bids $351 Million in Catalagzi Thermal Power Plant Tender in
Turkey
§
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Unit buying AltaLink for 3.2 Million Canadian Dollars
§
Shanghai Electric buys 40 Percent Stake in Ansaldo Energia
HOT TOPIC HOUR
§
“Mercury CEMS Options” - Hot Topic Hour, May 8, 2014 indicated differences
between Sorbent Traps and Mercury CEMS
§
Gas Turbine Intake Filters is the “Hot Topic” for the Webinar May 15th
at 10 a.m. CDT
§
Upcoming Hot Topic Hours
For more information on the Utility
Tracking System, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/databases/2-uncategorised/89-42ei
McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration
On Thursday at 10 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts
a 90 minute web meeting on important energy and pollution control subjects. Power
webinars are free for subscribers to either Power Plant Air Quality
Decisions or Utility Tracking System. The cost is
$300.00 for
non-subscribers.
See below for information on upcoming Hot Topic Hours. We welcome your input
relative to suggested additions.
DATE |
SUBJECT |
|
May 29, 2014 |
Stellite Delamination in Power
Plant Steam Valves |
|
June 5, 2014 |
Dry vs. Wet Cooling |
Surprising number of ACC’S. Why? |
June 12, 2014 |
HRSG Issues (Fast Start, Tube
Failures) |
Lots of challenges to cycle 200
X/yr |
June 26, 2014 |
CCR |
$ billions Needed |
July/August 2014 |
Boiler Feedwater Treatment
Condensate Polishing for
Peaking Turbines
316 B Water Issues
Gas Turbine Permitting Issues
Give us your opinion about
topics we should consider
|
To register for the “Hot Topic Hour”, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=675
----------
You can register for our free McIlvaine Newsletters at:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&formId=5
Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
191 Waukegan Road Suite 208 | Northfield | IL 60093
Ph: 847-784-0012 | Fax; 847-784-0061