Power Air Quality Insights No

Power Air Quality Insights
No. 172 August 28, 2014

WELCOME

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· “Is Hot Gas Filtration the New Path For Coal Plants?” – “Hot Topic” September 4, 2014

Dry scrubber capital investment will be just under $600 million in 2015. This is less than 10 percent of the total scrubber capital investment. But behind these numbers is a new path for the industry. Dry scrubbing is a way to capture acid gases at lower capital cost than with absorbers. However, purchasers face much higher reagent costs. Limestone used in wet systems is a fraction of the $200/ton price of lime used in dry scrubbers. These developments are tracked in the McIlvaine publication Scrubber/Adsorber/Biofilter World Markets. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

Subject	2015
Total	7,462
Absorber	3,389
Adsorber	1,444
Biofilter	561
Dry Scrubber	597
Other	289
Particulate	1,182

Sodium compounds are also used in both dry scrubbers and wet scrubbers. But the amount of sodium to reach 90 percent HCl or SO₂removal can be 50 percent higher with dry scrubbing or dry sorbent injection (DSI).

Dry sorbent injection in effect eliminates any scrubber capital cost. The sorbent is injected into duct ahead of the particulate collector. It reacts with the acid gases to form compounds such as calcium chloride or calcium sulfate. These compounds are then captured in the particulate collector.

One new approach with lots of promise is catalytic filtration with DSI. All the pollutants are captured at 850^oF. The hot clean gas can then be directed through an efficient heat exchanger and substantially improve process efficiency. Glass plants, biomass combustors and incinerators are all now successfully using this process.

This dry scrubber forecast is only for the industrial sector and excludes power plants. Also no forecast is give for DSI because the scrubber is eliminated.

Starwood Energy Group Closes Financing with Citi, Morgan Stanley and MUFG on 165 MW Wind Project in Texas

Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC, a leading private investments firm focused on energy infrastructure has announced that an affiliate has completed agreements to finance and construct its second wind farm, a 165 MW project 45 miles south of Lubbock, TX, USA.

The Stephens Ranch II project, which represents the second of two phases that will total 377 MW, will use GE 1.7-100 turbines and be built by Wanzek Construction, with completion scheduled for mid-2015.

Affiliates of Citi, Morgan Stanley and MUFG have committed to invest tax equity in the project, and affiliates of Starwood Energy Group have committed 100 percent of the cash equity. Affiliates of Citi, Morgan Stanley and MUFG are also providing a non-recourse construction debt facility (including a letters of credit facility) totaling approximately US$207 million. Affiliates of MUFG will act as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, and Depositary Bank.

SPCG and Kyocera Complete 35 Utility Scale Solar Farms in Thailand, Totaling 257 MW

SPCG Public Company Limited and Kyocera Corporation announced the full operational launch of one of Southeast Asia’s largest solar power projects. Since 2010, 35 “solar farms” totaling approximately 257 megawatts (MW) have been constructed under the project, and connected to the utility grid in Northeastern Thailand. A ceremony held earlier in Surin Province commemorated the launch of the installations.

Thailand’s rapidly expanding economy has brought rising concerns regarding the national power supply in recent years, alongside growing awareness of the need to reduce dependence on gas imports. In order to diversify its energy portfolio, a feed-in-tariff system for renewable energy sources was adopted in 2007. In response to the resulting strong demand for renewable energy, SPCG commenced the solar farm project in 2009 to construct and operate multiple solar power plants in Thailand. Kyocera was chosen to supply the necessary solar modules, totaling approximately 1,100,000 panels for all sites. The 35th solar farm was completed and connected to the utility grid in June 2014.

The project has an annual power output of approximately 345,000,000kWh ― equal to the annual electrical consumption of approximately 287,500 Thai households. The power generated from the solar farms will be supplied to the Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand (PEA).

Verizon on Track to become Largest Solar Power Producer Among U.S. Communications Companies

Verizon announced that it will invest nearly $40 million to expand the on-site green energy program that it launched in 2013. This year, Verizon will install 10.2 megawatts of new solar power systems at eight Verizon network facilities in five states – California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. This investment nearly doubles the amount of renewable power generated by solar energy systems installed at six Verizon facilities last year.

To date, Verizon has invested nearly $140 million in on-site green energy. With the 2014 solar investment announced here, Verizon is on target to deploy upward of 25 megawatts of green energy upon completion of the new solar projects. The system will generate enough green energy to power more than 8,500 homes each year. Verizon’s total green-energy efforts are expected to offset 22,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to taking nearly 5,000 passenger vehicles off the road each year.

With this announcement, Verizon is on track to become the No. 1 solar-power producer among all U.S. communications companies, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. trade association for companies that research, manufacture, distribute, finance and build solar projects domestically and abroad.

Four Michigan Farms Selected to Produce Electricity with Anaerobic Digesters for Consumers Energy

Consumers Energy is taking steps to diversify its energy supply and help the environment by selecting four Michigan farms to produce renewable energy with anaerobic digesters.

Consumers Energy developed this new anaerobic digester program along with Michigan State University and the state’s agricultural community. Anaerobic digesters generate electricity from biodegradable material – in this case from four Michigan farms.

The farms will be offered the opportunity to generate electricity under long-term contracts that collectively provide 2.6 megawatts of electric capacity. That’s enough to power about 2,800 homes.

Canadian Minister of Energy and NRStor Announce First Grid Connected Energy Storage Facility in Ontario

The Minister of Energy, the honorable Bob Chiarelli, announced the commencement of commercial operations for NRStor’s 2 megawatt (MW) Temporal Power flywheel energy storage facility in Harriston, Ontario.

This project is the first grid-connected commercial flywheel facility in Canada and will provide regulation service to Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). NRStor was awarded a contract to deliver 2 MW of regulation service to the IESO through a competitive request for proposals process. Regulation service is a contracted service that matches scheduled electricity generation to dynamic consumption; balancing the grid in real time. A flywheel is a mechanical battery that stores electricity as kinetic motion in a spinning steel rotor levitated on magnetic bearings.

· Appalachian Power will still use Coal

· TVA retiring Coal-fired Power Plant; replacing with Natural Gas-fired Power Plant in TN

· Foster Wheeler Licensee receives Contracts for Heat Recovery Steam Generators in Asia

· Mexico to auction off 16 Power Projects worth $4.9 Billion

· PW Power Systems to provide Albanesi S.A. with an FT4000™ SWIFTPAC^® Gas Turbine Generator Package

· Areva wins Koeberg Contract for Six Steam Generators in South Africa

· Westinghouse and Blue Castle sign MoU to develop a Two-unit Nuclear Power Plant in Utah

· Energy Secretary pushes for Nuclear Power

· Donaldson (DCI) to acquire Gas Turbine Filtration Manufacturer, Northern Technical

· Ameren states 1,200 MW of Natural Gas needed to comply with Emissions Rules

· Gas Turbine – Combined Cycle Supplier Program Has Continually Updated Project Information

· Fabric Filter Market could be $4 Billion Larger if Catalytic Filter is adopted

Is Hot Gas Filtration the New Path For Coal Plants? – “Hot Topic” September 4, 2014

Ceramic catalytic filters with DSI are removing particulate, SO_x, NO_x, and HCl at 850⁰F in hundreds of applications ranging from incinerators to biomass boilers. The potential capital cost reduction by using one device rather than three, plus the potential energy recovery from clean hot gas, promise to change the economics of coal-fired power generation.

The question is whether the experience in these other applications is sufficient to confidently predict operational success for the technology on large coal-fired boilers. The webinar next Thursday will address this question. The discussion will be enhanced by previous access to this free website Hot Gas Filters - Continuous Analyses.

One of the obvious questions is whether the media can be kept clean? George Moeke of Goyen will provide examples as to how the pulse jet cleaning system can be tailored to fit the specific conditions.

Suppliers of the ceramic elements will address various aspects of the element design. The cost per cfm has to be compared to the total for a low temperature fabric filter, SCR and scrubber. In a tight retrofit situation, this installed cost can be as high as $400/kW. Since many old coal-fired power plants are valued at well less than $1000/kW, the APC addition is a make or break decision. If the catalytic filter can be installed at half the cost, then it could result in fewer retirements of coal-fired power plants.

The potential to eliminate a rotary heat exchanger in the dirty gas stream is significant. First of all you eliminate up to 10 percent air leakage. Secondly, there is a big efficiency gain if instead of 350⁰F gas the temperature is reduced to 150⁰F. So we need to address the question of how to best extract heat from 850⁰F clean hot gas. Those individuals with some answers or observations on this question are encouraged to participate in this part of the discussion.

Mercury removal is another aspect. Albemarle says they can remove mercury with special activated carbon at 500⁰F. Tri Mer says that this is a good operating point for other reasons. But what does this do to the NO_x removal efficiency? Also this has heat exchanger implications.

Gore can supply the membrane module after the heat extraction. 150⁰F gas would be ideal for this device which is also being used downstream of scrubbers in power plants.

Another question is implementation. Haldor Topsoe has enough faith in this process to continue its development effort. Filtration Group is a very substantial company investing its resources as well. Tri Mer has a number of installations. Lhoist is successfully injecting dry sorbent at a number of industrial plants. For success in the power industry there needs to be additional champions.

With the need to upgrade particulate and remove NO_x and SO_x at Chinese plants, it is very logical that they would be the first to move forward with large scale adoption of the technology. China was the first to adopt large size CFB scrubbers. Dry Fork in the U.S. used this technology because it was working at this scale in China.

International suppliers have a big incentive to be first to market with this technology and not wait for the Chinese suppliers to utilize it.

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
	August
	28		Demineralization and Degasification
	September
	4		Hot Gas Filtration
	11		Power Plant Pumps
	18		Power Water Monitoring
	25		Power Plant Water Treatment Chemicals

· Appalachian Power will still use Coal

· Mexico to auction off 16 Power Projects worth $4.9 Billion

· Areva wins Koeberg Contract for Six Steam Generators in South Africa

· Energy Secretary pushes for Nuclear Power

· Donaldson (DCI) to acquire Gas Turbine Filtration Manufacturer, Northern Technical