Power Air Quality Insights No

Power Air Quality Insights
No. 122 August 29, 2013

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· 100,000 People Who Are Changing the Worlds Environment and Access to Energy

· Billion Dollar Opportunity for Thermal Treatment in the U.S. Oil and Gas Industry

· 62 Percent of $7 Billion Air Filtration Market Will Be In the Industrial Sector Next Year

· “Fabric Selection for Particulate Control” is the “Hot Topic Hour” On September 5, 2013

Governments are facilitators but the real improvements in the world environment and the increasing access to clean electricity are achieved by corporations and associations. Within these entities, it is individuals who are responsible for progress.

One hundred thousand of these individuals are identified in three McIlvaine networking directories. These individuals are employed by corporations, associations and governments. They include the senior management as well as the research and project engineers. They include the specifiers as well as the purchasers at the companies operating energy and environmental equipment.

The biggest contributions are being made by individuals in developed countries who are providing their expertise to build the energy and environmental infrastructure in the developing countries. One of the most important contributions toward the information transfer has been the globalization of the energy and environmental industries.

Two of the world’s largest power generation equipment companies now have more Chinese nationals in their employ than citizens of any other country. The world’s largest supplier of air pollution monitoring equipment has its main research facility in China.

The major international drug companies are also setting up large research centers in China and India. The foundation of the globalization is that trust and loyalty of workers will be constant regardless of nationality.

Globalization results in higher revenues resulting from innovations. This provides a more attractive return on investment for research and development activities.

The information flow is bi-directional. With the large number of engineers graduating each year in Asian countries, there will be increasing value in the innovations coming from this region. Already environmental and energy products developed in Asia are competing in the world market. One Chinese environmental company has committed 30 percent of its engineering efforts to R&D. In most Western countries the average is 1 percent.

Billion Dollar Opportunity for Thermal Treatment in the U.S. Oil and Gas Industry

Booming non-conventional oil and gas extraction in the U.S. is expanding the market for thermal and catalytic treatment systems. New regulations prohibit the discharge of methane directly to the atmosphere. Flaring or combustion of the discharges is a temporary solution but longer term the laws will require capture and use.

There are opportunities for the complete range of thermal treatment systems including flares, thermal oxidizers, catalytic oxidizers and regenerative thermal oxidizers. These are identified in the McIlvaine Thermal/Catalytic World Air Pollution Markets. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

There are more than 493,000 operating gas wells in the United States most predominantly concentrated (84%) in approximately ten states. These wells feed raw natural gas to approximately 500 gas-processing plants which dehydrate the gas and remove other constituents including hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), CO₂, nitrogen and natural gas liquids (NGLs) like butane, propane and ethane. The result is “pipeline quality” gas fed into a network of more than 305,000 miles of interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines with approximately 1,400 compressor stations for pressure boosting prior to delivery to local distribution companies (LDCs) for sale to residential, industrial, commercial and power company users. Existing and new opportunities for air pollution control (APC) equipment and gas processing equipment are found throughout the value chain from the wellhead to local storage at the LDC. At every step along the way, there is a potential for fugitive emission or process thermal treatment systems.

In the Western U.S., shale is yielding large quantities of oil, but along with it, are significant quantities of gas which must be treated. This segment of the oil and gas industry is growing faster than any other. It represents a significant treatment opportunity.

Another application for thermal treatment is the methane containing ventilation air in coal mines. Because of the large amount of ventilation air, the pollution potential is significant. Regenerative thermal oxidizers can oxidize the methane and become a revenue generator. Advances in technology including Micro Turbines are now allowing coal mining operations to profit from electrical power generation.

For more information on Thermal/Catalytic World Air Pollution Markets, click on:

Next year new coal-fired power plants capable of generating 112 GW of electricity will start operations. Nearly all the investment will be in Asia. This is the latest projection in Fossil & Nuclear Power Generation: World Analysis & Forecast published by the McIlvaine Company. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

World Region	2014
Total	112,099
Africa	4,100
CIS	160
East Asia	60,774
Eastern Europe	1,100
Middle East	0
NAFTA	500
South & Central America	1,580
West Asia	41,335
Western Europe	2,550

China is continuing its ambitious program and will average one new 1,000 MW coal-fired power plant start-up every two weeks. India has an equally ambitious program.

The investment in a 1,000 MW coal-fired power plant is over $2 billion. Almost all the power plants, with the exception of a few in West Asia and the CIS (former Soviet bloc countries), will have expensive SO₂ control equipment. All the Chinese power plants will also have NO_x controls.

Most power plants will be supercritical with higher efficiency but also higher capital investment. This investment in new power plants will be less than the investment in upgrading and retrofitting existing power plants. China is adding selective catalytic reactors for NO_x control to 400,000 MW of existing capacity.

U.S. coal-fired power plants are investing heavily in equipment to meet the new air toxic rules. European power plants are modifying power plants to increase efficiency and burn biomass in addition to coal.

For more information on Fossil & Nuclear Power Generation: World Analysis & Forecast, click on:

62 Percent of $7 Billion Air Filtration Market Will Be In the Industrial Sector Next Year

Static and cartridge filters are used to clean indoor air and air being used in turbines and industrial processes. The industrial market has been growing faster than the commercial and residential and will comprise 62 percent of the total market in 2014. This is the conclusion reached by the McIlvaine Company in Air Filtration and Purification World Markets. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

Industry	2014
Total	6,934
Bioclean	548
Commercial	1,619
Electronics	616
Metals	1,099
Other Industries	1,615
Power	438
Residential	999

One of the biggest industrial sectors is power. Air filters are used to purify the air used for combustion in gas turbines. Due to the fact that some ambient air quality rules are so stringent that the exhaust has to be cleaner than the ambient air, the filter must not only protect the turbine but also take out enough particles to meet the stack gas particulate limits.

Another growing application represented in the “other industries” category is “offshore oil and gas.” Ambient air is contaminated by sea salt and requires treatment prior to exposure to equipment and controls.

The metals industry includes some small applications but most of this category is comprised of cabin air filters for automobiles. The electronics sector is divided into two main segments:

Filters are used to protect sensitive electronic equipment such as disk drives. Semiconductor and flat panel manufacturers need ultrapure air surrounding their manufacturing processes.

For more information on Air Filtration and Purification World Markets, click on:

Siemens Energy has received an order from Portland General Electric for the supply and installation of 116 wind turbines. The wind turbines, each with a rating of 2.3 megawatts (MW) and a rotor diameter of 108 meters, are to be installed at the Tucannon River Wind Farm in the state of Washington. When it comes online in 2015, the wind farm’s total capacity of 267 MW will be sufficient to supply nearly 84,000 American households with ecofriendly electricity. The nacelles for the wind turbines will be manufactured at the Siemens plant in Hutchinson, Kansas. The rotor blades will be fabricated at the Siemens production facility in Fort Madison, Iowa. Siemens will also be responsible for service for the wind turbines over a period of five years. The Tucannon River Wind Farm, formerly known as Lower Snake River Phase II, is adjacent to the Lower Snake River Phase I project, a 343-MW wind power plant completed in 2012 and also featuring Siemens wind turbines.

Most Powerful Generator-Turbine Unit in the History of Voith Enters Service in China

The most powerful generator-turbine unit ever built by Voith has entered service in the Chinese hydropower plant Xiluodu on the Jinsha River. After a successful 72-hour test run, Voith handed over the first of a total of three such machines to the customer "China Three Gorges Corporation." With 784 megawatt the output of the generator-turbine unit in Xiluodu is higher than that of the world's largest hydropower plants and consequently sets new standards. Upon completion, the total capacity of the three Voith units for Xiluodu will be comparable to many of the larger nuclear or coal-fired power plants currently operating in the United States.

Power generation from hydropower is playing an increasingly important role in China. Voith is one of the worldwide leading technology partners for power plant operators. About five years ago, the company started to equip Xiluodu hydropower plant with components. Each of the three Francis turbines supplied by Voith has an output of 784 megawatt; the attached air-cooled generator is rated at 855.6 MVA. With a weight of 1,350 tons, the generator rotor has a diameter of 13.7 and a height of four meters.

Abengoa Completes Tower Construction of the First Solar Tower in South Africa

Khi Solar One, a 50 megawatt (MW) superheated steam solar tower with two hours of thermal storage, represents an important technological advance in tower efficiency by using higher temperatures and an innovative dry cooling system. This advancement is the result of the R&D work done by Abengoa in its research centers and pilot plants.

Khi Solar One and KaXu Solar One, Abengoa's 100 MW parabolic trough plant also under construction in the Northern Cape, will be the first concentrating solar power plants in operation in South Africa. The South Africa Department of Energy intends to bring 17,800 MW online from renewable sources by 2030, framing South Africa's strategy for energy independence. The solar projects form a part of this strategy, as well as have additional environmental benefits: creating roughly 1400 local construction jobs on average per annum, peaking near 2000, and about 70 permanent operation jobs, as well as reducing the country's carbon dioxide emissions by about 498,000 tons each year.

DTE Gas, a subsidiary of DTE Energy Company, is providing pipeline-quality natural gas, which was converted from landfill gas, to its residential customers as part of its commitment to renewable energy.

DTE Gas' BioGreenGas program contributes to the development of that pipeline-quality natural gas at the Sauk Trail Hills landfill in Canton, MI. Residential natural gas customers can support the company's green efforts by subscribing to the program for $2.50 per month.

DTE Gas is the first utility in Michigan and one of the first in the country to develop such a program for residential customers.

Since the program was launched last year, 2,000 customers have subscribed and dozens more are on the waiting list. DTE Gas is looking into expanding the program to meet the additional demand. The fact the gas comes from a local landfill seems to appeal to customers.

Clean Energy Renewable Fuels (CERF), a division of Clean Energy Fuels, develops U.S. production facilities that generate and sell renewable natural gas. CERF created a state-of-the-art plant to purify the biogas at Sauk Trail Hills landfill.

DTE Pipeline Company invested approximately $2 million to build a pipeline and a meter station at Sauk Trail Hills. DTE utilized local workers and created approximately 50 construction jobs.

CERF invested approximately $20 million in the project and created about 80 construction jobs. Four additional workers were hired to permanently staff the site.

Amonix Achieves World Record 35.9 Percent PV Module Efficiency Rating at NREL

Amonix Inc., the leading designer and manufacturer of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems, announced that it has achieved a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) efficiency rating of 35.9 percent under recently adopted CPV IEC test conditions of 1000 W/m² and 25°C cell temperature. Data for the rating was generated by an Amonix module under outdoor test at NREL from late February to April of this year.

The result is the highest ever independently rated module efficiency for any PV technology and is the first time NREL quantified the rating for a concentrator module with the cells at 25°C instead of at operating temperature. Amonix worked with NREL to help mature this measurement process. The result continues Amonix’s history of leading the world in solar module efficiency, setting a module efficiency record of 34.9 percent at CSOC (concentrator standard operating conditions) in April, 2013 and the first to break 33 percent CSOC module efficiency in May 2012.

§ North Carolina files more Lawsuits against Duke Energy for Coal Ash-related Problems

§ NMDC to build 500 MW Power Plant in Gonda District, Uttar Pradesh, India

§ Maoist Guerilla Threats Halt Jindal Steel and Power 1320 MW Godda Power Project in Jharkhand, India

§ Panay Energy Dev. to start Construction of 150 MW Iloilo (Philippines) in October

§ PNOC-EC inviting Partners for 100 MW Isabela and Zamboanga Sibugay Power Plants in Philippines

§ Tenaris, Ternium and Tecpetrol to build and Operate 850 MW Power Plant in Pesqueria, Mexico

§ AG&P to build 2,400 MW LNG-fired Power Plant in Bataan Industrial Estate, Philippines

§ More Than 92,000 MW of Gas Turbines will Start Power Generating Next Year

§ Controlling Dissolved Gases in Power Plant Water Systems with Gas Transfer Membranes Webinar on August 28, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

“Fabric Selection for Particulate Control” is the Hot Topic Hour on Thursday, September 5, 2013

Although, the final utility Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) released last December was weakened to define particulate as just discrete particles and eliminated the inclusion of condensables, the rule does require continuous measurement of particulate mass instead of just opacity. This means that the weight during start up, shut downs and excursions will be included in the totals. Many believe that existing precipitators will prove inadequate to meet the limits and most utilities including those with existing precipitators will be required to add bag filters.

The CAIR Replacement Rule (SO₂and NO_x), Regional Haze (SO₂, NO_x, PM) and NAAQS Revisions (PM_2.5, Ozone, SO₂, NO₂) will also all act to drive total particulate emissions limits for coal-fired power plants to near detection levels. This will make it even more likely that power plants will choose to add baghouses. With less than 15 percent of U.S. coal-fired capacity currently fitted with fabric filters there will be a large demand.

Fabric filters have been utilized for years to control large particulate emissions from power plants and over the past ten years, significant advances in the technology of fabric filters have been made. There is now a wide choice of filter media for coal-fired boilers including woven glass, nonwovens, and membranes. But there are also big differences in performance and life expectancy based on the temperature, moisture and oxygen content, SO_2,SO₃ and other acid gas mist concentrations in the gas entering a baghouse as well as type and quantity of additives injected upstream to control other pollutants. Although collection efficiency may be the driving criteria, once the efficiency is adequate to meet the regulations, bag life (strength, corrosion and temperature resistance, loss of permeability and cleaning method), pressure losses and maintenance problems will also need to be considered when electing the most economical media.

The following speaker will discuss the key issues to be considered when selecting fabric filters in order to achieve maximum filter efficiency and a good return on the filter investment, their current experience with control of fine particulates with fabric filters, the advantages and disadvantages of the various filter media and baghouse configurations and how the facility space available, existing control equipment installed, fuel type, flue gas physical and chemical conditions, etc. affect the selection.

John D. McKenna, Ph.D., principal and founder of ETS, Inc., will present “Key Issues When Selecting Fabric Filter Bags to Achieve Optimum Bag Life.” There are a number of choices available when selecting filter media for coal-fired boilers including woven fiberglass, nonwovens and fabrics with membranes. Some of the key issues to contemplate in order to achieve optimum bag life are the emission goals, design considerations and trade-offs, the importance of fabric and bag specifications, quality assurance/quality control programs, proper installation, bag monitoring programs and premature bag failure causes. Data will also be presented on the performance in the lab of PPS, P-84 and woven fiberglass with ePTFE membrane.

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 $125.00 for non-subscribers. Market Intelligence webinars are free to McIlvaine market report subscribers and are $400.00 for non-subscribers.

	2013
DATE	SUBJECT
Sept. 5	Fabric Selection for Particulate Control	Power
Sept. 19	Air Pollution Control for Gas Turbines	Power
Sept. 26	Multi-Pollutant Control Technology	Power
Oct. 3	Update on Coal Ash and CCP Issues and Standards	Power