Power Air Quality Insights No

Power Air Quality Insights
No. 107 May 16, 2013

WELCOME

The following insights can be sent to you every week. This alert contains the details on the upcoming hot topic hour, breaking news, and the headlines for the Utility E Alert for the previous week. This is one of a number of free services. You can sign up for any of these newsletters and of course request to be removed from the mailing list at any time. See registration following the newsletter.

· Fuel Cost and Environmental Regulations are Causing Changes in Industrial Boiler Design and Operation

· Lots of New Developments in $11.2 Billion World Market for Fabric Filters and Bags

· “Power Plant Cooling Towers and Cooling Water Issues” is the Subject of the Hot Topic Hour on May 23, 2013. This webinar will be free to all participants.

Fuel Cost and Environmental Regulations are Causing Changes in Industrial Boiler Design and Operation

There are many new industrial boilers being constructed in developing countries. Those in existence in developed countries are being upgraded in accordance with new environmental regulations and the availability of alternative fuels. A third development is the more efficient capture of the energy produced. These are the conclusions reached in Industrial Boilers. This is one of a number of segments of the McIlvaine service Industrial Emitters. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

The increasingly stringent regulations are creating a number of changes. China has shut down thousands of small coal-fired boilers due to their SO₂, NO_x, and particulate emissions.

In the next few months, operators of U.S. industrial boilers will have to decide whether to gamble on low gas prices for the next two decades or add air pollution control equipment to their existing systems. There are more than 10,000 boilers listed in the McIlvaine Industrial Emitters database and project tracking system. Less than 2,000 will fall under the criteria for action set up by the new Industrial Boiler MACT rule. Of these 2,000 units, only 500 units will have to make major capital expenditures. These plants will have to decide whether to invest the funds to meet the new regulations or switch to natural gas or even retire the units and buy electricity. The Industrial Emitters program is tracking these decisions as they happen.

Fuel cost and availability is a major cause of change throughout the world. Europe has regulations on coal burning which require operators to also burn biomass. As a result, European operators are paying as much as $100 /ton for wood pellets from the U.S. and agricultural waste from South Asia. At the same time that natural gas has become economically attractive in the U.S., it has become unattractive in much of Europe. Recently, waste-to-energy plants in Europe have started exploring the potential of importing treated garbage which is labelled Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from the Americas and elsewhere.

Most industrial boiler installations provide steam for industrial processes. Large chemical plants and refineries also generate their own electricity. There remains untapped potential to integrate power generation, process steam and supply of low quality steam for other applications. District heating is an example of the way to extract the most energy from the fuel. In a typical fossil-fired boiler, there is a cooling tower to condense the low pressure steam. The large plume visible from these plants is testimony to the very large amount of heat being lost. Several new processes can be integrated into industrial complexes. One is the production of ethanol. The low pressure steam from power generation can be utilized with major cost savings. One of the fastest growing industries is Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAI). The production of fish in carefully temperature and oxygen controlled tanks is proving to be less costly than the traditional ponds. They can be located at industrial facilities and be integrated with power production.

In addition to the cost benefits of cogeneration, there is the substantial reduction in greenhouse gases. If an ethanol or RAI plant does not have to be equipped with a boiler, there is a very substantial reduction in potential CO₂ emissions.

Lots of New Developments in $11.2 Billion World Market for Fabric Filters and Bags

The market for bags will grow 6 percent this year to reach $2.9 billion in 2014. The market for fabric filter systems will grow 4.4 percent to reach $8.9 billion next year. These are the conclusions reached in World Fabric Filter and Element Market published by the McIlvaine Company. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

Subject	2013	2014
Bags	2,706	2,866
Equipment	3,869	4,041
Media	1,524	1,617
Systems	8,512	8,890

The lower growth rate for systems is a function of the proportion of revenues in developing countries. The system revenues per cfm (unit of gas volume) are lower in these countries. The bag revenues are positively impacted by the move to membrane laminates. This media is more efficient, but is also more expensive.

There are a number of major changes in the industry in addition to the introduction of new materials. A number of Chinese bag makers are now making a global presence. There is also movement within China to increase the purchase of fabric filters as opposed to precipitators in the power and certain other industries.

The industry is becoming internationalized on a continuing basis. Within the last twelve months, Nederman purchased Mikropul, Pneumafil and Menardi. CECO purchased Met-Pro. Nederman has a European base and is strong in small fabric filters. Mikropul was the inventor of the pulse jet filter and has worldwide presence in the process industries. CECO has acquired Flexkleen as part of the Met-Pro acquisition. This will supplement its activities through its Fisher Klosterman subsidiary. Donaldson continues to gain market share in Asia.

Media suppliers are very international. Roll goods are being manufactured by the larger media suppliers in several international locations. Many media suppliers have successful manufacturing operations in Asia.

New applications are expanding the market as well. The need to remove mercury has resulted in combinations of activated carbon injection followed by fabric filters. This requirement is going to expand the revenues of filter suppliers in the U.S. over the next few years. W. L. Gore has a unique solution to the mercury problem. The company has developed a medium which can be inserted after the scrubber. It collects and retains mercury. The medium is not cleanable, but the amount of mercury in a typical application is only 2-100 lbs/yr. So the medium will have a life of several years.

Xcel Energy announced an expanded agreement with the National Center for Atmospheric Research for sophisticated renewable energy forecasting. The agreement with the Boulder, CO-based center extends an existing relationship that has saved Xcel Energy's 3.4 million electricity customers in eight states millions of dollars.

In the next two years, NCAR scientists and engineers will develop custom forecasting systems to enable Xcel Energy control centers in Minneapolis, Denver, Golden, CO, and Amarillo, TX, to anticipate sudden changes in wind, shut down turbines ahead of potentially damaging icing events and even predict the amount of energy generated by private solar panels.

The new project represents the latest venture by NCAR into renewable energy, which includes a three-year, nationwide project to create 36-hour forecasts of incoming energy from the sun for solar energy power plants.

The systems will help Xcel Energy provide reliable power to its customers and reduce costs while moving to greater use of wind and solar. They come at a time when Xcel Energy is increasing its use of renewable energy in its territories served by Public Service Co. of Colorado, Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, NSP-Wisconsin and Southwestern Public Service Co.

Good winds in April resulted in an electricity production of around 51,200 MWh. Actual output in the same month the previous year was 23,900 MWh.

Since the start of operations the company's wind farms have now delivered more than 900,000 MWh of green electricity.

Arise Windpower is one of Sweden's leading companies in onshore wind power. Its business concept is to sell electricity generated at the company's own wind turbines.

Ormat Technologies Commences Operation of 36 MW Geothermal Power Plant in Kenya

Ormat Technologies, Inc. announced that it reached commercial operation of Plant 2 in the Olkaria III complex in Naivasha, Kenya, increasing the company’s total generating capacity by 36 MW to 611 MW worldwide. Ormat also plans to add an additional 16 MW of generation at Olkaria III by building a third plant, which it expects to complete in 2014. Once Plant 3 is complete, total capacity at the Olkaria III complex will reach approximately 100 MW. The power generated in the Olkaria III complex is sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited (KPLC).

Ormat financed the new 36 MW plant, as well as the first two phases of the complex completed in 2000 and 2009, with a $265 million debt facility provided by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). OPIC will also finance the construction of Plant 3 with another $45 million debt facility.

Large Scale Solar System Provider Builds Presence in World’s Largest Solar Market

Solaria Corporation announced it has established operations in China to meet demand for high efficiency large-scale solar projects.

Solaria have built many large-scale solar power plants in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Solaria’s current projects in China include several megawatt-size solar power plants under construction in the Qinghai province and Inner Mongolia. One project under development is for CECEP Solar Technology Co., Ltd., China's largest solar power plant investor and operator.

Solaria offers optimized system solutions to provide the best performance and lowest cost across a wide variety of site location and conditions. Solaria's PV modules use patented low-cost technology to increase energy yield and provide reliable performance while matching form and fit of conventional modules. The modules, optimized for trackers, deliver up to 30 percent more energy than conventional fixed tilt systems. In order to meet the growing demand for Solaria modules in China and worldwide, Solaria is also establishing a high-volume manufacturing facility in China.

Ideal for China, the Solaria STS-AZ is a ground-mounted, single-axis vertical tracker that enhances PV energy production while reducing design, installation and operating costs. The STS-AZ tracker’s smart use of materials, ease of procurement, installation, and engineered reliability makes it a highly robust and cost-effective choice to maximize the ROI of solar projects.

Solaria Corporation is a solar technology company that designs, manufactures and integrates solar modules, trackers, and expert design services for large and utility scale installations.

As part of its traditional environmental protection and sustainability activities, Kyocera Corporation plants Green Curtains every spring at its sites in Japan and select Kyocera Group companies in other parts of the world. Through the hot summer, curtains of foliage are grown on trellises in front of office windows and walls at company sites. This not only provides shade but also shields the buildings from heat radiation — decreasing inside room temperatures by approximately 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which contributes to a reduction of energy consumption from air conditioner usage.

Furthermore, Green Curtains not only reduce the creation of, but also absorb CO₂ emissions: one square meter of foliage absorbs approximately 7.7 lbs of CO₂ per year. In 2012, Green Curtains grown by Kyocera stretched a length of 2,723 ft and an area of 36,780 ft² — equivalent to the area of 13 tennis courts — helping to meet regional energy saving targets in Japan stemming from nuclear power plant stoppage in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Since Kyocera first started growing Green Curtains at its Okaya Plant in the Japanese prefecture of Nagano in 2007, the company has expanded this activity to 28 sites in Japan and affiliates overseas including China, Thailand and Brazil. This year, Kyocera will also green its headquarters in Kyoto by growing morning glory vines outside the building and on the third-floor balcony.

For more information on Renewable Energy Projects and Update please visit:

§ “Power Plant Automation and Control” plus Electric Power Conference Summary will be the Subject of the Hot Topic Hour on Thursday May 16, 2013

“Power Plant Cooling Towers and Cooling Water Issues” is the Subject of the Hot Topic Hour on May 23, 2013. This webinar will be free to all participants.

One of the most important issues facing all types of power plants in the future is what to do about cooling of condensed steam. Currently, the most common method for cooling is water withdrawn from a well, river, lake or ocean following once through a heat exchanger and then discharging the water back into the source. A typical 500 MW fossil-fueled power plant uses over 12 million gallons of water per hour for cooling and other process requirements. However, water is becoming scarcer and power plants are facing new regulations on the intake and discharge of cooling water.

Water scarcity and intake/discharge regulations will drive those seeking to construct a new power plant and current plant owners to consider new water management strategies and alternatives to the “once through approach.” Tighter air pollution rules may also drive utilities to upgrade cooling water systems to help reduce SO₃ and particulate emissions.

Among the options to consider are improving the efficiency of existing cooling systems and plant wide conservation and recirculation of wastewater, new technology such as air-cooled condensers, hybrid air/water cooling systems and zero liquid discharge systems, the use of reclaimed municipal wastewater for cooling water systems and co-generation cooling options that use waste steam for recirculating aquaculture systems, ethanol production and drying sewage sludge. All of these options offer different benefits as well as challenges depending on the type and location of the power plant, water requirements, make up or quality of the water available and applicable local regulations.

The following speakers will address the challenges facing power plant operators relative to cooling water use and the various options available for cooling steam with a discussion of the benefits and problems associated with each, the capital and operating costs of each, economic factors promoting or discouraging water conservation and regulatory compliance issues affecting power plant water intake, use and discharge. Current and developing technologies to minimize water consumption, enhance water quality and increase reuse of water during all phases of the power generation process will also be addressed.

Brad Buecker, Process Specialist at Kiewit Power Engineers, will present “The Influence of Tightening Regulations on Cooling Water Treatment.” Once-through cooling is no longer a consideration for new and planned power plants, primarily due to pending 316a and 316b regulations. Rather, we almost exclusively see cooling towers or air-cooled condensers as the choice for steam condensation at combined cycle plants. However, tightening regulations on the quality, and sometimes quantity, of power plant wastewater streams are influencing cooling tower treatment programs. This presentation examines several of the most prominent trends in the cooling water treatment industry.

Brett DeRousse, National Account Manager for Hydrolox, will present “Potential impacts of 316(B) regulatory controls and their affects on existing power plant cooling water intakes.” Nearly half of the US utility-owned electric generating capacity is cooled by once-through cooling systems. These power plants withdraw cooling water primarily from surface water bodies. Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act requires that the location, design, construction and capacity of cooling water intake structures reflect the best technology available (BTA) for minimizing adverse environmental impacts. The selected BTA is likely to be Modified Traveling Water Screens (TWS) for many of the affected power plants. Of large concern to these power plants is not only the compliance with 316(b) but the overall financial affect it will have on the power plants O&M. The new rule will require power plants to continuously operate Traveling Water Screens (TWS), whereas they are typically run off of pressure differential or on timers. The overall affect on the power plants O&M budget could be significant. Over the past several years, several different types of modified TWS technology have been developed, specifically for improving fish mortality rates. This presentation will provide a brief history of the development of modified screens and fish return systems, as well as a technical overview of several different modified TWS technologies, and review applications where those technologies are most applicable. Finally, he will discuss the compliance alternatives and their long term financial affects on power plants.

Daniel M. Cicero, Senior Industry Development Manager Power Group, Water & Process Services Division of Nalco Company, will discuss how power plants can reduce their environmental impact by using good water chemistry. Every power plant wants to be a good corporate citizen of the community in which it resides. Every power plant wants to minimize its environmental impact. Those desires must be balanced with the needs of the community for low-cost power. This presentation will discuss three cases where power plants achieved that balance. In one case, using water chemistry modeling allowed a power plant to reduce withdrawals from a stressed waterway. In another, changing water chemistry reduced the impact of the power plant on the local community. In a third, the ability to respond to changing water quality reduced water costs and demands on the local water supply.

Trent T. Gathright, Sales & Marketing Manager Cooling Water Products at Ovivo USA, LLC Energy Group – Americas, will briefly address different type water intake screens and 316(b) alternatives. Numerous factors affect power plant cooling water at both once-through and closed cycle types. Various methods have been developed to deal with debris at both type power plants including indigenous debris, foreign blown in material and element disintegration. Pending 316(b) may also affect how make-up water intakes are handled.

Andrew Howell, Senior System Chemist for Xcel Energy, will discuss several technologies that are available for condensing steam in power plants. Increasing difficulty with obtaining adequate cooling water supply for new generating units has required some power plant designs to use dry or hybrid (wet + dry) cooling systems. While necessary in some cases, these options have significant downsides that must be considered in planning for construction and operation.

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
May 23	Power Plant Cooling Towers and Cooling Water Issues	FREE Power
May 30	Air Pollution Control Markets (geographic trends, regulatory developments, competition, technology developments)	Market Intelligence
June 6	Report from Power-Gen Europe (update on regulations, speaker and exhibitor highlights)	Power
June 13	Monitoring and Optimizing Fuel Feed, Metering and Combustion in Boilers	Power
June 20	Dry Sorbent Injection and Material Handling for APC	Power
June 27	Power Generation Forecast for Nuclear, Fossil and Renewables	Market Intelligence
July 11	New Developments in Power Plant Air Pollution Control	Power
July 18	Measurement and Control of HCl	Power
July 25	GHG Compliance Strategies, Reduction Technologies and Measurement	Power
August 1	Update on Coal Ash and CCP Issues and Standards	Power
August 8	Improving Power Plant Efficiency and Power Generation	Power
August 15	Control and Treatment Technology for FGD Wastewater	Power
August 22	Status of Carbon Capture and Storage Programs and Technology	Power
August 29	Pumps for Power Plant Cooling Water and Water Treatment Applications	Power
Sept. 5	Fabric Selection for Particulate Control	Power
Sept. 19	Air Pollution Control for Gas Turbines	Power
Sept. 26	Multi-Pollutant Control Technology	Power