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· Power-Gen Reflects Optimism
· Headlines for the December 9, 2011 – Utility E Alert
· Demand for Biomass Pellets Expands
Power-Gen Reflects Optimism
The Power-Gen show in Las Vegas was a success in terms of quality of the papers and the amount of traffic at the stands. The exhibitors reported more leads than in previous years. Those suppliers of gas turbine components and services are reporting substantial bookings and a rosy outlook. One supplier reported 18 orders in 2011 for SCR systems for peaking gas turbines. Catalyst suppliers indicated they are running at near capacity except that the Chinese suppliers have expanded capacity beyond current consumption. Nevertheless, the demand is continuing to accelerate and will match capacity shortly.
The Gainesville biomass plant being built by Metso will feature a unique 450 F SCR system following the baghouse. So this should eliminate the concerns about catalyst poisoning.
The debate over plate vs. honeycomb catalyst continues. Ceram has introduced a plate catalyst for customers who already have plate catalyst. It will also be recommended where the honeycomb pitch would be very large and for certain high dust applications such as German brown coal. Cormetech says that the honeycomb with the larger openings is just as resistant to plugging as is the plate, so the controversy continues.
McIlvaine interviewed more than 100 people at the show. In the coming weeks the insights from these interviews plus pictures of the interviewees will be provided in the Alert.
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Here are the Headlines for the December 9, 2011 – Utility E Alert
UTILITY E-ALERT
#1053 – December 9, 2011
Table of Contents
COAL – US
COAL – WORLD
GAS / OIL – US
GAS / OIL – WORLD
NUCLEAR
HOT TOPIC HOUR
For more information on the Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/energy.html#42ei.
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Demand for Biomass Pellets Expands
The market for biomass pellets continues to grow encouraging the opening of new pellet manufacturing facilities. This is a subject covered in McIlvaine Renewable Energy Updates and Projects.
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European demand for wood pellets has, to a large extent, driven the expansion of pellet capacity in both the U.S. and Canada the past five years. The North American Wood Fiber Review reports that in coming years, it is likely that demand for pellets will increase not only in Europe, but also in Asia and North America, which will generate new opportunities for pellet producers, particularly in Western Canada and Eastern U.S.
A number of new wood pellet plants in the U.S. and Canada are set to commence operations during 2011, with more plants planned in the coming years. With the additional capacity coming on line, the industry is eyeing the growing demand in four regions — Europe, Asia, and to a lesser extent the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada and Northeastern U.S. The existing coal-fired energy sector in the U.S. South remains a potent, yet unrealized market to date. Federal policies in the U.S. that restrict the emissions of CO2 gases would ultimately benefit the pellet industry in North America, as many coal plants would likely begin using pellets for co-firing as is the case in Europe. These changes would drastically alter existing pellet flows and production plans.
Europe has, by far, been the largest export market for North American pellet producers for a number of years, shipping nearly 1.5 million metric tons in 2010, as reported in the North American Wood Fiber Review. The most significant potential for increased wood pellet utilization, both short and long term, will continue to be in this region, as the European Union’s 27 member countries have a goal of sourcing 20 percent of the Union’s total energy needs with renewable sources by 2020.
Wood Resources International LLC (WRI), an internationally recognized forest industry consulting firm established in 1987, publishes two quarterly timber price reports and has readers in over 25 countries.
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Enviva LP, a leading manufacturer of processed biomass fuel in the United States and Europe, announced plans to build a wood pellet manufacturing facility in Northampton County, NC. The new plant received grant support from the state’s One North Carolina Fund and could be operational as early as October 2012. This will be Enviva’s second wood pellet facility in North Carolina and will bring 62 jobs to the area.
The Northampton plant is designed to produce 400,000 metric tons of wood pellets annually. When completed, it will bring Enviva’s production in North Carolina to more than 750,000 metric tons annually. The facility will join Enviva’s four other wood pellet plants, including one currently under construction in Ahoskie, NC. Production there is planned to begin this October. Wood pellets from both North Carolina plants will be stored and loaded at Enviva’s Chesapeake, VA deep water port facilities, a key export terminal developed for the safe, reliable storage and handling of its products.
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Vega Biofuels, Inc. provided the following update for the company’s bio-coal plant to be located in Cordele, GA.
The company recently announced that it had entered into an agreement with engineering firm, Hunt, Guillot & Associates (HGA). As announced, HGA will provide various services to Vega including plant design, project management, equipment installation, and engineering services.
When completed, the company’s manufacturing plant will produce green energy bio-coal for use in existing coal-fired power plants around the world.
Bio-coal is made from a process called “torrefaction.” Torrefaction is a partial carbonization process that takes place at temperatures between 475-575° in a low temperature environment which makes the physical and energetic properties of the biomass much more comparable to traditional coal. The biomass is then compressed into briquettes to be sold to the end user. Torrefaction has the added benefit of reducing or eliminating undesirable volatiles, such as nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxides and is considered carbon neutral to the environment.
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Construction was completed on the world’s first commercial plant to produce a next-generation solid fuel, called bio-cokes, at Takatsuki, Japan. The renewable material is produced from forest residues and can be used as an alternative to coal-based coke in blast furnaces and as fuel for power-plant boilers and incinerators. It can also be produced from other biomass, such as waste tea leaves and algae.
The plant, owned by the Osaka Prefecture Forest Owners Assn. (OFA) will produce 600-800 ton/yr in a demonstration reactor. OFA plans full-scale production of bio-cokes (1,800 ton/yr) by April 2012. The conversion of forestry residues to coke takes place in cylindrical reactors at 180°C, with nearly 100 percent yield. The OFA plant is composed of 36 reactor vessels.
For more information on Renewable Energy Projects and Update please visit
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rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
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