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ABSTRACT: “Advancing Clean Energy Technologies Oxy-Combustion Update”
By Dennis McDonald and Steve Moorman, Babcock & Wilcox Company
Changing climate and rising carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere have driven global concern about the role of CO2 in the greenhouse effect and its contribution to global warming. Since it has become widely accepted as the primary anthropogenic contributor, most countries are seeking ways to reduce CO2 emissions in an attempt to limit its effect. This effort has shifted interest from fossil fuels, which have energized the economies of the world for over a century, to non-carbon emitting or renewable technologies.
In many countries, including the US, coal is an abundant and low cost source of fuel for generating electricity. According to International Energy Agency’s (IEA) global electricity generating capacity by fuel in 2007 and projected for 2030, an increase in coal based power generation of greater than 70% is forecasted by 2030. In the US, coal currently fuels almost 50% of power generation and represents an enormous infrastructure investment. Consequently, it will take considerable investment and time to move away from this base load fuel. In addition, the abundance of coal in the US, which has the greatest coal reserves in the world, makes it an ideal fuel to maximize energy security.
Considering these factors and others, a solution to the carbon emissions that continues to allow coal in the energy mix is imperative. The three most immediately promising are Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), Post Combustion Capture (PCC), and oxy-combustion. Among these three the first two are being demonstrated but there are no oxy-combustion demonstrations currently planned in the US and only two in the world, the Janschwalde plant in Germany and the Callide plant in Australia.
Meanwhile B&W and Air Liquide are at the global forefront of oxy-coal combustion development and are ready for demonstration. Our presentation will present the market conditions hindering demonstration, explain the technology and its efficiency, economic and air emissions advantages. |
