MACT Webinars for Cement Industry Feb. 12 and Mar. 12, 2010
The cement industry is facing one of the toughest proposed MACT rules anywhere in the world. EPA has based the costs and performance on a combination of technologies including a secondary baghouse with ACI, limestone scrubber and a regenerative thermal oxidizer. This is a very expensive package.
McIlvaine has been a speaker at the Portland Cement Association meeting on this subject and is tentatively scheduled to do so again at the March 30 meeting in Colorado Springs. In the interim, on February 12 and March 12, 2010 McIlvaine will conduct 90 minute webinars for the industry with presentations by suppliers and consultants who can contribute valuable insights to the best options.
No speakers have yet been selected. We encourage you to provide us with your thoughts and recommend presentations from experts in your company. The subjects should address the entire problem and how a particular technology contributes to minimizing cost and maximizing environmental gains.
In addition to MACT regulations, the cement plants are facing ozone and PM2.5 ambient rules which will force the States to set reductions for NOx, SO2, and discrete fine particles. Greenhouse gas reductions are another challenge.
The EPA envisioned package will add quite a bit of resistance to the flue gas flow. This translates into more CO2 due to increased fan horsepower, so this is one consideration. Are there ways to accomplish all the tasks with less fan horsepower? In Europe they are looking closely at biomass as a substitute for coal and gas. We have conducted webinars on gasifying biomass. This option could be positive or negative. It could cause problems with SCR catalysts. On the other hand, it could introduce chemicals to oxidize the mercury. What impact would biomass have on the particulate collector selection?
Can the limestone scrubber also capture the mercury and eliminate the need for the activated carbon injection? Would this also eliminate the need for the second particulate collector? But how do you insure maximum discrete particle removal? This is important because the toxic metals are more concentrated in the fine fraction. Would a WESP on the top of the scrubber be an answer?
If you do capture the mercury with the gypsum, how do you minimize discharges to waterways from the scrubber wastewater? Is the mercury in the gypsum going to be a problem? If so, what about recirculating activated carbon with the limestone slurry a la Evonik?
How about dry scrubbing with a fluid bed using lime and ACI? This would eliminate the limestone scrubber. If the efficiency is not high enough, what about using sodium instead of lime?
Are there more novel approaches? The carbon bed approach could remove the HCl, the heavy metals and SO2. You can even use two stages and reduce NOx.
Are there catalytic approaches which should be considered? One use would be for VOC removal instead of the RTO. But there are SCR catalysts which would also oxidize the mercury. So maybe a solution to the NOx problem also sets the path for wet capture of the mercury. What about a dedicated mercury catalyst? Could downstream amalgamation after the scrubber be a way to maximize mercury capture?
Incinerators in Europe are making 30 percent hydrochloric acid and capturing all the mercury. Mercury is separated from the acid. Is this an answer for those plants with high natural chlorine levels or for those plants with access to waste PVC as a fuel?
With the new MACT regulations the requirements for plants burning nonhazardous waste are going to be close to the ones which burn hazardous waste. Does this encourage designs which would be more fuel flexibile?
What about co-locating a cellulosic ethanol plant and use the waste for fuel for the kiln and supply the heat from the cement plant catalytic oxidizer to make the steam and energy for the ethanol? The cement plant could also supply the hydrochloric or sulfuric acid needed for separating the lignins from the sugars.
You (the air pollution control industry) have already developed proven solutions for these emissions reductions in the power, waste-to-energy, mining, pulp and paper, petroleum and other industries. Now the challenge is to apply this experience to help the cement industry choose the best options based on all this experience and expertise.
Please contact us with your thoughts and recommendations as to speakers and subjects.
The two webinars will be February 12 and March 12 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Each will be 90 minutes in length. The webinars will be free to Portland Cement Association members and $125 each for nonmembers. The webinar is also free to subscribers to McIlvaine World Market Reports on fabric filters, scrubber/adsorbers, electrostatic precipitators, monitoring and sampling, and thermal and catalytic incineration. These reports also have details on each cement MACT project.
You can register at: Power Plant Air Quality Custom Training – Cement, click on: https://www.mcilvainecompany.com/Cement_Custom_Training _Registration.htm
Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com