Cogeneration, Fuel Switching, and Upgrades Are All Choices for U.S. Industrial
Boiler Operators
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. Two other options are
switching to biomass and more efficient cogeneration. Some plants will find that
a combination of these options is the best fit for them. 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.
More efficient cogeneration is attractive from the standpoint of greenhouse gas
reduction.
Grays Ferry is one of Veolia Energy's three Philadelphia steam production
facilities. Grays Ferry is a 163-megawatt cogeneration facility with a
combustion turbine and an extraction/condensing steam turbine. Since the 2012
completion of a $60 million investment to upgrade the natural gas infrastructure
and to install two rapid-response boilers, Veolia Energy has increased its
production of efficient, cogenerated steam. By producing steam and electricity
simultaneously, Veolia Energy avoids the emission of approximately 430,000
metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
One overlooked potential is the gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW) and
use as a reburn fuel in the existing coal-fired boiler. Since, under the new
regulations the boilers will be subject to meeting air toxic rules, coal-fired
boiler operators will be installing the necessary air pollution control
equipment. So gasified municipal waste can be cleaned with the new
equipment. When injected above the primary firing zone, the gasified waste
acts as a reburn fuel and reduces NOx.
The industrial boiler operator can charge a tipping fee for the MSW and replace
some of the coal which is now burned. Many municipalities are now realizing that
landfills are not a good choice for MSW. They can be costly if the distance is
substantial. Also the methane released from landfills is twenty-nine to seventy
times more potent a greenhouse gas than is CO2.
For more information on Industrial Emitters, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93extsup1.asp.
Stationary NOx Catalyst Market to Reach $2 Billion in Next 4 Years
The rapid growth of the SCR market for Chinese power plants is resulting in
double digit annual increases in the catalyst market. Much of the needed
capacity is being added in China. This is the conclusion reached in McIlvaine’s
NOx Control World Markets. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)
China has developed a NOx catalyst manufacturing capability in the
last decade and now can produce catalyst with a value of $462 million per year.
Chinese Catalyst Manufacturing Revenues
No. |
Annual Revenues
($ Millions) |
Catalytic Agent Type |
1 |
94 |
Honeycomb |
2 |
83 |
Honeycomb |
3 |
78 |
Honeycomb |
4 |
62 |
Honeycomb |
5 |
52 |
Flat |
6 |
52 |
Flat |
7 |
41 |
Honeycomb |
Total |
462 |
|
Presently, the top supplier can produce catalyst valued at $94 million/yr.
Unlike some other products catalyst in China sells at the world prices and in
some cases even higher. The third ranked supplier was the first
manufacturer and was a result of the relocation of KWH from Germany.
There is substantial import of catalyst as well as some export. There is some
difference in performance. In general, plate catalyst designs require more
volume to achieve the same efficiency as honeycomb designs. But this is only one
parameter.
Originally the only concern was NOx reduction. However, as DeNOx
systems began to be applied to high sulfur coal burning power plants, it was
discovered that conventional catalyst converts 1 percent of the SO2
to SO3. The SO3 is a worse pollutant than the SO2.
To address the problem, catalyst manufacturers developed low conversion
catalysts. They achieve the NOx reduction with less SO2
conversion to SO3 but are more expensive.
It was also learned that the NOx catalyst can have a beneficial
effect of converting elemental mercury vapor to mercury chloride or other
oxidized forms. The oxidized mercury can then be captured in a downstream
scrubber. Catalyst manufacturers have developed a range of catalysts which
address NOx, SO3 and mercury. In general, the better
the catalyst in reducing all three pollutants, the more expensive the product.
For more information on NOx Control World Markets, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=48#n035.
Renewable Energy Briefs
Xcel Energy Plans to Grow Wind Power by 30 Percent
Xcel Energy, already the country's top wind energy provider, proposes to
significantly expand its wind power production to reduce customer costs, protect
against rising and volatile fuel prices, and benefit the environment. The move
is made possible by extremely competitive prices and the extended federal
Production Tax Credit.
The company has submitted to state regulators throughout its service area
proposals to purchase at least 1,500 megawatts of wind resources, a 30 percent
increase in overall wind capacity. The wind power expansion, along with previous
conservation, renewable energy and power plant improvement projects, also puts
Xcel Energy on track to reduce its carbon emissions by 28 million tons, or more
than 31 percent by 2020.
If the projects are approved, the company expects that more than 20 percent of
its total energy mix will be supplied by wind.
Vattenfall to Build Two New Wind Farms in the UK
Swedish energy company Vattenfall has announced the construction of two new wind
farms in the UK – boosting its renewable energy production. The investment
amounts to approximately 460 million pounds, the equivalent of 4.7 billion
Swedish crowns.
The largest of the announced wind farm projects is Pen y Cymoedd, located in
south Wales, near the Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf. The 76-turbine
wind farm will have a combined capacity of 228 MW, corresponding to the annual
electricity need of approximately 140,000 households.
The investment for Vatttenfall amounts to more than 400 million pounds and the
construction of Pen y Cymoedd will commence in 2014. The plant is expected to
generate first power by the end of 2016.
The construction of the 18-turbine Clashindarroch Wind Farm, in Aberdeenshire,
Scotland has just started and will be completed in early 2015. The investment
amounts to 60 million pounds with a targeted capacity of 36.9 MW, corresponding
to the annual electricity need of 22,000 households.
Solar Power Breaks Through 2,000 MW Threshold
Solar power shines, setting a new all-time high output of 2,071 megawatts (MW)
at 12:59 p.m., June 07, 2013. This amount of energy is enough to power more than
1.5 million homes across sunny California.
This new record is remarkable considering the amount has more than doubled since
last September when solar peaked at 1,000 megawatts,” says Steve Berberich,
California ISO President and CEO. “We are excited by this trend and expect to
hit more record peaks on a regular basis.”
California is the largest producer of solar power in the nation. Today’s peak
demand was about 36,000 megawatts and solar power supplied more than five
percent of demand for electricity.
Canadian Solar Successfully Completed 30 MW Rooftop PV Installations in Suzhou,
China
Canadian Solar Inc., one of the world's largest solar power companies, announced
the successful completion of a 30 MW rooftop PV installation in China's City of
Suzhou under the country's Golden Sun program. The project was historic in its
size, complexity and scale. The project spanned 129 buildings, with a total
surface area of approximately 500,000 square meters. The rooftops were mixed
surfaces, with 200,000 square meters of steel structured rooftops and 300,000
square meters of concrete rooftops. Canadian Solar's CS6P-245P's modules were
used.
Construction on the project was completed in June 2013, with full-grid
connectivity taking place through July and August. The project's total capacity
is 30.2 MWp. The first year's electricity generation is projected to be about
32.3 million KWh, while the accumulated electricity generation is expected to be
approximately 728.9 million KWh over the next 25 years.
Verdant Power and Cornell University to Work on Ocean Energy Technologies
On June 13, 2013 Cornell University and Verdant Power Inc., signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the intention of entering into a long-term
relationship centered on research and other activities related to Marine &
Hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies. Verdant Power's MHK project on Roosevelt Island
in New York City is the first commercially licensed tidal energy plant in U.S.
It remains the only project in the world where an array of tidal energy turbines
has successfully been deployed and operated. Cornell University is building
Cornell Tech, its new applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island. Cornell's
researchers and Verdant Power share the vision of an array of underwater
turbines in the East River off Roosevelt Island, permitted by Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) Pilot License (#P-12611).
In addition to commercialization by Verdant Power of the MHK tidal energy
technology to provide clean, locally generated, renewable power under its FERC
license, this array of turbines will form the core of a collaborative research
program. It is anticipated that there will be undergraduate and postgraduate
academic programs at Cornell focused on many of the disciplines involved in the
MHK and other industries.
For more information on Renewable Energy Projects and Update
please visit
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/Renewable_Energy_Projects_Brochure/renewable_energy_projects_brochure.htm
Headlines for the July 26, 2013 – Utility E-Alert
UTILITY E-ALERT
#1135 – July 26, 2013
Table of Contents
COAL – US
§
STEAG to supply SNCR for San Juan 3 and 4
§
Appeals Court Upholds FIP for Regional Haze in Oklahoma
§
Rally held to protest Hatfields Ferry Power Plant’s closing
§
US House votes to let States Regulate Power Plant Byproducts
§
Idaho Power wants to Pass Cost of Controls at Jim Bridger on to Ratepayers
COAL – WORLD
§
Alstom NOx Control Equipment for 415 MW Kladno CFB Power Plant in
Czech Republic
§
Indonesia to expand Cirebon Power Plant by 1,000 MW
§
Poland’s Turon aims to build 910 MW Jaworzno Power Plant
§
135 MW Concepcion Power Plant completes Financing
§
European Investment Bank puts Emissions Performance as Criteria for Loan
§
Bangladesh offers Tax Exemption for Coal-fired Power Project
§
India Bulls switches from Coal to Solar at Gobindpura, Punjab, India
§
2,000 MW Pemalang Power Project in Central Java, Indonesia has Land Acquisition
Problems
§
Jindal Power starting 2400 MW Tamnar Expansion in Chhattisgarh, India
§
Hamon supplies ESPs for 1,075 MW Kozienice in Poland
GAS/OIL – US
GAS/OIL – WORLD
BIOMASS
§
UK approves 100 MW North Blyth Biomass-fired Power Project
§
Pinetree Power to install Emissions Control Equipment
BUSINESS
HOT TOPIC HOUR
For more information on the Utility Tracking System, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72
“Improving Power Plant Efficiency and Power Generation” will be the subject of
the Hot Topic Hour on Thursday August 8, 2013
Improving the efficiency of an existing power generation plant is one sure way
to reduce the emissions of air and water pollutants per unit of power and it can
pay dividends in the form of cost savings for fuel, pollution control chemicals
and maintenance. In addition, improving efficiency may allow a power plant to
meet the new emission limits posed by the utility MATS, CASPR (when finalized)
and the several other air and water rules affecting power plants with minimum
investment in new control systems.
There are many ways most existing power plant equipment trains can be improved
ranging from better combustion of fuel to simply improving soot blowing to finer
control of the entire process with monitoring and automation systems. Each of
the potential methods to improve efficiency has unique advantages and come with
different payback times. Also one potential method could affect the performance
of another so using both together might not achieve the desired effect. And the
specific equipment in a power plant train may not be adaptable to every
improvement method.
Some of the questions that need answering are “What methods can I use to improve
the efficiency of my specific power producing process? What will be the cost and
payback time? What will be the effect on air and water pollutant emissions? Has
this method been tried and proven elsewhere?”
The following speakers will describe some of the methods available to improve
the efficiency of the power generation process and address these questions.
Todd Melick,
Vice President of PROMECON USA, Inc, will discuss improving combustion
efficiency by properly balancing the air and fuel. PROMECON provides process
instrumentation for measuring coal, air, unburned carbon-in-ash, and high
temperature gas streams. Balancing the air and fuel will allow a reduction
in excess air while monitoring the carbon-in-ash will result in improved boiler
efficiency.
Dick Storm,
Founder and a Senior Consultant for Storm Technologies, will discuss “Improving
Furnace Inputs.” There are both competitive pressures of natural gas fueled
power plants combined with ever increasing regulations. An engineer in a
coal-fueled utility or large IPP plant might want to take a fresh look at some
fairly low cost options to improve emissions, provide fuel flexibility, improve
reliability, increase capacity and while at it, make the generating units more
responsive to load demand changes. These are difficult challenges. The vastly
overlooked opportunities are to first apply the fundamentals. Here are some
examples:
·
Improve airflow measurement and control accuracy for the Primary Airflow,
Secondary Airflow and the Overfire Airflow. Make certain the DCS keeps these in
proportion throughout the load range,
·
Increase fuel fineness from the pulverizers,
·
Reduce air in-leakage,
·
Tune the boiler controls so that the primary airflow is helpful in making load
changes,
·
Optimize the primary air/fuel ratios during operation,
·
Make sure the entire O&M Team is working on the same plan.
The path to excellence in applying the above is relatively low cost compared to
the large capital costs of major backend equipment. However, those of us that
concentrate on the furnace “Inputs” wonder why so much capital is spent on the
backend when it is the “Inputs” that can make a dramatic impact for performance
improvements.
Scott Affelt,
Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Zolo Technologies, will discuss how
real-time, laser-based measurements can be used to create two-dimensional
profiles of key combustion constituents (Temperature, O2 and CO)
directly in the furnace. Measurement information from the furnace can allow
operators and/or automated control systems to properly balance combustion,
thereby, allowing more optimized combustion, improved efficiency and reduced
emissions. Examples of how the real-time, in-furnace measurements have improved
performance in coal-fired power plants will be discussed.
To register for the August 8 “Hot Topic Hour” on “Improving
Power Plant Efficiency and Power Generation” at 10:00 a.m. DST,
click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.
McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration
On Thursday at 10:00 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 |
|
August 8 |
Improving Power Plant Efficiency
and Power Generation |
Power |
August 15 |
Control and Treatment Technology
for FGD Wastewater |
Power |
August 22 |
Pumps for Power Plant Cooling
Water and Water Treatment
Applications
|
Power |
August 29 |
Status of Carbon Capture and
Storage Programs and Technology |
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 |
Oct. 3 |
Update on Coal Ash and CCP
Issues and Standards
|
Power |
To register for the “Hot Topic Hour”, click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.
----------
You can register for our free McIlvaine Newsletters at:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/Free_Newsletter_Registration_Form.htm.
Bob McIlvaine
President
847-784-0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvainecompany.com
191 Waukegan Road Suite 208 | Northfield | IL 60093
Ph: 847-784-0012 | Fax: 847-784-0061