August 2015 - Power Air Quality Insights 221

The Chinese program to retrofit SCR on most of its coal-fired power plants has created a huge spike in the market for NO_x control systems and the SCR catalysts. One result has been hundreds of thousands of M3 catalyst manufacturing capacity being added in China. Over the last decade, China has risen from a position of no local catalyst manufacturing capacity to become the leading supplier worldwide. At the same time, Chinese system suppliers have become leaders as well. Longyuan is now a world leader in terms of installed SCR megawatts.

No.	Chinese SCR System Suppliers
1	Beijing Guodian Longyuan Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd.
2	Dongfang Boiler Group Co., Ltd.
3	Harbin Boiler Factory Co., Ltd.
4	China Datang Technologies & Engineering Co., Ltd
5	Zhejiang Tiandi Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd.
6	China Huadian Engineering
7	Tsinghua Tongfang Environment Co., Ltd.

The big coal retrofit program is coming to an end not only in China but throughout Europe and the U.S. India shows no signs of considering NO_xcontrol. So the market for new SCR systems for coal-fired boilers will be smaller in the future than in the recent past.

The market for SCR systems for gas turbines is on the rise. Many new gas turbines are being installed in the U.S. All have SCR systems and many have oxidation catalysts as well. Some European power plants originally installed without NO_x control are being required to retrofit the systems.

Industrial plants will also be spending more for NO_x control than in the past. Many large industrial sources do not have SCR systems in place. They will be considering alternatives such as SNCR and hybrid systems as well as SCR. In furnace combustion, control is a key part of the solution as well.

The recently developed catalytic filters are likely to capture considerable market share. Clear Edge Division of Filtration Group and Haldor Topsoe/Unifrax are among the developers of this new technology.

Ozone generation is another approach which can be combined with scrubbers for NO_x reduction. When combined with ammonia scrubbers a salable ammonium nitrate is produced.

Investment in Coal-Fired Power Plants Will Exceed Other Energy Sectors In 2016

Power plants continue to invest more money in coal-fired power over gas and nuclear. The trends are shown in N043 Fossil and Nuclear Power Generation: World Analysis and Forecast published by the McIlvaine Company. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

World Fossil and Nuclear Capacity (1000 MW) 2016
Fuel Type	2016 capacity in operation	New capacity in 2016
Coal	2,145	86
Nuclear	405	16
Gas Turbine	1,485	71

Most of the 86,000 MW of new coal-fired power plants starting operation in 2016 will be in Asia. The U.S. will be the largest market for gas turbines. When one considers orders placed with Russian companies as opposed to nuclear construction in Russia, then this country is a nuclear leader.

The Russian nuclear reactor business under state-owned Rosatom is moving aggressively ahead in multiple countries and world regions with 29 nuclear reactors in planning or construction at this time. In contrast, another world player, French government-owned Areva, has not sold a reactor since 2007 and is struggling financially. The U.S. Westinghouse business is similarly in the doldrums. Other active players include the Japanese, Chinese and the South Koreans, each with one or more reactor designs of their own, but not actively exporting the technology as effectively as is Russia.

· Rosatom offers build, own, operate (BOO) contracts highly favored by many customers/state clients

· Rosatom enjoys limited oversight (interference) from the Russian government and is free/encouraged to sell around the world

· Some deals are accompanied by “sweeteners” which include rights to purchase other military equipment such as submarines and other equipment on favorable terms

Consumers Energy Moving to Develop Renewable Energy with Community Solar Program in Michigan

Consumers Energy is moving forward with plans to add new sources of renewable energy in Michigan, launching its community solar program called Solar Gardens.

Solar Gardens is the first program of its kind for Consumers Energy, and customers will be able to participate. Grand Valley State University in Ottawa County and Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo County are potential sites for solar facilities that could start operating in 2016.

Consumers Energy has been active in developing renewable energy sources in Michigan. Last year, the company reached its target of generating 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources a year ahead of schedule. That includes two wind farms, one near Lake Michigan and one in the Thumb, and contracts to buy electricity generated by wind, landfill gas, anaerobic digestion and hydroelectric generation.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), which has interconnected more rooftop solar power than any utility in America, is proposing smart energy reform in support of sustainable growth of solar power as a vital resource for California.

The plan, submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), proposes new rules that would allow new solar customers to be able to achieve significant reductions to typical electric bills while beginning the process of creating a more sustainable approach that is necessary to support long-term growth of solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, home automation and other advanced technologies.

Updating standards for the first time since 1996, the CPUC asked the solar industry, utilities and others to put forth proposals on how to support growth in rooftop solar power over the long-term, recognizing the need to rebalance incentives for solar in response to changes in the market while providing a sustainable framework that supports long-term grid investments.

Leading French renewable energy firm, Neoen, and its local partner Megawatt Capital Investments, have been awarded a 20 year Feed-in-Tariff for the electricity to be generated by the first stage of the Hornsdale Wind Farm project, following the Australian Capital Territory Wind Auction.

The Hornsdale Wind Farm is approved for a total of up to 270 MW of which the first independent stage will comprise 100 MW. The project is located near the South Australian town of Jamestown, 200 km north of Adelaide, and will be connected to the National Electricity Market.

SunEdison Announces Dominion Partnership in 420 MW Four Brothers Solar Project in Utah

SunEdison, Inc., has signed a definitive agreement with Dominion, one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, establishing a joint venture (JV) for Four Brothers, a 420 megawatt (MW) DC, or 320 megawatt AC, solar project in Utah, developed by SunEdison. The project is now under construction and fully financed with an expected commercial operation date of mid-2016. The Four Brothers project is contracted under long-term power purchase agreements for 20 years with PacifiCorp (A-/A3), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Under the terms of the JV, Dominion will invest approximately $500 million to acquire 50 percent of the cash equity and 99 percent of the tax equity in Four Brothers, including funding of construction. SunEdison will contribute the remaining portion of the capital required to complete the project, which it has fully financed through a $150 million four-year term loan with Deutsche Bank. The total $650 million financing package fully funds the project for completion and long-term ownership.

Amec Foster Wheeler Wins Second CFB Combined Heat and Power Plant Contract in Poland

Amec Foster Wheeler announced the award of a contract by Fortum Zabrze S.A. for the design, supply, construction and commissioning for a new multi-fuel circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) steam generating combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Zabrze, in Southern Poland.

The plant will be 220 megawatts (MW) with a maximum production capacity of 145 MW for heating and 75MW for electricity generation. Commercial operation is planned to start by the end of 2018, providing district heating to some 70,000 households. The value of the competitively awarded project was not disclosed.

The new multi-fuel boiler will primarily be powered by refuse derived fuel (RDF) and coal but can also use biomass and a mixture of other materials. The amount of RDF can be up to 50 percent of the total fuel usage. The new plant will replace the outdated existing coal-fired units in Zabrze and nearby city of Bytom. The investment is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of operations and reduce CO2 and other emissions in the area.

· Entergy Arkansas looks to Phase out Coal use at White Bluff Power Plant in Arkansas

· Jacobs Engineering awarded Contracts for Jimah East Coal-fired Power Project

· Clean Energy Future is a Step Closer to building a New Natural Gas-fired Power Plant in Lordstown, Ohio

· Brunner Island Power Plant in Pennsylvania to burn Natural Gas in addition to Coal

· Jiangnan Environmental Technology launches Worldwide Air Pollution Control effort from US

· “Total Solutions” is the Hot Topic Hour on August 20, 2015 at 10 a.m. CDT

On Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts a 90 minute web meeting on important energy and pollution control subjects. These Webinars are free of charge to owner/operators of the plants. They are also free to McIlvaine Subscribers of Power Plant Air Quality Decisions and Utility Tracking System. The cost for others is $300.00 per webinar.

See below for information on upcoming Hot Topic Hours. We welcome your input relative to suggested additions.

DATE	SUBJECT	DESCRIPTION
August 20, 2015	Total Solution Options	More Information
September 10, 2015	Power Plant Pumps
September 24, 2015	Power Plant Water Monitoring
October 1, 2015	Power Plant Water Treatment Chemicals
October 22, 2015	Precipitator Improvements
November 12, 2015	Dry Scrubbing
December 3, 2015	NO_x Reduction