Dry Scrubbing Market Growing in Many Directions

Most of the market for coal-fired power plant flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is served by wet limestone systems which produce wallboard quality gypsum.  However, according to the analysis in FGD Market and Strategies published by the McIlvaine Company, dry scrubbers are starting to gain traction. There are a number of reasons:

·       Concern about water usage particularly in arid areas in the U.S. and China,

·       Ability to scale systems up to 500 MW in a single module,

·       New methods of converting the flyash/gypsum mixture into salable byproducts,

·       Saturation of the gypsum market,

·       Concerns about capturing other pollutants such as SO₃,

·       Regulations which dictate minimal capital investment (U.S.).

The U.S. has the most dry scrubber installations. Most are of the spray drier design.  But the recent Dry Fork installation of a circulating dry scrubber proved its ability to perform at the 300 MW scale in one module.   There are less than 80,000 MW of dry scrubbers on power plants worldwide. The U.S. has more than 25,000 MW. China now as an equally large number of units.

The other development is dry sorbent injection (DSI).  More than 50 power plants in the U.S. have opted for DSI primarily for SO₂ removal. This is a high operating low capital cost solution.  It is unique to the U.S. due to environmental regulations which discourage new power plants and raise concern about the future of existing power plants.

 A number of plants use DSI just for SO₃ removal ahead of the air heater. This allows greater heat reduction in the air preheater as well as limiting corrosion.

The need for DSI was in part caused by installation of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units for NO_x control. They convert 0.5 to 1 percent of the SO₂ in the flue gas to SO₃.  Since SCR is now widely utilized, the demand for DSI has risen.

For more information on: N027 FGD Market and Strategies, click on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/2-uncategorised/107-n027

Lots of Mergers in the Gas and Liquids Flow, Control and Treatment Market

In the last year there have been hundreds of acquisitions in the $400 billion market which treats and controls air, gas, water and other liquids.  These transactions and the strategy behind them are reported in Air/Gas/Water/Fluid Treatment and Control: World Market, published by the McIlvaine Company.  (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

The largest segment is industrial valves. One of the smaller segments is air filtration. Acquisitions in the last year in these two segments are listed below:

There are a variety of motivations involved in this market.  One is to expand the technology and product base.  Lydall makes filter media for HVAC but not for dust collection. Andrew makes media for dust collectors. So Lydall has more than doubled the filter media sales potential with the acquisition. Clarcor took a similar course but one step down the supply chain.  They furnish HVAC filters and with the purchase of BHA from GE they now are the leading dust collector bag company.

Another reason is to gain access to geographical market as witnessed by Curtiss Wrights’ Brazilian valve acquisition.

A third reason is vertical integration. An earlier acquisition by Clarcor moves them into the media business for face masks and HVAC.

Another motivation is to streamline companies and to make them more profitable. The SPX decision to separate its flow control from other businesses is a case in point.  Xylem is still in a repositioning mode several years after it was separated from ITT.

For more information on Air/Gas/Water/Fluid Treatment and Control: World Market, click on:  http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/27-water/445-n064-air-gas-water-fluid-treatment.

Renewable Energy Briefs

Huaneng Selects GE’s Brilliant 2.75-120 Wind Turbines for Chinese Wind Farm

GE announced it will supply one of the world’s largest power generation companies—China’s Huaneng Corporation—with 55 units of GE 2.75-120 brilliant wind turbines, to be installed at the Huaneng Dali Longquan wind project in the Yunnan province of China. The project will provide 151 megawatts of power, making it GE’s largest wind order in China to date. The deal also includes a service agreement for two years of operations and maintenance.

According to the Global Wind Energy Council, China added more than 16 gigawatts (GW) of wind power in 2013, accounting for more than 45 percent of the world’s total wind energy installations. The country aims to increase its installations to 150 GW of total wind capacity by the end of 2017 as a step toward a larger target of producing at least fifteen percent of overall energy output from renewable sources by 2020.

South Africa Department of Energy Awards 100 MW Solar Thermal Power Project to Consortium Led by SolarReserve and ACWA Power

The South Africa Department of Energy (DOE) awarded preferred bidder status for a 100 megawatt (MW) Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) project to a consortium led by SolarReserve, a leading global developer of utility-scale solar power projects and advanced solar thermal technology, and International Company for Water and Power Projects (ACWA Power), the Saudi water and power developer, owner and operator. The project was developed in response to the DOE's Round 3 (CSP) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The Redstone Solar Thermal Power project, with the lowest tariff bid to date from any CSP project in the country, is scheduled to achieve financial close later in 2015 and commence operations in early 2018.

The first of its kind in Africa, the Redstone Solar Thermal Power Project features SolarReserve's world-leading molten salt energy storage technology in a tower configuration with the capability to support South Africa's demand for energy when it's needed most - day and night. The 100 MW project with 12 hours of full-load energy storage will be able to reliably deliver a stable electricity supply to more than 200,000 South African homes during peak demand periods, even well after the sun has set. Fueled completely by the sun, with no back up fuel required, the project also features dry cooling of the power generation cycle as an important element to minimize water use. The project technology will be based on SolarReserve's successful Crescent Dunes project in the US, which is complete with construction and currently in final commissioning.

Dominion Virginia Power Planning Commonwealth of Virginia’s First Large Scale Solar Project

Dominion Virginia Power filed an application with the Virginia State Corporation Commission to build Virginia's first large-scale solar facility. The 20-megawatt project would be built on approximately 125 acres of land owned by the company near the Remington Power Station in Fauquier County.

The facility would contain approximately 90,000 photovoltaic panels and at peak capacity would generate enough electricity to provide power for 5,000 homes. The estimated in-service date for the facility is October 2016.

PG&E Plans to Offer Customers a Community Solar Choice in 2015

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) received permission from state regulators to offer electric customers a new clean energy program that will provide up to 100 percent solar power for a modest cost premium each month. PG&E expects to start enrolling customers in the fourth quarter of this year.

PG&E will buy energy for the program from newly developed small and mid-sized solar projects located within its service area. Participating residential and commercial customers can choose to cover either 50 or 100 percent of their energy use. They will pay the incremental cost of the new solar energy they consume, as well as related program costs. The initial estimated premium of two-to-three cents per kilowatt-hour likely will fall over time as solar costs decline relative to the cost of PG&E’s standard power, which is more than 25 percent renewable today.

Under a separate program option, customers will be able to contract directly with a third-party developer for a share of the output of a local solar project.

B&W Vølund Awarded Contracts for More than $200 Million for Biomass Power Plant in Wales

The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) announced that its Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, has been awarded contracts by Margam Green Energy Ltd. for more than $200 million to engineer, procure and operate a state-of-the-art biomass power plant in Margam, Wales. B&W Vølund’s consortium partner, Interserve Construction Ltd., will build the plant.

The plant will be designed to burn 335,000 tons of wood waste biomass annually and generate approximately 40 megawatts of electricity. The facility also will be capable of using municipal waste as a fuel source in the future.

The plant will feature advanced environmental controls designed by B&W Vølund and its Götaverken Miljö AB subsidiary, including a dry flue gas desulfurization system (dry FGD), fabric filter baghouse, continuous emissions monitoring equipment and an advanced DynaGrate® dynamic fuel combustion system.

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

“Gasification Air Pollution Control” is the “Hot Topic” on February 12, 2015

Gasification is the “Hot Topic Hour” next week.  Gasification of solid fuels is arguably the most important initiative of the present decade.  China may or may not convert 1.5 billion tons of coal to gas and liquids.  India, South Korea, the Ukraine and others are also on this path. There is enough of a need for enhanced oil recovery to utilize all the 8 billion tons per year of CO₂ generated by the world’s power plants.  The only problem is that the supply and the demand locations are not conducive to this utilization.  So why not take the global view.  Import coal to Saudi Arabia for power and enhanced recovery and ship more oil from Saudi Arabia to ROW.

Biomass gasification is a growing industry.  McIlvaine believes MSW gasification and then use as a reburn fuel in coal-fired boilers is a big potential.  This is particularly applicable to old coal-fired utility and industrial boilers in the U.S. They are near municipal waste sources and they need to take a different approach to make their generation systems more environmentally and economically viable.

Bob McIlvaine will address the markets and needs.

Keith Moore, President, Castle Light Energy Corp. will discuss gasification for existing power plants.

Mike Bockelie, Reaction Engineering will discuss the following: “Syngas Cooler fouling has been an issue for gasification plants. Most of our research has been for 2-stage gasifiers (E-Gas) systems, but is relevant to other high temperature gasification systems.  Our work was performed through DOE funded projects. We have focused on two mitigation strategies:

* soot blower technologies to periodically clean surfaces

* use of sorbents to capture and remove the vaporized metals that lead to deposit formation.”

Click here for the Subscriber and Power Plant or Cement Plant Owner/Operator Registration Form

Click here for the Non-Subscribers Registration Form

Headlines for Utility E-Alert – January 30, 2015

UTILITY E-ALERT

#1208 – January 30, 2015

Table of Contents

COAL – US

• Cabot Norit awarded Two New Contracts for Mercury Removal

COAL – WORLD

• K-Electric signs 700 MW Coal-fired Power Projects with CMEC
• NFEC signed Contract with Gansu Coal Group for Valve Products
• Neyveli Lignite to set up New 1,000 MW Thermal Power Plant in Tamil Nadu

GAS/OIL - US

• First Co-op Peaking Power Plant under Construction
• Tenaska Generating Station receives Greenhouse Gas approval from EPA

GAS/OIL – WORLD

• Nigeria Signs Pact with US Firm to Build 250 MW Power Plant
• Siemens to deliver Three Gas Turbines for Power Project in Peru
• OHL enters Mexican Power Sector with 60 MW Cogeneration
• Comisión Federal de Electricidad to launch Tender for Combined Cycle Power Plant in Sinaloa, Mexico
• Nampower (South Africa) to start building gas-fired Power Plant
• Clyde Bergemann receives US$10 Million Order for Dust and SO₂ Reduction Systems for Polish Power Plant

BIOMASS

• B&W Vølund awarded Contracts for More Than $200 Million for Biomass Power Plant in Wales

NUCLEAR

• Austria to sue European Commission over Subsidy Deal approval for UK’s $24 Billion Nuclear Facility
• Rolls-Royce to undertake Boiler Modification work at Dungeness B Power Station in UK
• Pentair wins Valves Deal for China Nuclear Power Plant

BUSINESS

• Haldor Topsoe and FLSmidth join forces to market Catalytic Filter Bag Technology
• Join McIlvaine at Valve Summit in Bergamo, Italy on May 27-28, 2015
• Chinese Coal-fired Power Plants will continue to spend more than other Countries or Even Regions
• Dry Scrubber Market will grow at 9 Percent/Yr

HOT TOPIC HOUR

• MATS Hot Topic Hour on January 29 covered Technology Improvements which will reduce Compliance Costs
• “Gas Turbine Regulatory Drivers” is the Hot Topic on February 5, 2015
• Upcoming Hot Topic Hours

For more information on the Utility Tracking System, click on:  http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/databases/2-uncategorised/89-42ei

McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration

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.

Click here for the Subscriber and Power Plant or Cement Plant Owner/Operator Registration Form

Click here for the Non-Subscribers Registration Form        

----------

You can register for our free McIlvaine Newsletters at: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&formId=5

Bob McIlvaine
President
847-784-0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvainecompany.com