January 2015 - Power Air Quality Insights 190

The market for consumables and hardware to reduce stack emissions of mercury is growing but not in the manner predicted a few years ago. This is the conclusion reached by the McIlvaine Company in Mercury Air Reduction Market. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

The first market for mercury reduction was associated with hazardous waste and municipal solid waste combustion plants. By 2000, most solid and hazardous waste combustors were required to limit mercury emissions. Most of the plants inject activated carbon ahead of fabric filters to capture mercury. The technology is wide spread with developing and well as developed countries employing the technology.

The size of the waste combustion plants is very small compared to coal-fired power plants. So even though mercury levels were higher, the total mercury emissions were comparatively very small. The U.S. has now led the way in regulating mercury emissions from coal-fired boilers. Despite a tortuous legal path, power plants will be required to meet tough limits in 2016.

As of 2013, it appeared that the U.S. power industry would be the main market and that activated carbon injection would be the control choice for nearly all power plants. The present outlook is somewhat different.

· China and a number of other countries are also moving forward to implement controls.

· Since laws are based on the best available technology at reasonable cost, efficiency requirements are likely to become more stringent.

Activated carbon will be only one of a number of technologies employed. Activated carbon will be widely used but other non-carbon sorbents are also proving viable. Wet scrubbers in conjunction with bromine chemicals are cost effective. Chemtura, Albemarle and other chemical companies are pursuing this market. A tail end module from W.L. Gore has been proven at full scale commercial operation.

Multiple technologies may often be employed. Activated carbon can be used in the scrubber or preceding the scrubber. Chemicals added with the coal can improve activated carbon capture as well as oxidizing the mercury for capture in the scrubber.

Cement plant industrial boilers and other industries will also be purchasers. A number of other emitters are now being targeted. Mines are a major mercury source.

China and a number of other countries are also moving forward to implement controls. Within the last few months, standards as tough as those in the U.S. have been adopted by some areas of China.

Higher removal efficiencies can be achieved at reasonable cost. The cost of very high removal efficiency has been found to be much lower than first estimated. This will lead to even tougher laws.

Major measurement problems have to be resolved. Uncontrolled power plants emit mercury only in the gaseous form. As a result, gaseous measurement in the U.S. is the only requirement. Unfortunately, activated carbon converts mercury to the particulate form. Some escapes control devices. So it will be necessary to measure both particulate and gaseous mercury emissions to determine the efficiency of the control device.

Wet Precipitators Could Capture 20 Percent of the Market in the Next Five Years

Presently dry precipitators dominate the precipitator market with a 90 percent share as compared to only 10 percent for wet precipitators. This ratio is going to change to as much as 20 percent wet precipitators within five years. This is the prediction of the McIlvaine Company in Electrostatic Precipitator World Market. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

Subject	2014
Total	6,555
Dry	5,831
Wet	724

Wet precipitators are more efficient than dry precipitators. This is the reason that the market share will increase. More than 90 percent of flyash emissions from coal-fired boilers are presently captured in dry precipitators. Wet precipitators and fabric filters account for the balance. Presently the wet precipitator share is only 2 percent. There are a few units in the U.S. which were installed to reduce sulfuric acid mist leaving scrubbers. A few others have been installed in new units to meet very tough new source performance standards. There are some recent installations in China. Japan installed several large wet precipitators some years ago. India has one unit on a relatively small municipal power plant.

China has very tough new particulate regulations. Certain provinces and cities will need to reduce emissions to 5 mg/Nm³. Dry precipitators cannot meet this efficiency requirement. The options are therefore fabric filtration or wet precipitators. Since dry precipitators are already installed in most Chinese plants, it makes sense to continue to operate them. The reason is that the precipitators capture the flyash which can then be sold rather than sent to a landfill. The precipitators are typically followed by a wet scrubber which captures the SO₂. A byproduct is calcium sulfate (gypsum) which is used for wallboard.

An alternative is the dry scrubber/baghouse which captures the flyash and sulfates in one unit. The flyash is no longer salable because it is mixed with the calcium sulfate. Uses for the mix are limited.

Fabric filter bags can be installed in the existing precipitator casing. This is one way to meet the codes and still have a salable product. China, however, is comfortable with precipitators and wet scrubbers and finds the use of wet precipitators on top of the scrubbers or downstream as the best way to meet the new codes. Several installations with the dry precipitator, scrubber, wet precipitator combination are successfully operating in Chinese power plants.

The investment by China to reduce coal-fired particulate emissions will be in excess of $5 billion per year. If only 20 percent of this investment is for wet precipitators, it will greatly boost the market.

Pulp mills, mines and certain other industries are also likely to boost their investments in wet precipitators.

Sun Edison and Omnigrid Micropower Company Partner to Bring Electricity to Millions in India

SunEdison, Inc., a leading solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, and Omnigrid Micropower Company Pvt. Ltd. (OMC Power), the first power company to transform the provision of electricity in rural India into a commercially viable, sustainable and scalable business, announced that they have signed a framework agreement to develop 5,000 rural projects, representing 250 megawatts (MW) of electricity, throughout India over the next three to five years.

Approximately 400 million people in India have no access to electricity, and even for those who do, the only options are often unreliable and expensive fossil fuel-based solutions. Building upon the 36 kW micro power plants OMC Power has already put in place across India as part of a sustainable and reliable rural electrification plan, this partnership will quickly bring electricity to 10 million additional people.

Africa-focused Renewable Energy Initiative Reaches Full Commitment of Initial $20 million Investment

The U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance (ACEF) initiative has reached a key milestone in deploying millions of dollars for renewable energy in Africa. In December, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which links U.S. businesses to global infrastructure opportunities, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, reached commitment of 100 percent of the initial project funds administered under ACEF. ACEF is an ambitious and innovative program to support early-stage projects to catalyze private-sector investment in the renewable energy sector in sub-Saharan Africa.

The ACEF program is designed to help promising clean energy projects develop into viable candidates for financing by providing small amounts of early-stage funding for essential inputs, such as technical and feasibility studies. ACEF serves a catalytic role to advance these projects and help attract private sector follow-on investment, which can help to fuel low-carbon economic growth in the region.

Since the program’s launch, OPIC and USTDA have committed funds to 30 renewable energy projects across 10 African countries. The initial $20 million of funding has the potential to lead to more than 400 megawatts of new renewable power in Africa and could mobilize more than $1.5 billion in project capital, a ratio of $75 for every $1 from the ACEF program.

Eaton Leads Electrical Modernization at Green Mountain Power Hydroelectric Facility in Vermont

Power management company Eaton announced it is helping Green Mountain Power (GMP) modernize, upgrade and automate the electrical system at its Proctor, Vermont hydroelectric plant. Under the contract, Eaton will update the plant’s power and control systems – allowing GMP to reduce costs, enhance reliability and manage the facility remotely. The project supports Green Mountain Power’s long-standing effort to deliver the most environmentally sound and cost effective electricity possible for its customers.

Eaton will design and install new electrical infrastructure at the century-old Proctor hydroelectric station, which currently includes five turbine-generating units that produce 6.9 megawatts of low carbon energy. Expected to be complete in January 2015, the modernization project includes the replacement of the excitation system, governors, turbines, control system and power distribution equipment.

With a fleet of 32 hydro stations across Vermont, GMP has one of the largest fleets of hydroelectric generating stations in New England. The facilities produce renewable energy at a fraction of the cost of most other generation sources.

RES Americas Executes Power Purchase Agreement with Wolverine Power Cooperative for 114 MW of Wind Energy

Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas), a leader in the development, engineering, and construction of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects in North America, announced that its subsidiary RES America Developments Inc. has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc. for 114 megawatts (MW) of wind energy and associated renewable energy credits in the Thumb of Michigan.

The wind power will be sourced from the Deerfield Wind Energy project, which is located in Huron County, MI. The project, located on approximately 20,000 acres in the townships of Huron, Bloomfield, Dwight, and Lincoln, will provide up to 200 jobs during the peak of construction and up to six permanent jobs once construction is completed. Currently more than 215 local landowners are participating in Deerfield Wind Energy and will receive landowner royalty payments from the project.

RES Americas developed and will construct the project and Wolverine, which is owned by and supplies wholesale electric power to seven members, will be the recipient of the 114 MW of electricity generated by the project. Deerfield Wind Energy is scheduled to reach commercial operation by December 31, 2016.

Trina Solar Announces Successful Grid Connection of 90 MW of Solar Power Plants in Xinjiang Province in China

Trina Solar Limited, a global leader in photovoltaic (PV) modules, solutions, and services, announced the grid connection of its 90 MW solar power plant located in Toksun, Xinjiang province, China.

Approximately 300,000 of Trina Solar's high efficiency modules with outputs ranging from 295 Wp to 310 Wp were installed in the 90 MW solar power plant in Xinjiang province. The solar power plant will be able to generate up to 118 million kWh of electricity per year, mitigating 108,300 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Once operational, the 90 MW solar power project in Toksun is expected to be one of the largest single unit solar power plants in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The power plant has been granted a 20-year subsidy of 0.95 RMB/KWh.

“FGD Blowers and Compressors” – “Hot Topic Hour” on January 22, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. CST

Most SO₂ captured in power plant scrubbers is converted to gypsum using agitators and blowers or compressors to inject air. An analysis of oxidation blower options for FGD with the history in the U.S. and China will be reviewed. The oxidation process is important due to energy consumption, impact on by-product quality and scaling potential in the scrubber. The main choices have been single-stage and multi-stage blowers. Recently Gardner Denver has been successful convincing Chinese utilities to choose the multi-stage design despite the longer experience with the single-stage units. - Keith Collins, Market Manager, CF Products, Gardner Denver Nash will discuss this success and will include the following comparison of the two designs.

This presentation will be followed by a discussion of the alternatives. Those with differing points of view will be encouraged to present their data and conclusions. This webinar is free-of-charge to power plant owners around the world. Since most of the new FGD will be in Asia and developing countries, this webinar will be designed to help them with their decisions.

· Public Service Company of New Hampshire seeks reimbursement for Merrimack Station Scrubber

· New Mexico Regulators prepare to consider Future of Coal-fired Power Plant

· Decision on Oxford, Connecticut Natural Gas-fired Power Plant required by May

· Entergy announces completion of New Combined Cycle Power Plant in Louisiana

· Ute Indian Tribe plans to build 1,000 MW Natural Gas-fired Power Plant in NE Utah

· PGE announced Port Westward Unit 2, Gas-fired Power Plant Now in Service in Oregon

· ACS (Spain) gets $323 Million Contract to upgrade Tula Combined Cycle Power Plant

· Sixty-five Percent of First Phase of Az-Zour Power Plant in Kuwait achieved

· Bechtel and Westinghouse establish Alliance to pursue Nuclear Decommissioning Work

· Snowy Hydro buys Colongra Gas-fired Peaking Plant from Delta Electricity for $234 Million

· TVA Board approves additional Pollution Controls for Shawnee Fossil-fuelled Power Plant

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
January 22, 2015	FGD Components Including Blowers/Compressors	More Information
January 29, 2015	MATS Compliance Choices	More Information
February 5, 2015	Gas Turbine Regulatory Drivers	More Information
February 12, 2015	Coal Gasification Air Pollution Control	More Information
February 19, 2015	Mercury Measurement and Capture	More Information
February 26, 2015	Power Plant Wastewater Treatment	More Information
March 5, 2015	Dry Scrubbing and DSI	More Information