Pump Suppliers Utilize Acquisitions for Product, Application and Geographical Growth

A number of pump company acquisitions have taken place in the last year. All of these are chronicled in Pumps World Market published by the McIlvaine Company.  (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

Many of the purchasers of pumps are international companies and prefer to deal with suppliers who can support their projects in all areas of the world. A number of recent acquisitions are motivated by the desire to extend the geographical reach of the acquiring company.

Nearly half the acquisitions are associated with the oil and gas industry. This reflects the increased demand for high performance pumps in unconventional extraction.

Several acquisitions involve expansion of pump product lines e.g. metering pumps.  Others involve the purchase of companies with compatible product lines e.g. pumps and valves.  Alfa Laval has pursued this strategy to a greater extent than most of its competitors.  It supplies not only pumps and valves but the centrifuges, filters, heat exchangers and other equipment which requires flow control. So it can supply complete systems which utilize a higher percentage of its own products than most competitors.

For more information on N019 Pumps World Market, click on:   http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/2-uncategorised/116-n019

More Than 30 New Oil, Gas, Shale and Refining Projects per Week

Despite the lower price of oil, McIlvaine is still reporting more than 30 new projects per week in its Oil, Gas, Shale and Refining Markets and Projects.  (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

The low oil prices are discouraging exploration, but they are not slowing the plans already in place to develop known reserves.  Many of the projects require multibillion dollar investments.  The expected return on investment is already based on fluctuating oil prices over the twenty year projected plant life.

Saudi Aramco has just predicted that projects totaling $1 trillion would be delayed or canceled. Saudi Aramco itself has put on hold its deep water oil and gas exploration and drilling activities in the Red Sea and suspended plans to build a $2 billion clean fuels plant at its largest oil refinery in Ras Tanura.

Countering this perspective, Saudi Arabia's King Salman said that the kingdom would continue oil and gas exploration despite the fall in crude prices and vowed to build a strong, diversified economy.

The oil price drop will have an impact, but activity will continue at levels higher than that experienced in previous slumps.  Many shale projects will be at least marginally profitable when oil is at $60/barrel.

Some deep water projects (the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa) will be the highest-cost source of supply and will, therefore, be most sensitive to the fluctuating price.

The cost of capital for projects has decreased along with oil prices. This has the effect of lowering the break-even point for projects.

The level of new project activity is reduced from its highs over the last several years but continues at a level above average for the last two decades.

For more information on N049 Oil, Gas, Shale and Refining Markets and Projects, click on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/28-energy/471-n049

$7 Billion/Yr. Market for Filtration and Separation to Improve Product Quality

The markets for filtration and separation equipment and services can be segmented based on four major process categories:

·       Water intake and purification

·       Cooling and auxiliary process support

·       Wastewater treatment

·       Product quality and recovery

The $7 billion/yr. product quality and recovery market is the most profitable segment of the filtration and separation industry.  Filtration and separation is critical to product quality and recovery in:

·       Food and beverage

·       Chemicals

·       Pharmaceuticals

·       Petroleum products

The safety, color, consistency, taste and other qualities affecting food and beverage salability are modified by centrifuges, cartridges, filter presses, cross-flow membranes, automatic backwash filters, and filter bags.

Many chemical processes are a series of filtration and separation stages.  Separation of the final product from the intermediate is a major stage in pharmaceutical preparation.  Product purification is a series of filtration and separation stages in petroleum refining.

The largest single use of filtration and separation to improve product quality is in direct liquefaction of coal.  The steps are size reduction, filtration and hydrogenation.  The cost of thermal treatment used in conventional indirect gasification is avoided.  A large coal liquefaction plant would have a filtration investment of over $50 million.

Filtration and separation profit margins from the segments dealing with product quality are higher than other segments for the following reasons:

·       Higher investment is easily justified by a better product.

·       Each application technology is unique.  This creates a barrier to entry for those suppliers without the knowledge.

The product quality and recovery applications are addressed in the following McIlvaine publications:

N024 Cartridge Filters: World Market

N020 RO, UF, MF World Market

N006 Liquid Filtration and Media World Markets

N005 Sedimentation and Centrifugation World Markets 

“Power Plant Wastewater Treatment Options and Obstacles Expand” - Hot Topic Hour March 12, 2015

Power Plant Wastewater Treatment Options and Obstacles Expand Webinar - Hot Topic Hour March 12, 2015

With new effluent guide limits set to be promulgated later this year, there is lots of interest in technologies to minimize wastewater and to better treat the water which is discharged.

Revision Date:  3/12/2015

Tags:  221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, 221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, U.S. DOE, Veolia, Heat Exchanger, Forward Osmosis, Zero Liquid Discharge System, Selenium, Reverse Osmosis, Electrodeionization

With new effluent guide limits set to be promulgated later this year, there is lots of interest in technologies to minimize wastewater and to better treat the water which is discharged. A range of subjects were discussed by four speakers.

Jeff Tate of Agape explained that the pre-filtration-RO-Electro deionization combination is the desired approach to ultrapure water for power plants. The wastewater caused by the RO reject can be minimized with a second stage RO system.

Power Plant Wastewater Treatment by Jeff Tate, Agape - Hot Topic Hour March 12, 2015

Jeff explained that the pre-filtration-RO-Electro deionization combination is the desired approach to ultrapure water for power plants.

Revision Date:  3/12/2015

Tags:  221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, 221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, Agape Water Solutions, Wastewater, Reverse Osmosis, Electrodeionization

Brian Clarke of Kiewit provided a comprehensive analysis of wastewater treatment options. There are two factors impacting the decision

·         Meet NPDES effluent limit requirement

·         Minimize the amount of fresh water consumed

The ultimate reduction route is Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD).  Evaporated water can be condensed and utilized.

Zero Liquid Discharge Details and Water Chemistry by Brian Clarke, Kiewit - Hot Topic Hour March 12, 2015

Brian presented an analysis of wastewater treatment options.

Revision Date:  3/12/2015

Tags:  221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, 221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, Kiewit, Wastewater, Zero Liquid Discharge System

Barbara Carney of DOE pointed out that forward osmosis can utilize the waste heat in the the plant to purify water and this should make it attractive.  The forward osmosis program is one of four now underway in the wastewater sector.

Water Management in Thermoelectric Power Generation by Barbara Carney, NETL, DOE - Hot Topic Hour March 12, 2015

Barbara pointed out that forward osmosis can utilize the waste heat in the the plant to purify water and this should make it attractive.

Revision Date:  3/12/2015

Tags:  221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, 221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, U.S. DOE, Wastewater, Heat Exchanger, Forward Osmosis

Caroline Dale of Veolia Water reported that the moving membrane bio reactor has performed well in tests on FGD wastewater.  It is removing enough selenium to meet the new Utility ELG which will be promulgated later this year. Caroline was asked why the process was upflow rather than downflow. She replied, “The reason for operating the SeleniumZero column in upflow mode is to avoid compressing the absorption media. Since there are very few solids going into the column, we do not need the filtration function. “

Selenium Reduction by Caroline Dale, Veolia - Hot Topic Hour March 12, 2015

Caroline reported that the moving membrane bio reactor has performed well in tests on FGD wastewater. It is removing enough selenium to meet the new Utility ELG which will be promulgated later this year.

Revision Date:  3/12/2015

Tags:  221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, 221112 - Fossil Fuel 化石燃料, Veolia, Wastewater, Selenium

The entire March 12 recording can be heard at:  Power Plant Wastewater Treatment  
You will need to enter your name and email address after clicking link to view recording.

Headlines for Utility E-Alert – March 13, 2015

UTILITY E-ALERT

#1214 – March 13, 2015

Table of Contents

COAL – US

• Fuel Tech awarded Air Pollution Control Orders totaling $4.8 Million
• Duke fined $25 Million over Ash Pollution from retired Coal-fired Power Plant
• FPL files Petition with Florida Public Service Commission to acquire Power Plant it has under a Long-term Contract

COAL – WORLD

• Marubeni, Alstom win $1Billion Coal-fired Power Project in Thailand

§  Alstom vows to bring State-of-Art Technology to Krabi Power Plant Bid

GAS/OIL – US

• NRG Texas Power nears Permit for New Unit at Bertron Power Plant
• Lackawanna County, PA Planning Commission tackles Power Plant Issue

GAS/OIL – WORLD

§  UK Combined Cycle Power Station approved

§  Siemens to supply Four E-Class Turbines to Attaka Power Plant in Egypt

• Contracts awarded for 12 Gas-fired Power Plants in Thailand
• Largest Gas-fired Power plant in Alberta fully Operational

BIOMASS

§  Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S awarded Contracts for South Yorkshire Biomass Power Plant

NUCLEAR

• China approves First Nuclear Power Project since 2011

§  SCANA requests Update on Construction and Capital Cost Schedules for New Nuclear Units in South Carolina

BUSINESS

• SO₃ Poses New Challenges and Opportunities for Power Plants
• Lhoist to add Sorbacal SP Capacity
• Eversource Energy to sell Coal-fired and Hydro Power Plants


HOT TOPIC HOUR

• “Power Plant Wastewater Treatment Options and Obstacles Expand” was Hot Topic March 12, 2015
• Major Developments to be analyzed in Hot Gas Treatment – Systems and Components - March 19th Hot Topic Hour
• NO_x Control Options analyzed by Q & A in March 26, 2015 Hot Topic Hour
• Dry Sorbent Injection Options and Issues is the Hot Topic Hour April 9
• 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

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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