Coal-to-Liquids and Coal-to-Gas Creates a Big New Market for Sedimentation
and Centrifugation Products
Despite the drop in oil prices, the programs to convert coal-to-liquids and
coal-to-gases continues. Centrifuges, clarifiers, hydrocyclones and other
sedimentation equipment will play a major role in both process separation and
wastewater purification.
The largest program is in China where more than one billion tons of coal per
year are slated for conversion. Other Asian countries are moving ahead with coal
to chemicals plants. The Ukraine has five plants underway to reduce dependence
on Russian gas.
Direct coal liquefaction uses grinding, hydrogenation and separation.
Centrifuges and clarifiers provide process separation. Indirect liquefaction and
coal to gas utilize gasification. The big use of centrifuges and clarifiers are
in water and wastewater treatment.
The economics and environmental impact of coal conversion can be greatly
enhanced by rare earth recovery. In the past, an outside source of acid to leach
the rare earths has been needed. McIlvaine Company believes this expenditure can
be avoided.
By using the chlorine in coal, the rare earths can be extracted in what the
McIlvaine Company believes to be simply the marriage of two proven system.
Making hydrochloric acid from coal is not a new idea. Using this technology for
rare earth leaching is new. The particulate and HCl emanating from the gasifer
are captured in a venturi scrubber. This is already the scheme used for the GE
gasifier. However, the proposed design recirculates acid to achieve a 30 percent
dirty acid concentration. A bleed stream with the flyash and acid is then sent
to a tank for further leaching. A number of additional separation steps are then
needed to produce the rare earths from the flyash. So this separation is another
opportunity for centrifuge and clarifier suppliers. For more on N005
Sedimentation and Centrifugation World Markets, click on:
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/2-uncategorised/119-n005
Power Plants Need to Think Outside the Box in Dealing with Obsolescence
The semiconductor industry has been reinventing itself continually. Moore’s law
predicted that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits
had doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented and would
continue to do so. The opposite is true for coal-fired boiler power plants in
the U.S. Most were built between 1950-1980 and are no more efficient now than
when they were installed. Whereas the Chinese assume an economic life for a
coal-fired power plant of 25 years, the U.S. tends to act as if the economic
life is 50 years or more.
Most of the blame for this lack of progress falls on the regulators but some is
also due to the philosophy of the operators. They have not been able to think
outside the box. The focus has been on power generation rather than supply of
useful products. A common attitude is “we are not a chemical plant and do not
want to be in the chemical business.” The steam plumes emanating from cooling
towers and stacks are a combination of wasted heat and water which could be used
by co-generating partners. Power plants should think outside the box and
consider a product mix which includes:
• Electricity
• Steam
• Chemicals
• Building materials
• Tipping fees for disposal of solid biomass waste from municipal and other
sources.
Steam: There is an initiative to reduce coal-fired power plant CO2 emissions by
30 percent over the next several decades. This can be achieved by shutting down
30 percent of the capacity or it can be achieved through cogeneration. Great
Rivers Energy has demonstrated that by building the Blue Flint Ethanol plant
on-site and through the new Spiritwood plant that it can achieve the 30 percent
reduction in greenhouse gases for the combined power and cogeneration sources.
A new hot gas filtration technology produces clean gas at 850oF. This will
reduce parasitic energy for air pollution control and also allow efficient
extraction of the heat in the flue gas. Industrial power plants have embraced
this new technology but the power industry has not.
Chemicals: Last week McIlvaine observed that two technologies (leaching rare
earths from flyash with hydrochloric acid and two-stage scrubbing producing
hydrochloric acid and gypsum) can be combined to supply a very economical route
for the U.S. to be self-sufficient in rare earth production. Other options
include fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate and various forms of sulfur.
Powders: Many power plants already produce gypsum used in wallboards. However,
there are products with higher revenue potential. Finely, ground pure gypsum can
replace precipitated calcium carbonate for paper coatings in magazines and other
glossy publications. Rather than produce gypsum, power plants can produce a
chemically fixed landfill product which encapsulates toxics and reduces
expenditures for wastewater treatment.
Solid waste tipping fees: New combustion techniques to gasify municipal solid
waste offer a way for utilities to generate revenues from tipping fees, reduce
coal consumption and reduce NOx by introducing the gasified waste as a reburn
fuel above the primary firing zone. Since air pollution systems on coal-fired
power plants must already remove air toxics, there would not be any additional
pollution control capital expense.
McIlvaine is presenting these options with a series of initiatives including:
• Weekly webinars: Hot Topic Hour Schedule and Recordings
• Free websites: Continuous Analyses
• Free knowledge systems for power plant operators: Power Plant Systems and
Components
• Subscription services for suppliers: Power Plant Air Quality Decisions,
Utility Tracking System, Chinese Utility Plans and Utility People
• Market reports: FGD World Markets, Utility Mercury Air Reduction Markets,
Fossil & Nuclear Power Generation: World Analysis & Forecast and Fabric Filter
World Markets
Headlines for Utility E-Alert –February 27, 2015
UTILITY E-ALERT
#1212– February 27, 2015
Table of Contents
COAL – US
• PUCO rejects Deal to have Ratepayers subsidize a Coal-fired Power Plant
COAL – WORLD
• ECC released for Power Plant in Cadiz, Philippines
• Siemens upgrades I&C System of GE Steam Turbines in South Korea
• OPGS Power's 300 MW Coal-based Power Plant Ready
GAS/OIL – US
• Siemens to supply Gas Turbines for Holland, MI Combined Cycle Power Plant
• Toshiba Steam Generator in Operation at Kemper IGCC Power Plant
• El Paso nears completion of First Two 88 MW Gas-fired Units at Montana Power
Plant
• Proposed Natural Gas-fired Power Plant in Texas moves forward
GAS/OIL – WORLD
• Scottish Parliament Members to call for New Gas-fired Power Station at
Longannet, Fife
• Wärtsilä signs Contract with Shanghai Electric for Emission Reductions to
Maltese Power Plant
• Alfa Laval wins Order to supply Compact Heat Exchangers to Middle East Power
Plant
NUCLEAR
• Construction of Belarusian Nuclear Power Plants on Schedule
• Kudankulam Nuclear Units 2 and 3 to break Ground in 2015-16
• GDF Suez wants Areva to deliver Nuclear Reactors
BUSINESS
• European Commission opens an in-depth probe of GE's takeover of Alstom's Power
Division
• AFS and Filtration News join McIlvaine in creating a New Route to Market for
You
• Major Shifts in the Market for Thermal Treatment of Stack Gases
HOT TOPIC HOUR
• Mercury Hot Topic Hour February 26 explores Ways to optimize Performance
• “Mercury Measurement and Capture” Hot Topic Hour continues on March 5th, 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
“Power Plant Wastewater Treatment Options and Obstacles Expand” – “Hot Topic
Hour” March 12, 2015
New effluent guidelines will require investments by utilities to discharge
cleaner wastewater. The air toxic rules are causing airborne metals to be
captured in scrubbers. This results in the need to remove selenium, mercury and
other toxics from the wastewater discharges.
The difficulty and time to obtain a discharge permit is leading many GTCC plant
builders to invest in zero liquid discharge systems. They may also utilize
treated municipal wastewater. New solid waste rules will eliminate power plant
ash ponds.
McIlvaine is addressing all the options and obstacles in “Power Plant Systems
and Components.” A series of webinars on power plant water and wastewater are
being recorded and included in the service. Live discussions are enhanced by
questions and comments from participants. So join us on March 12 and hear the
following presenters:
Jeffrey Tate, President, Agape Water Solutions
Brian M. Clarke, P.E., Water Treatment Project Manager, Kiewit Engineering &
Design Co.
Barbara Carney, Chemical Engineer, Department of Energy, National Energy
Technology Laboratory
Caroline Dale, Principal Engineer - Biological Processes, WATER TECHNOLOGIES,
Veolia Water North America
Click here for the Subscriber and Power Plant or Cement Plant Owner/Operator
Registration Form
Click here for the Non-Subscribers Registration Form
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.
DATE SUBJECT DESCRIPTION
March 12, 2015 Power Plant Wastewater Treatment More Information
March 19, 2015 Dry Scrubbing and DSI More Information
March 26, 2015 NOx (SCR, SNCR)
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