Rapid Changes in the DeNO_x Market

The market to reduce NO_x from stationary and mobile sources is changing rapidly due to two factors:  regulations and innovations.  More stringent regulations in one country have a cascade effect resulting in increased stringency in many countries. Innovations in one industry eventually lead to incorporation in other industries but the pace at which this occurs is too slow. It is, therefore, necessary to take a worldwide holistic approach to NO_x reduction.

Regulations

China is the most recent country to embrace NO_x control for stationary sources.  A $20 billion investment has been made in adding selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to most coal-fired power plants.   Some sort of NO_x reduction device is now common for waste incineration and cement plants.  Gas turbines in the U.S. are held to such low emissions that they must install SCR.  Europe is considering equally stringent levels but presently is more lenient.

The most widely publicized regulatory dispute involves mobile sources.  Diesel powered vehicles in motion are found to emit much more NO_x than had been predicted through stationary measurements.  As a result, the market for SCR for mobile sources will rise at double-digit rates over the next few years.

Innovations

The ability to add DeNO_x capability to particulate filters promises to greatly reduce capital cost.  Several companies are offering lower temperature (350°F) combinations.  Others offer combinations which operate at 850°F.  Acid gas removal can also be achieved, so that one device is removing three pollutants.  Glass, biomass and incineration plants have added these 3 in 1 filters.  The coal-fired power industry needs to evaluate this success and determine if the technology is entirely transferrable.

The refinery industry has successfully used ozone generators combined with wet scrubbers to meet its DeNO_x requirements.  At the very least other industries should consider this technology as potentially complimentary to SCR.

The use of hydrogen peroxide in combination with scrubbers is another successful approach but one so far not widely used.

The cross pollination is highest for suppliers of reagents and catalysts.  Johnson Matthey is supplying both stationary and mobile catalysts.  Yara is supplying the urea and ammonia for all the applications.  Delivery is straightforward for the large stationary applications.  However, for AdBlue, the water, urea mix for diesel vehicles, the needs are for large numbers of delivery points with small quantities.

McIlvaine is facilitating the cross pollination in multiple ways.  A webinar is scheduled for March 24, in which technology in coal-fired power generation, cement manufacturing, waste-to-energy, steel and diesel vehicles will be shared. There is no charge to participate. Click Here to Register

The decision guides and recordings of discussions are displayed in the FGD & DeNOx Knowledge System.  Information on this service is shown at:  3ABC FGD and DeNOx Knowledge Systems.

This information is also included in the market report N035 NOx Control World Market.

Fossil Fuel-fired Power Plants can be a Positive rather than A Negative Contributor to Water Quality

Operators of coal-fired power plants and gas turbine combined cycle power plants can utilize municipal wastewater for cooling and other needs. When they also eliminate discharges through zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology they become positive rather than negative contributors to water quality.  Water lost through evaporation can be greatly reduced by heat extraction from the flue gas before it reaches the scrubber.  This also reduces total CO₂/MW and makes the plant greener in every sense.

The markets and technology for this approach will be discussed in a free webinar on February 25^th at 10:00 a.m. CST.

The various geographical markets will be analyzed.  China is embracing ZLD in its power plants as well as its coal-to-chemical facilities.  Gas turbine combined cycle power plant developers in the U.S. are selecting ZLD not only in arid areas but generally to avoid the need to obtain water discharge permits.  ZLD is the preferred option in Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries.

The availability and cost of treated municipal wastewater will be reviewed.  In general, power plants are near enough to municipal treatment plants to make the use practical.

Technologies to minimize evaporation losses will also be discussed.  The potential is being increased by new developments such as catalytic filtration at 850^oF.

China is making the largest investment in ZLD.  Huaneng Group, China’s largest power producer, has constructed a 1.3 GW state-of-the-art ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant at the Changxing Power Station in Zhejiang Province.

•The plant uses Oasys’ technology to treat the wastewater from flue gas desulfurization (FGD).

•The system treats up to 650 cubic meters of wastewater a day. Startup was early 2015. The system uses forward osmosis separation technology.

Aquatech has supplied ZLD systems for a number of power plants and coal-to-chemicals plants.  Enel has purchased several systems from Aquatech for its Italian coal-fired power plants. Aquatech has a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant in a coal-to-chemicals facility in Inner Mongolia. The ZLD plant incorporates HERO™ (High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis) and a Thermal Brine Concentrator. The plant will treat 2400 m³/day of wastewater and reuse 92.5 percent of it, producing 2000 m³/day of process water and 220 m³/day of distilled water for various end user applications.

China has some ZLD systems using evaporators but is leaning toward the cheaper route of using flue gas to evaporate liquid in the sludge. The spray drier approach is being offered by Mitsubishi, URS and other international companies.

The various approaches for evaporation of water from slurries will be analyzed.  One option is a falling film evaporator (inside the brine concentrator vessel) that is seeded with calcium sulfate to minimize scale formation.

Mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) is the method by which a blower, compressor or jet ejector is used to compress, and thus, increase the temperature of the vapor produced.  In this way, the vapor can serve as the heating medium for the ZLD solution being concentrated. The efficiency and feasibility of this process lies in the efficiency of the blower or compressor and the heat transfer co-efficient attained in the heat exchanger contacting the condensing vapor and the boiling ZLD liquid.  Several different blower and compressor options will be reviewed.

The discussion will also include the co-combustion of sewage sludge and the use of gasified sludges as reburn fuels in coal-fired boilers.

Click Here to Register

A full review of the options for coal-fired power plants is provided in 44I Power Plant Air Quality Decisions.  A full review of options for gas turbines is part of  Gas Turbine and Combined Cycle Decisions.  Both of these services are free of charge to power plants and by subscription for others.

Utility E-Alert Tracks Billions of Dollars of New Coal-fired Power Plants on a Weekly Basis

Here are some headlines from the Utility E-Alert.

UTILITY E-ALERT

#1259 – February 12, 2016

Table of Contents

COAL – US

·       TVA completes Scrubber installation at Gallatin, TN Power Plant

·       B&W awarded $18 Million Contract for Reheater Replacement at Coal-fired Pawnee Generating Station 

·       Regulator fines Duke Energy nearly $7 Million for Coal Ash Spill

COAL – WORLD

·       ICVL launches Tender for 200 MW Pit-head Power Project in Mozambique 

·       SSE may close Three Units at Fiddler’s Ferry Coal-fired Power Plant

·       Coal-fired Power Station expansion in Jerada, Morocco

·       Safi 1,386 MW Coal-fired Power Station under Construction in Cap Ghir Safi, Morocco

·       Dr. Narla Tata Rao 800 MW Power Plant Expansion in Andhra Pradesh, India

·       Proposed 552 MW Coal-fired Power Station in Lanao del Norte Province, Philippines

Adani's Coal Mine clears Australia Environmental hurdle

The 41F Utility E-Alert is issued weekly and covers the coal-fired projects, regulations and other information important to the suppliers. It is $950/yr. but is included in the $3020 42EI Utility Tracking System which has data on every plant and project plus networking directories and many other features.

McIlvaine Hot Topic Hours (HTH) and Recordings

     Explanation          Applicable Services         Schedule & Registration       Sponsored Webinars 

McIlvaine conducts periodic webinars which are in a discussion format and are free of charge to all participants. The displayed material and recordings are free to purchasers of the products and services and by subscription to others.

Format:  50-90 minute recorded discussion using Mcilvaine display material. The session will be free of charge to all participants but registration is required.

Approach: There are two types of webinars. One is focused on Markets and directed to suppliers. The other is focused on aiding purchasers make the best Decisions relative to purchases of flow control and treatment equipment and services.

Markets HTH
The general overviews of the market including size and major variables will be discussed with heavy emphasis on technology and regulatory drivers.  The presentation will be based on the latest information appearing in Mcilvaine multi-client reports. Questions and views from both subscribers and non-subscribers are encouraged.

Decisions HTH
McIlvaine has been publishing information systems on pollution control since 1974.  Each subject is organized by the pollutant control technology e.g. fabric filter, scrubber etc. There are search capabilities to retrieve information on any application.  The newest addition has been slide deck systems displaying the issues and options relative to a specific applications.  Coal-fired power, cement, steel, and waste combustion decision slide decks are continually updated.

The continually updated slide decks are displayed on the applicable decision system.  It is recommended that participants view the slide deck in advance of the session and be prepared with questions and views.

Value to purchasers and specifiers:  Your questions and interests will be prioritized in the discussion. You will get a monthly newsletter and have continuing access to the system and multiple ways to interface in the future along with a networking directory of suppliers.

Value to Suppliers:  You have the opportunity to provide data to be considered at no charge. If you are also a subscriber you will see the summaries in advance and be able to shed light on issues and options not properly covered in the slide deck.  If you are a subscriber you will receive the monthly newsletter and continuing yearly access to the system including networking directories.

44I Power Plant Air Quality Decisions  includes 1ABC, 3ABC, 4ABC, 9ABC decision services but not 2ABC. So those with multiple technologies and at least partial focus on power will find this combination most cost effective.

HOT TOPIC HOUR (HTH) SCHEDULE

Dates for the next 6 meetings are firm; the others will be held in sequence at approximately two week intervals.  Unforeseen developments could dictate the insertion of new subjects.

Click here to Register for the Webinars

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Bob McIlvaine

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