Holistic Program for Solution to Coal-fired Power Plant Environmental Problems

The battle over energy and the environment is mostly caused by confusion over values. A common metric to rate all harm will lead to agreement on a program which will:

·         Reduce greenhouse gases and pollutants by more than the present strategy

·         Create a big stimulus program with many new jobs

·         Reduce the deficit

·         Make the U.S. more competitive

Europe is moving away from gas and back to coal through reliance on ultrasupercritical coal-fired power plants and renewables. In the U.S. we enjoy lower gas prices, but the reality is that gas prices locally will eventually reach world levels.  EIA anticipates this increase and is forecasting that U.S. consumption of coal in 2035 will be higher than consumption in 2012 and near the levels of 2008.

Over the next twenty-five years, the U.S. will operate the oldest coal fleet in the world.  Even with compliance to all standards, these power plants will emit three times the pollutants emitted by new power plants. They will burn 30 percent more coal and the cost to operate them will be more than the depreciated cost of new power plants.

A common metric to measure all harm means that a numerical comparison can be made between alternative strategies and the path with the biggest harm reduction at the least cost can be chosen. All pollutants can be rated based on equivalent tons of CO₂ as per the following example:

This ratio is already established by EPA in its cost/benefit analyses for various rules. The relative values can be debated and a new consensus established. A tool called Quality Enhanced Life Days (QELD) can be used to help set this consensus.

Power plant operators are most concerned by what they call the Franken MACT.  The threat of sequential regulation of each harm individually causes confusion and potentially exorbitant costs. So consensus on a program for total harm reduction will result in clarity and cost reduction.

The most overlooked economic statistic is that a new supercritical coal-fired power plant will be the low cost option even if it is operated for only twenty-five years.  This means that the staunchest anti coal environmentalists will not be deterred from their 2050 goals.

Here is the total harm comparison between the present coal-fired fleet with all the proposed new controls and new supercritical coal-fired power plants:

Replacement of the old power plants with new ones would reduce harm by the equivalent of 3.3 billion tons of CO₂ per year. China has built more supercritical power plants in the last five years than would be needed to replace the entire U.S. fleet. These plants have the latest NO_x and SO₂ removal equipment, so it is not just Europe who is showing why the program is possible.

The following steps are needed for success:

·         Agreement on a common metric

·         A national plan which takes into account local concerns, but is not hostage to them

·         A method for encouraging investment in the new power plants

Dialog between all the different parties can be meaningful when addressing specifics such as the comparison of harm for specific pollutants.  So it is possible to achieve some consensus regarding harm values.

A national plan has to balance protection of individuals locally affected with the common interest. But guidelines will have to be set as to what constitutes a legitimate concern. These guidelines will need to be universally applied rather than on a case by case basis. (The common metric for harm can be applied here as well.)

If a plan is implemented which assures investors that the  regulations for the next twenty-five years will not be drastically changed without compensation, then the funds for a massive replacement of U.S. coal-fired power plants will be readily available. The result will be a reduction in the deficit and a more competitive position in the world market.

For more information on this subject contact: Bob McIlvaine, 847-784-0012 ext 112,   rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com.  Related information is also shown at Sustainability Universal Rating System.

Top Ten Air and Water Monitoring Companies Have 21 Percent of the Total Market

The top ten companies in the air and water monitoring market had 2012 revenues of $4.4 billion representing 21 percent of the $21 billion market. This ranking analysis has just been posted to the McIlvaine report, Air & Water Pollution Monitoring World Markets.  (www.mcilvainecompany.com)

The market share for the top five companies is 17 percent and only 4 percent for the next five companies.  There are many thousands of companies participating in this market with sales of less than $100 million.  The total market includes those companies providing periodic sampling.  They often consist of a handful of people with a modest investment in portable test equipment.

At the other end of the spectrum is Emerson which has complete automation systems for air and water monitoring and control.  It is also a major supplier of combustion analyzers including oxygen and carbon monoxide.  The forecasts include distributed control systems and PLCs used in the monitoring process. For this reason the top ten list includes not only Emerson but Yokogawa, Siemens, Invensys and ABB.

Endress + Hauser and Thermo Fisher have the widest assortment of instruments, but they are not at the top of the rankings because they do not supply extensive software.

The automotive test system portion for Horiba is included because it is centered on measuring the impurities in the gas discharged from engines. This is a substantial portion of Horiba sales and, thus, elevates the company to the top ten rankings.

Yokogawa is a $4 billion company. It is a world leader in the sales of DCS systems. It supplies both air and water instrumentation. Its software revenues were just increased by the acquisition of Soteica.  The acquired company provides optimization systems for controlling greenhouse gases, NO_x and other pollutants.

For more information on Air & Water Pollution Monitoring World Markets, click on:  http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106extsup1.asp

Many projects in the oil and gas industry are listed in our new service:

Here are titles of projects added to our new sales leads database in NO49 Oil, Gas, Shale and Refining Markets and Projects.

(Listed by most current date)

·         Sinopec Guangdong Oil Terminal EPC Project Won by CCCC Water Transportation Consultants  (Project  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Enbridge Provides Details on Southern Access Extension  (Project  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Singapore’s First Floating Oil Storage Terminal Taking Shape  (Project  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         ConocoPhillips Plans to Invest more in Shale Plays and Reduce APLNG, Oil Sands Stakes  (Analysis  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Namibia, Angola May Build Oil Terminal along Border  (Article  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Pembina Pipeline to Proceed with $1Bln Expansion of NGL Infrastructure  (Project  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Researchers Discover Solar Sponge Material to Help with Carbon Capture and Sequestration  (Article  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Alberta Still Supporting Carbon Capture Projects  (Project  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Subsea 7 Awarded $380 Mln Statoil Contract Offshore Norway  (Contract  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Iraq Begins Design of $18 Bln Oil Pipeline to Jordan  (Article  Dated:  3/18/2013)

·         Otto Energy Named Preferred Bidder for Area 7 by Philippine Energy  (Project  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         ExxonMobil & Petrom Sign Agreement for Romgaz to Participate in Black Sea Midia Block  (Contract  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         Seadrill Orders Two Jack-Ups from China’s Dalian for Delivery in 2015  (Order  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         Maersk Oil with Gulf Drilling International Signs Drilling Contract in Qatar  (Contract  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         Emerson Wins $33 Mln Contract to Upgrade Automation on North Sea Statoil Platform  (Contract  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         Aquatech Awarded Permit to Operate PA Central Water Treatment Facility  (Permit  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         Brazil Approves more Oil Exploration Blocks for May Auction  (Article  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         2H Offshore Awarded Steel Riser Contract by Llog Exploration  (Contract  Dated:  3/15/2013)

·         Statoil Awards Various Contracts for the Polarled Pipeline  (Contract  Dated:  3/14/2013)

·         Planned Pipeline Construction Completed in 2013 Climbs 73% from 2012  (Overview  Dated:  3/14/2013)

·         Loyz Energy Awarded Petroleum Service Contract in Philippines  (Contract  Dated:  3/14/2013)

·         Gazprom Neft Signs Kurdistan Halabja Oil Project Deal  (Project  Dated:  3/14/2013)

·         Illinois Fracking Bill Leads Way with Environmentalists, Industry Cooperation  (Article  Dated:  3/14/2013)

·         CB&I Announces $180 Mln Offshore Award for Project in Norwegian Sea  (Project  Dated:  3/13/2013)

·         Summit Power (Texas Clean Energy Will Use Scrubber and Wastewater Treatment )  (Project  Dated:  3/12/2013)

·         Summit Power IGCC Moving Forward  (Project  Dated:  3/12/2013)

·         BP Angola Awards Technip with Five-Year Contract for Engineering and Modification Services  (Contract  Dated:  3/12/2013)

·         DSME Awarded Contract for Dagny Topsides  (Contract  Dated:  3/12/2013)

·         Technip Awarded $40 Mln PEMEX Contract for Refinery Revamp in Mexico  (Project  Dated:  3/7/2013)

For more information on: Oil, Gas, Shale and Refining Markets and Projects.  click on:  http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=72#n049

Here are the Headlines for the March 15, 2013 – Utility E-Alert 

UTILITY E-ALERT  

#1116 – March 15, 2013 

Table of Contents

COAL – US

• Met Announces Contract Award from Amec for MATS Project
• B&W awarded Contract to Deliver, Erect and Commission a Dry FGD System for IPL (Iowa)
• Long-delayed Wyoming Power Plant could see construction Next Year
• Sierra Club sues DTE over Coal-fired Power Plants
• Remember 2000 and the Gas Plant Crisis? - There is a Reincarnation in Europe

COAL – WORLD

• Drax Modernizing UK's Biggest Coal-fired Power Plant

GAS/OIL – US

• FGE Texas to build New 726 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Mitchell County

GAS/OIL – WORLD

• Alstom signs Contract to supply Chinese Power Plant with Gas Turbine Generators
• GE to supply Turbines and Technology upgrades for Emirates Aluminum Smelter Complex
• Kobe Steel Conducts Environmental Assessment to Build Gas-Fired Power Plant in Moka

CO₂ 

• ADA-ES awarded 10 Contracts for Activated Carbon Injection Systems
• B&W to begin Second Phase of CCS Project

BIOMASS 

• Foster Wheeler awarded Contract for Biomass CFB Steam Generator in South Korea

NUCLEAR 

• First Concrete pour begins at Summer Nuclear Unit
• NRC denies Calvert Cliffs 3 Nuclear Plant License

BUSINESS

• Nuclear Power Plants Will Spend $1.6 Billion for Valves Next Year
• Race for World Dominance in Air, Water and Energy will be won by Companies not Countries
• Mergers create New Leaders in the $340 Billion Air/Gas/Water/Fluids Treatment and Control Markets

§  Hundreds of Active Projects in $19 Billion Canadian Oil Sands Market

• Dynegy to buy Ameren Subsidiaries in Illinois

§  Wood Group consolidates Gas Turbine Repair Centers

• Dominion sells Three Merchant Coal- and Gas-fired Power Plants
• CMI Energy and L&T to manufacture Small HRSGs for Asian and Middle East Markets
• Sempra Unit sells Natural Gas-fired Power Block for $371 Million
• 10th Clean Coal Forum 2013 (CCF2013), 13th-14th June, Beijing, China

 HOT TOPIC HOUR 

• “Inlet Air Pretreatment for Gas Turbines” was the subject of the Hot Topic Hour on Thursday March 14, 2013
• The “Industrial Boiler MACT - Impact and Control Options” will be the Hot Topic Hour on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 10 a.m. CDT and again on Thursday April 4, at 10 a.m. CDT
• Upcoming Hot Topic Hours

For more information on the Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System, click on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72

McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration

On Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts a 90 minute web meeting on important energy and pollution control subjects. Power webinars are free for subscribers to either Power Plant Air Quality Decisions or Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System. The cost is $125.00 for non-subscribers. Market Intelligence webinars are free to McIlvaine market report subscribers and are $400.00 for non-subscribers.

To register for the Hot Topic Hour, click on:

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.

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You can register for our free McIlvaine Newsletters at: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/Free_Newsletter_Registration_Form.htm.

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

191 Waukegan Road Suite 208 | Northfield | IL 60093
Ph: 847-784-0012 | Fax: 847-784-0061

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