Utility E-Alert 1421

· Carper, Whitehouse discover Verbatim Text pulled from Second Industry Hunton Client in EPA’s ‘DTE’ Memo’

· Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania

· US Government sues Coal Companies owned by West Virginia Governor’s Family

· Romanian, Chinese Companies sign Deal on continuation of Nuclear Power Plant Project

· MHPS Receives Order for Two H-25 Gas Turbines at Distributed Power Plant in Zhuhai, China
Israel Electric Corporation Awards Contract to GE for HA Gas Turbine Technology

· Hokkaido Electric Power Company’s Ishikariwan-Shinko Power Plant Achieves Commercial Operation Powered by GE’s HA Gas Turbine

· DEWA Adds 700 MW to M-Station, Largest Power and Desalination Plant in UAE

· Challenges for Air Heaters and Big Potential for Heat Exchangers to meet New Power Plant Parameters

· All Equipment & Machinery from Presque Isle Power Plant to be Auctioned Off

Carper, Whitehouse discover Verbatim Text pulled from Second Industry Hunton Client in EPA’s ‘DTE’ Memo’

U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), top Democrat on the EPW Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, again urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General (IG) to open an ethics investigation of EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum and his deputy chief, David Harlow, after uncovering more evidence of potential conflicts of interest and questionable industry influence. This time, the conflicts involve the Air Permitting Forum, a second industry coalition housed at Hunton Andrews Kurth that is comprised of several companies for which Wehrum and Harlow have signed ethics recusals.

Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Pennsylvania

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action on a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania). This revision consists of regulatory amendments intended to meet certain reasonably available control technology (RACT) requirements under the 1997 and 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). EPA is approving most parts of the Pennsylvania SIP revision as meeting RACT requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA), while conditionally approving certain provisions, based upon Pennsylvania’s commitment to submit additional enforceable measures that meet RACT.

Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 90 / Thursday, May 9, 2019 / Rules and Regulations

US Government sues Coal Companies owned by West Virginia Governor’s Family

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has launched legal action against 23 coal companies owned by the family of West Virginia Governor Jim Justice over US$4.7 million in unpaid fines for violations of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act. The fines relate to over 2,297 safety violations between May 3, 2014 and May 3, 2019 at mines operated by the companies. The DoJ alleges the Justice companies have not responded to demands by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Treasury or the United States Attorney’s Office for the payment of the fines. Jim Justice, a billionaire coal baron who was elected in November 2016 as Governor of West Virginia, has stated that the day-to-day management of his coal companies has been handed over to his son, Jay Justice.

Despite China’s President Xi Jinping telling the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing that the plan “aims to promote green development”, a raft of coal agreements were announced at the event. Some of the deals announced were for the controversial 1320 MW Hunutru coal-fired power plant in Turkey, two coal-fired power plants in Pakistan, the 1960 MW Vinh Tan and the first 600 MW unit at the Nam Dinh plant in Vietnam, and the 600 MW Jambi 2 plant in Indonesia. Other agreements were signed for the Erdenet to Ovoot coal railway and associated road in Mongolia and a coal plant to service the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia.

Kosovo and London-listed power firm ContourGlobal said they had chosen a consortium of General Electric subsidiaries to build and equip a new 500 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in the Balkan country.

Although sitting on more than 14 billion tons of proven lignite reserves, the fifth largest in the world, Kosovo is struggling with power shortages. The new plant is designed to meet nearly half of the country’s power demand.

“The selection of GE as Preferred Bidder puts Kosovo one step closer to achieving a successful outcome of the process that began long ago with the support of so many international institutions,” Kosovo’s economy minister Valdrin Lluka said in a statement.

“Successful implementation of this project has the potential to reshape the overall economic perspective of the country,” he added.

The other bidders for the project were China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), South Korea’s Hyundai and a consortium of Turkey’s ENKA, Japan’s Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas.

The project is valued at $1.3 billion, with financing expected to come from a mix of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and export credit agencies, ContourGlobal’s CEO told Reuters in October. Construction of the plant is expected to start later this year.

Currently around 90 percent of Kosovo’s electricity is produced by two ailing coal-fired plants — Kosova A and Kosova B — which are among Europe’s worst polluters.

SaskPower's CEO Mike Marsh says the Boundary Dam will fall short of its 800,000 ton goal but did not say by how much. Marsh says he doesn't think the province's carbon capture and storage facility will be able to meet its yearly target for trapping carbon dioxide.

Marsh cited a tornado last summer that caused four generating stations to go off line as well as additional equipment failures at the carbon capture site. He also said the plant had to undergo planned maintenance in March.

The $1.5-billion facility near Estevan opened in 2014 and takes emissions produced by burning fossil fuels and stores them. Marsh says it has achieved its target for capturing carbon dioxide once and that was in 2016.

"We've had a number of years where we've had successive maintenance issues and other issues that affect not just the carbon capture plant, but the power station," said Marsh.

"Engineering teams and our operations staff continue to work on the technical issues that don't allow us to hit that 800,000 tons."

SaskPower reported the facility captured about 626,000 tons of carbon dioxide last year and about 507,000 tons in 2017. "I think it's a fair target," said Marsh of the current figure.

Any future expansion of carbon capture and storage technology remains up in the air. SaskPower shelved plans to convert two additional units at the Boundary Dam due to cost.

In November 2017, Marsh said while the technology itself was still worthwhile, the low cost of natural gas made that a more viable option.

SaskPower is eyeing the possibility of retrofitting the nearby Shand Power Station to give it carbon capture and storage capacity, but Marsh said any decision is years away and will depend on an economic assessment.

Georgia Power announced that plant equipment for Vogtle Unit 3 is now energized, or permanently powered, which is needed to perform all subsequent testing for the unit. With plant equipment previously running on temporary construction power, the completion of initial energization represents a significant milestone in the Vogtle expansion as the project moves from construction toward system operations.

"Initial energization is a major first step in transitioning the project from construction toward system operations," said Vogtle 3 & 4 Construction Senior Vice President Glen Chick. "With energization complete, we can continue moving into the actual testing phase for Unit 3."

Significant progress continues at the site, with the project now approximately 77 percent complete. With more than 7,000 workers currently onsite and more than 800 permanent jobs available once the units begin operating, Vogtle 3 & 4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia.

All first quarter milestones have been achieved including the placement of the Unit 4 pressurizer and the Unit 3 containment vessel top head, signifying that all modules and large components have been placed inside the unit.

Last week, Georgia Power filed an update on the Vogtle 3 & 4 project with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), affirming the expected schedule remains within the regulatory-approved in-service dates of November 2021 for Unit 3 and November 2022 for Unit 4, with no change to the total project capital cost forecast.

From the beginning of the Vogtle expansion, Georgia Power has worked with the Georgia PSC to pursue all available benefits for customers and minimize the impact of the new units on electric bills. In March, Georgia Power closed on $1.67 billion in additional Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees for Vogtle 3 & 4. With a total of more than $5 billion in DOE loan guarantees, Georgia Power expects to be able to provide more than $500 million in present-value benefits to its customers.

The projected peak rate impact to Georgia Power retail customers is 10.4 percent, with approximately 5.5 percent already in rates.

Bechtel Congratulates International Team on Chernobyl Completion

Bechtel congratulated an international team at Chernobyl for successfully concluding a critical test that signifies the completion of a decades-long effort to protect the environment. The massive containment arch is now complete and in place over the damaged reactor – 33 years to the day after the 1986 accident.The arch, known as New Safe Confinement, will protect the environment from further releases of radioactive materials, and protect the damaged reactor from weather, tornado, and seismic events. Bechtel led the consortium that designed the sports-stadium-sized arch that was slid over the reactor in 2016. Today, Bechtel is the project management unit, ensuring that engineering and construction meet the plant owner's strict quality requirements. Since 2016, crews have added walls to both ends of the arch and installed equipment to allow future dismantling of the damaged building and reactor with remote-operated cranes and tools.

The arch is the largest movable land structure ever built – massive enough to cover several Statues of Liberty.

"This is the day we've been working toward," said Oscar "Mac" McNeil, Bechtel's project manager at the Chernobyl site. "With construction and testing complete, we will soon turn over the facility and all systems to the plant operators. It's an accomplishment that required international cooperation and ingenuity to overcome the challenges presented by radiation and the environment around the plant, not to mention the Ukrainian winters."

Chernobyl's reactor No. 4 melted down in 1986. A concrete covering, hastily built over the reactor, developed cracks and became unstable, prompting the need for a longer-term solution.

Bechtel is under contract to the State Specialized Enterprise – Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Also playing key roles on the team are the French consortium NOVARKA, who constructed the arch, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which has financed the project along with more than 40 donor nations.

Bechtel is a leader in environmental cleanup and restoration of former nuclear weapons production sites and decommissioning of commercial nuclear plants. The company's experience spans nearly 40 years and includes the cleanup, remediation, and closure of nuclear waste sites in the states of Washington, Idaho, New Mexico, Tennessee, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina in the U.S. and at the Sellafield site in the UK.

EnergySolutions is to decommission the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant in Nebraska, which was permanently shut down in October 2016, under a contract signed with owner Omaha Public Power District (OPPD).

Fort Calhoun entered commercial operation in September 1973 and the unit underwent extensive operating and safety systems upgrades during an extended outage between 2011 and 2013. The 478 MWe (net) pressurized water reactor is owned and licensed to OPPD, but operated by Exelon since 2012. At the time of its closure in October 2016, Fort Calhoun was the smallest operating nuclear unit in the USA in terms of its accredited capacity. Although licensed to operate until 2033, OPPD cited market conditions, including historically low natural gas prices and lower energy consumption, as a major factor behind its decision to close the plant.

OPPD has previously said it will use the Safestor decommissioning option for Fort Calhoun, a deferred dismantling strategy where residual radioactivity is allowed to naturally decay over a period of up to 60 years, after which the plant is dismantled. It will cost an estimated USD1.2 billion to decommission Fort Calhoun.

"We appreciate the confidence OPPD has in EnergySolutions to work with the Fort Calhoun workforce to safely decommission the facility," said Ken Robuck, president and CEO of EnergySolutions. "We are confident this partnership will have tremendous success in safely decommissioning the facility on budget and schedule."

John Sauger, president and chief nuclear officer of EnergySolutions' decommissioning and decontamination business, said: "Utilities continue to recognize the value of the EnergySolutions Decommissioning Management Model. The only model of its kind, it is backed up by years of continued success at our commercial decommissioning sites."

EnergySolutions provided support for early nuclear power plant decommissioning projects, including those at Fort St. Vrain, Trojan, Connecticut Yankee, Maine Yankee and Yankee Rowe.

EnergySolutions recently completed the decommissioning of the Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor (SEFOR) in Arkansas. The company said it will also finalize decommissioning projects of the La Crosse plant in Wisconsin and the Zion plant in Illinois later this year.

Exelon Generation announced this week that Three Mile Island Generating Station Unit 1 (TMI) will shut down by September 30, 2019, as previously announced in May 2017. With only three legislative session days remaining in May and no action taken to advance House Bill 11 or Senate Bill 510, it is clear a state policy solution will not be enacted before June 1, in time to reverse the premature retirement of the plant.

“Today is a difficult day for our employees, who were hopeful that state policymakers would support valuing carbon-free nuclear energy the same way they value other forms of clean energy in time to save TMI from a premature closure,” said Bryan Hanson, Exelon senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.

“I want to thank the hundreds of men and women who will continue to safely operate TMI through September. We will offer a position elsewhere in Exelon to every employee who wishes to stay with the company and is willing to relocate, and we will do all we can to support the community, the employees and their families during this difficult period,” Hanson added.

Exelon Generation previously announced that the station would prematurely shut down, absent policy reform, due to economic challenges and market flaws that fail to recognize the environmental and resiliency benefits from TMI and other zero-carbon nuclear energy plants across the Commonwealth.

“Although we see strong support in Harrisburg and throughout Pennsylvania to reduce carbon emissions and maintain the environmental and economic benefits provided by nuclear energy, we don’t see a path forward for policy changes before the June 1 fuel purchasing deadline for TMI,” said Kathleen Barrón, Exelon senior vice president, government and regulatory affairs and public policy. “While TMI will close in September as planned, the state has eight other zero-carbon nuclear units that provide around-the-clock clean energy, avoiding millions of tons of carbon emissions every year. We will continue to work with the legislature and all stakeholders to enact policies that will secure a clean energy future for all Pennsylvanians.”

Exelon Generation’s highly trained employees will continue to operate the plant at world-class levels of excellence through September, with staff transitions expected within six months of the plant’s final shut down.

Over the past two years, Exelon Generation has worked actively with TMI employees to map them to other positions, and many have already accepted placement elsewhere within the company. Exelon Generation will continue to work with employees to support them during this transition.

Last month, Exelon Generation filed the federally required Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report detailing plans for TMI after its final shutdown, including transitioning staff in three phases down to 50 full-time employees by 2022. In the filing, Exelon Generation selected “SAFSTOR,” one of three decommissioning options for the plant, and outlined a plan to dismantle large components, including the station’s cooling towers, beginning in 2074.

Romanian, Chinese Companies sign Deal on continuation of Nuclear Power Plant Project

Romanian and Chinese companies signed the Investors Agreement in the preliminary form (PIA) regarding the continuation of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant Units 3 and 4 Project, marking a significant progress in bilateral cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Representatives of Romania's Nuclearelectrica and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) signed the agreement at the Romanian Ministry of Energy, in the presence of Vice Prime Minister Viorel Stefan, Minister of Energy Anton Anton, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Yu and Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor Guan Gang.

"New nuclear capabilities will play a key role in decarbonizing electricity production in Romania and in the region," said the vice prime minister, stressing that the project will not only provide clean and safe energy for the future, but also up to 19,000 jobs.

"Reaching a consensus in the negotiation process, mutually advantageous for both parties...is in actuality the effective initiation of the concrete measures to continue and develop the Units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)," the Minister of Energy said after the signing ceremony.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Yu said "cooperation in large projects is an important part of the construction of the Belt and Road and the highlight of the bilateral economic and trade cooperation."

She congratulated the two companies for making the substantial progress after years of efforts in the cooperation of nuclear power projects between the two countries.

"The Chinese government will work together with the Romanian government for the nuclear power project to start as soon as possible, setting a good example for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries," she added.

The signing of the agreement represents an essential stage of the selection process launched in 2014 from the technical and operational point of view.

The Investors Agreement in the preliminary form envisages the set-up of the project company (JVCO) having as limited aim to be the only technical and operational platform for the subsequent development of the project. The limit date for the set-up of the JVCO is 60 working days from the date of signing the Investors Agreement in the preliminary form.

The JVCO is a joint stock company, set up in compliance with local law and it will have an initial duration of two years.

Brian Shuming, general manager of the CGN Romania Nuclear Power Company, told Xinhua that the signing of the PIA marked a new stage of development for the bilateral cooperation. Going forward, CGN is fully committed to working closely together with its Romanian partner on the successful development of the next phases of the project in line with the agreed principles.

CGN signed a memorandum of understanding with Nuclearelectrica in November 2015 for the construction of two new units at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant in Romania, with an estimated investment of some 8 billion U.S. dollars.

Cernavoda is home to two operating Candu reactors, units 1 and 2, and produces around 18 percent of the country's electricity. The doubling of the production capacity of the plant through the construction of two new units represents a major competitive advantage in the medium and long term, according to local analysts.

MHPS Receives Order for Two H-25 Gas Turbines at Distributed Power Plant in Zhuhai, China

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) has received an order for two H-25 gas turbines for a thermal power station being built by China Resources Power Group, a leading power provider in China, in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province.

The units will comprise the core equipment of a natural gas-fired gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power plant with combined output of 120 megawatts (MW). The output of each gas turbine will be around 40MW, the highest level for an H-25 system. Operations are scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2020. The power plant, as a distributed power source in a local industrial zone, will supply electric power, as well as steam for manufacturing processes through a heat recovery boiler utilizing the exhaust from the gas turbine.

The power plant project is being developed by Zhuhai China Resources Thermal Power Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of China Resources Power Group. Construction is underway at the Fushan Industrial Park in Zhuhai City. As with the H-25 systems for the GTCC project at the distributed power plant developed by China Resources Power Group in Taizhou City, MHPS received this order through Harbin Guanghan Gas Turbine Co., Ltd. (HGGT), a member of China Shipbuilding Industry Group, a major producer of ships and marine machinery. The positive results from that project led to this latest order.

The equipment for the two systems in the GTCC facilities comprises the H-25 gas turbines, heat recovery boilers, steam turbines, and auxiliary equipment. MHPS will supply the main and auxiliary machinery for the gas turbines, and dispatch engineers to the site to oversee installation and provide guidance during commissioning. Also, to meet the strict local emission regulations, the gas turbines incorporate MHPS' proprietary multi-cluster combustor, which regulates the emission density of nitrogen oxide (NO_x) to less than 15ppm. This combustor is an application of technologies developed for integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems, allowing for low NO_x combustion by mixing the fuel gas with an ample volume of air to quickly produce a lean air-fuel mixture.

Israel Electric Corporation Awards Contract to GE for HA Gas Turbine Technology

GE Power announced that Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), the largest generator and supplier of electricity in Israel, has awarded a contract for the Orot Rabin modernization project to GE, which will include an order for a 9HA.01 heavy duty gas turbine. GE has also been technology selected for a second 9HA gas turbine unit with a contract award expected by the end of 2019.

Located in Hadera, the IEC’s Orot Rabin project will utilize GE’s HA gas turbine technology as part of the conversion of the existing power station from coal to gas generation and will be the first HA gas turbine in Israel. The order also includes the steam turbine, generator, HRSG, and balance of plant equipment—as well as a 15-year multi-year services agreement. When operational, the Orot Rabin power plant will provide more than 630 megawatts (MW) to the Israeli grid, becoming the largest and the most efficient gas power plant in the country and delivering up to four percent of Israel’s current total power generation capacity.

Hokkaido Electric Power Company’s Ishikariwan-Shinko Power Plant Achieves Commercial Operation Powered by GE’s HA Gas Turbine

GE Power announced that the Hokkaido Electric Power Company’s (HEPCO) Ishikariwan-Shinko Power Plant Unit 1 has achieved the start of commercial operation using GE’s largest and most efficient gas turbine: the 9HA. The plant is HEPCO’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled thermal power plant and combines GE’s highly efficient gas turbine with Toshiba’s most advanced steam turbine to achieve leading performance.

GE’s 9HA.01 gas turbine at Ishikariwan-Shinko is GE’s largest and most efficient turbine and will provide stable electricity to the island of Hokkaido’s residents and businesses. The power plant will also help modernize HEPCO’s power infrastructure while adding diversification and decentralization needed to provide reliable electricity across the island of Hokkaido.

DEWA Adds 700 MW to M-Station, Largest Power and Desalination Plant in UAE

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and President of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), inaugurated the extension project.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, noted that the total cost of M-Station with its extension reached AED 11,669 billion with a current production capacity of 2,885 megawatts (MW) and 140 million gallons of desalinated water per day. The expansion cost AED 1,527 billion and added new generating units with a capacity of 700 MW.

Before the extension, M-Station generated 2,185 MW of electricity from 6 Siemens F-model gas turbines, each with a capacity of 255 MW, 6 Doosan Waste-Heat Recovery Boilers for steam generation, and 3 Alstom steam turbines with a capacity of 218 MW each. The Project included construction of 16 fuel-oil storage tanks, each with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters and totaling 320,000 cubic meters of fuel-oil storage. The station generated 140 MIGD from 8 Fisia desalination units, deploying Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) distillation technology, each with a capacity of 17.5 MIGD and two dual-fuel-fired auxiliary boilers.

The expansion project comprises two dual-fuel gas turbine generators each with a capacity of 263.5 MW, two Waste Heat-Recovery Boilers for steam generation, and a back pressure steam turbine from Siemens with capacity of 173 MW. The expansion’s design increased the plant’s fuel efficiency to 85.8%, which is one of the highest rates worldwide. DEWA’s total production capacity is currently 11,100 MW of electricity and 470 MIGD of water production.

Air pre-heaters in coal-fired plants play an important role in maintaining plant efficiency. The heat transfer is only one of the important parameters. The operation will affect the performance of downstream air pollution control equipment. Some pollutants, such as SO₃, can be reduced in the heater itself. This can increase the need for soot blowing or other online cleaning devices. There is the chance of fires, so a monitoring and suppression system is warranted.

The large rotating vessel requires special bearing designs. SKF supplies high performance bearings, a lubrication system and condition monitoring software. So a total solution can include edge computer feed to a process management system. https://www.skf.com/caribbean/industry-solutions/metals/Services/SKF.como.html

Much of the expertise needed to operate the rotating air heaters in an optimal way resides in Europe and the U.S. With new process management software and remote monitoring capabilities, there is the opportunity for the air heater manufacturers to monitor units in Asia from other continents on a 24-7 basis.

Cloud-based process management systems can be receiving data from edge computers designed by the air heater suppliers along with edge computer feed from component suppliers such as SKF. There can be a hierarchy where lowest level decisions are made by the overall management system people e.g., Rockwell, Honeywell, Siemens, MHPS, etc. Specific decisions at the next level relative to the air heater can be made by the air heater primary monitoring individual. When more complex decisions need to be made, the decision is referred to a subject matter ultra-expert at the air heater company.

The 24-7 monitoring allows the air heater company to provide service as needed rather than on a routine schedule. The revenue potential for ensuring optimal performance at all times is substantial. As GE and Siemens have found out with turbine monitoring, the more units that are continuously monitored the better the insights relative to maximizing performance.

Fuel savings with the Ljungstrom APH are about 11½% for every 40°F to 50°F. The performance is dependent on the heat transfer efficiency. New element profiles with lesser pressure drops for efficient heat transfer with less power consumption, to improve overall efficiency of thermal power plants, have been evaluated at Brindavan University in India. In this research paper, two types of element profile (Flat Notched Crossed & Double Undulated elements) were tested using cold flow studies with the help of a wind tunnel and compared their performance at different Reynolds numbers. It was concluded that the Flat notched were the more efficient. http://inpressco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Paper94501-505.pdf

The Rheinhafen steam power plant has been supplying the region of Karlsruhe with power and district heat. The active units of the hard-coal-fired power plant provide a total output of 1,260 megawatts. In order to make the largest unit RDK 7 fit for efficient energy production, extensive modernizations were carried out in 2010 by the operator EnBW Kraftwerke AG.

Balcke-Dürr carried out the modification of the firing system of the hard-coal-fired boiler. The aim was optimization of the combustion process. This included a reduction in the development of nitrogen oxides, a reduction in the excess air and improved operational reliability.

The Balcke-Dürr team of experts reduced primary and secondary air leakages. The measures not only decreased the dust load of the burner air but also reduced the maintenance requirements of the air preheaters to a minimum. The replacement of the header-type high pressure heater, refurbishment work on a low pressure heater as well as the general overhaul work completed the total scope of services.

Since downtime is always very expensive for power plant operators, it was important to finish all measures within the shortest possible time. In preparation of the work, experts planned the entire workflow down to the last detail. The benefit to EnBW was not only the proven specialized knowledge of the Balcke-Dürr experts with regard to the various power plant components and equipment but also the full service without any interfaces: engineering, design, own manufacture and supply of components, installation and upgrade – Balcke-Dürr provided everything from one source. The greatest challenge – the extreme time pressure – was mastered by the team of 500 experts in spite of partly difficult general conditions. Especially with regard to the modification of the firing system, experts even exceeded the goals set.

Unlike tubular or plate recuperative heat exchangers, fouling does not cause deterioration in heat transfer in a rotary regenerative heat exchanger. Fouling increases pressure differentials and consequently fan power and leakage. Several proven cleaning systems are available to suit the degree of fouling and space restrictions, including:

Enamel coating produces an element with the combination of both corrosion protection and good cleanliness when used in the rigorous environments experienced in the low temperature, cold end layers of air heaters, and the even more aggressive regimes associated with FGD gas heaters and air heaters located after SCR DeNOx installations

Challenges for Air Heaters and Big Potential for Heat Exchangers to meet New Power Plant Parameters

The McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour webinar held in 2012 provided insights which are still relevant and warrant review. There is a big potential to optimize both air heaters and supplemental heat exchangers to meet new parameters for power plants.

John Guffre of Paragon Air Heater discussed the effects of using the air heater for SO₃ removal. He reviewed

The new parameters for boiler performance are creating complexities for the air heater. The quest for improved boiler efficiencies dictates lower air heater outlet temperatures. Lower outlet temperatures can result in greater corrosion. The addition of activated carbon upstream of the air heater is also a cause of air heater corrosion when brominated carbons are used.

One of the parameters affecting the impact of SO₃ is the rotational speed of the air heater. Another is the proper location of soot blowers. Operational variations are another. John cited the ability to slow down the air heater at night or at off peak conditions and increase the metal temperature. This can eliminate the ammonium bisulfate buildup.

Paragon Air Heater is looking beyond just the supply of seals and baskets to help guide the power plant in decisions which can impact precipitator efficiency, mercury removal, corrosion, scaling and SO₃ emissions. Corrosion of the air heater due to corrosion underneath brominated activated carbon deposits had been documented. Air heater chucks fell off within six months. John believes that adding bromine with the coal rather than with the activated carbon may reduce the corrosion problem.

Jon Lehmkuhler of Chemtura explained that their bromine is normally added as calcium bromide as a slurry with the coal. In the boiler a number of gaseous compounds are formed. It would seem that the gaseous form is less likely to be concentrated on the surface and cause corrosion.

Ed Levy of Lehigh Energy Research Center reviewed the latest status of the work on condensing heat exchangers. Pilot work has shown that the benefits on pollutant removal are significant. Furthermore, the flue gas contains 6 percent to 17 percent water. So capture and use of this water is significant. Amine and ammonia CO₂ capture units need flue gas cooled to 100°F. So a plant equipped with condensing heat exchangers would be carbon capture ready.

The efficiency improvements from heat capture are significant but McIlvaine speculates they could even be greater when considering the opportunities created. For example the I.D. fan downstream of the condensing heat exchanger could be axial rather than centrifugal. It could operate at very high efficiency on a smaller volume.

Charlie Bullinger of Great Rivers Energy updated us on their very progressive approach to capture the waste heat from power plants. He reported that the co-located Blue Flint ethanol plant which does not have a boiler but instead uses steam supplied by the Coal Creek Station is running at capacity. Despite high corn prices, the plant is competitive due to its cheap energy supply. He reported that the Spiritwood plant is being restarted and is now looking for an additional user of steam in addition the Cargill Malt plant. Great Rivers is continuing to look at coal drying as a way to improve efficiency. Great Rivers has success in drying North Dakota lignite and providing a 2.8 to 5 percent efficiency improvement.

There was some discussion over the new Moxie Liberty 936 MW gas turbine plant in Pennsylvania which will use shale gas. It will also use air cooled condensers. Ed Levy was asked whether Lehigh had looked at condensing heat exchangers for gas turbines. He replied that there has been some investigation and the application is promising.

One impact on air heaters could be the development of ceramic filters for power plant applications. Clear Edge has TopKat^® which removes both particulate and NO_x at 850°F. It can also remove SO₂ by the dry injection mode. The use of this device ahead of the air heater would eliminate particulate and reduce the potential for SO₃ deposition. John Guffre was asked whether this mode would allow more efficient air heater design. He replied that leakage and efficiency could be significantly improved under such conditions.

A number of other subjects were reviewed including the gas-to-gas heat exchangers employed by Hitachi and Mitsubshi ahead of precipitators to greatly improve particulate capture. The use of sonic horns in addition or in place of soot blowers was briefly discussed. Use of waste heat to beneficiate flyash included removal and reuse of ammonia and extraction of rare earths and metals.

Balcke-Dürr offers Regenerative Air Preheaters with rotating Ljungström-type as well as stationary Rothemühle-type heat storage medium. They cite features that can improve operation.

· Less fan power consumption and less fuel costs due to site-specific optimum in terms of leakage, heat transfer and pressure drop

· Less wear of seals thanks to high efficiency adjustable non-contact sealing system while at the same time reducing leakage mass flow rates

· Higher efficiency of downstream installations, e.g., filters and FGD units, through reduced flue gas flow after the air preheater

Balcke-Dürr provides all services for its own products and those of other companies. Verifiable improvements in performance can be demonstrated for

• Inspections, condition and damage analyses as well as modification and overhaul planning

• Supply, disassembly and installation of spare parts, wear parts and auxiliary units:

o Checking and setting of the pneumatic system, instrumentation and control equipment

Colfax Corp is pressing ahead with plans to sell its air and gas handling unit Howden as part of a shift to focus on the medical devices industry and has hired Goldman Sachs to handle the process.

An auction process for the 165-year old Scottish company, which makes heat exchangers and gas compressors largely for oil and gas companies, is expected to kick off shortly.

Colfax is hoping to receive about 1.5 billion pounds ($1.9 billion) from the sale of the business, which employs more than 5,000 people globally and has operations in 16 countries including Mexico and Canada. It employs 350 people at its main UK site in Renfrew, near Glasgow.

Howden, founded in 1854 and bought by Colfax in 2012, makes core earnings of more than 150 million pounds, two of the sources said, adding the business would mainly appeal to private equity funds due to lackluster interest amid industry buyers.

Goldman, was expected to send confidential information to potential bidders in February 2019.

LJUNGSTRÖM, a division of ARVOS Group, has made significant investment in their manufacturing operations in India by setting up new air preheater manufacturing site at Mahindra World City, Chennai. With a significantly higher production capacity of 16,000 metric tons per annum, and an upgraded state-of-the-art manufacturing process and equipment, the new facility will be the leading heating element manufacturer in the region catering to increasing demand for heating equipment in India and support LJUNGSTRÖM’s growth strategy.

Spread across 12,000 square meters, the new LJUNGSTRÖM facility is dedicated to heating element manufacturing, quality, testing and inspection. The facility will produce baskets with LJUNGSTRÖM’s latest profile of heating elements like DNF+, DNF, and DUN8 which claim most efficient heat recovery and superior cleanability. It is equipped with the most advanced manufacturing and testing equipment including advanced element crimping capabilities.

“India is one of the largest single markets for LJUNGSTRÖM in many areas and will also be one of the fastest growing markets as the installed base grows. As India’s economy is developing at a rapid speed, the country’s demand for energy will remain high,” said LJUNGSTRÖM President, Dave Breckinridge. “We are committed to bring genuine advanced LJUNGSTRÖM heat exchanger technology to India to support the existing power plant installed base with efficiency and environmental upgrades using proven JUNGSTRÖM solutions. The new facility will improve our production capacity, support our continuing growth strategy, and help us service our customers in India better.”

“We are on an exponential growth trajectory, offering high technology products to address the energy constraints by maximizing the utilization of flue gas heat recovery, thereby increasing the performance of plant equipment. This new facility will help us leverage future technologies that will focus on the triple constraints of energy efficiency, reduced emission and cost effectiveness at the same time,” said Pankaj Chopra, Managing Director, LJUNGSTRÖM.

LJUNGSTRÖM and SEALEZE announced a strategic global agreement providing exclusive access of SEALEZE brush strip technology to LJUNGSTRÖM for incorporation into their air preheater sealing products.

“The selection of LJUNGSTRÖM as our partner was logical for SEALEZE and consistent with our vision to expand our global reach in air preheater sealing components.” said John Lukow, General Manager of SEALEZE.LJUNGSTRÖM is now offering the new brush seals to their aftermarket and new customers immediately.

LJUNGSTRÖM has been awarded a significant contract for the supply of air preheaters and gas-gas heaters to the Indian market. The contract by Doosan Power Systems India (DPSI) is for the supply and delivery of eight Ljungström^® Air Preheaters and four Ljungström^® Gas-Gas Heaters for the Obra-C coal-fired electrical power plant in Sonebhadra district, and for the Jawaharpur coal-fired electrical power plant in Etah district, both in Uttar Pradesh.

This contract is for the two supercritical power plants, totaling 2,640 MW, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The four 660 MW boilers at the Obra-C and Jawaharpur plants will receive the latest Ljungström® air preheater and gas-gas heater technology, totaling over 9,000 tons of advanced heat exchanger equipment.

LJUNGSTRÖM has completed the heavy erection installation for a contract awarded by GE Power for the supply and delivery of a Tail-End DeNOx Ljungstrom® Gas-gas heater (GGH) for the ZW Nowa Power Plant; a 150-megawatt coal and heat plant in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland.

This contract, for the retrofit of the existing five OPG-230 boilers, introduced performance improvements and emission reduction in order to meet more demanding regulations on NO_x emission. The ZW Nowa installation, with GE’s own patented semi-dry NID™ modules, treats 1.600.000 Nm³/h of flue gas and is one of the biggest semi-dry FGD installations ever built in Europe.

Thermax has definitive agreements with German firms Balcke-Dürr GmbH and Mutares Holding-24 AG to buy their shares in its joint venture Thermax SPX Energy Technologies Ltd.

Thermax had a 51 percent stake in Thermax SPX Energy Technologies with Balcke-Dürr holding 26 percent and Mutares Holding-24 having the remaining 23 percent. "Subsequent to the acquisition, TSPX has now become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thermax Ltd,

Thermax is anticipating a rise in demand for captive power plants over the next four to five years as investments in large power projects are plummeting and utilities are unable to garner reliable supplies. Therefore, industries like food processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and automobiles are focusing on improving their capacities and planning to generate their own power, instead of depending on the unreliable grid infrastructure.

Thermax Group is a 750 million dollar engineering company based in Pune with presence across 86 countries with 27 international offices and 14 manufacturing facilities. The group also contains seven wholly-owned subsidiaries in India and 21 overseas.

Balcke-Dürr helps utilities operate power plants and has done so for 130 years. The company is based in Dusseldorf, Germany, and has further engineering and production sites in Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, China, and India. It has services for geothermal and concentrated solar as well as the following.

The company employs the following tools and competencies to meet specific challenges:

SPX Corporation sold the “Balcke-Dürr group,” to mutares AG (“mutares”), a German-based publicly traded industrial holding company in 2016. .Balcke-Dürr manufactures components for energy efficiency and the reduction of emissions in the chemical and power generating industry. The company is based in Dusseldorf, Germany, and has further engineering and production sites in Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, China, and India. In 2015, it generated revenues of €142m with 650 employees.

The future strategy for Balcke-Dürr is based on the development of its market position with the goal to access new international customers and industries. Balcke-Dürr is part of mutares' engineering & technology segment.

After a successfully implemented turnaround plan in 2017, the company is now focused on its growth strategy. After the acquisition of Donges Steeltech, Balcke-Dürr Group, has taken over the operation of the Heat Transfer Product (HTP) Division of STF Spa and STF France (“STF”). Its offices and manufacturing facilities remains located in Magenta, all engineering, quality and manufacturing capabilities remain fully intact.

This strategic add-on acquisition broadens the product range and provides synergies in engineering, construction and site services between the two companies. It aims at reinforcing Balcke-Dürr’s presence in the power industry both for the conventional and nuclear sectors in general and its footprint in Italy and France in particular.

Its efficient and eco-friendly technologies provide B2B partnerships to respond to the challenge of delivering products and services while guaranteeing margins and protecting the environment.

Ducon Infratechnologies Limited an emerging technology company providing solutions in the Industrial, infrastructure & digital space to multiple business segments across varied industries announced its latest FGD order.

The Company announced that it has received a FGD order from Chloride Metals, India's largest secondary lead smelter and production company for their Greenfield lead metal recycling and

pyro refining project in Haldia. Under this turnkey order Ducon will provide a complete system including Limestone FGD system along with particulate control system which will allow Chloride Metals to come with latest emission standards.

The Company continues to be actively involved in bidding on both power plant size and industrial size FGD projects, and remains hopeful to win some of these projects as and when they are decided.

All Equipment & Machinery from Presque Isle Power Plant to be Auctioned Off

After shutting down power generation in March 2019, all equipment and machinery located at Presque Isle power plant will be sold in a three-phase online auction. The plant originally consisted of eight power generation units, with 4 units going into service between 1975 and 1979. The 65-acre power generation station is located on the shore of Lake Superior in Marquette Michigan. The plant ceased operations at the end March 2019. All equipment, machinery and parts are available to purchase via auction. Interested buyers must register to bid online on www.aucto.com.

The auction is being conducted by NRI Industrial Sales, a company specializing in the marketing and sale of industrial equipment. Buyers interested in inspecting the equipment can make an appointment by contacting NRI Industrial at auctions@nri-isd.com or 1-855-550-7745.

Items to be liquidated in phase 1 include the following: MRO Spare Parts, Machine Shop Equipment & Machinery, Hand & Electric Tools, Test Equipment, Tool Cabinets, Ladders, Carts, and other plant support equipment.

Items to be liquidated in phase 2 including the following: Process Equipment, Coal Handing Equipment, Pumps, Motors, Instrumentation, Valves, Air Compressors, Diesel Generators, Filter Press, Screeners, Heat Exchangers, Condensers, and more.

Items to be liquidated in phase 3 including the following: Electrical Substations, Transformers, Motor Control Centers, DCS Control Cabinets, Recycled Materials, Consumable Metals and more.

Gardner Denver and Ingersoll Rand will combine and then split into two companies. One is industrial and one is climate-oriented. For the power industry, the companies offer compressors, blowers and multiple pump types. The problem is that Asia represents less than 20% of the present market for each company. 68% of the pump sales will be in Asia in the coming years. So the combined company will be challenged to better penetrate the Asian market.

Continent	2019	2020	2021
TOTAL	3,102.18	3,211.07	3,271.27
Africa	94.63	110.41	113.17
America	459.76	460.86	468.79
Asia	2,074.08	2,209.00	2,257.22
Europe	473.74	430.84	432.13

It has been shown that lower total cost of ownership can be the route to success in Asia. Electricity prices are higher, so that a pump or blower, which is more efficient, will compare better in Asia. In one case, Gardner Denver won an order for FGD oxidation blowers because of higher blower efficiency and despite higher price.

Ingersoll-Rand plc is to spin off its Industrial segment (Ingersoll Rand Industrial) and combine it with Gardner Denver Holdings Inc, creating an industrial company (IndustrialCo) valued at approximately US$15 billion.

Ingersoll Rand’s current HVAC and transport refrigeration assets will become a pure play global leader in climate control solutions for buildings, homes and transportation (ClimateCo).

IndustrialCo, which is expected to be called Ingersoll Rand and trade under Ingersoll Rand’s existing ticker (NYSE: IR), will be home to Gardner Denver and Ingersoll Rand Industrial, including Ingersoll Rand’s pending acquisition of Precision Flow Systems (PFS), which is expected to close by mid-2019. IndustrialCo will have 2019 pro forma revenue of around US$6.6 billion.

Gardner Denver CEO Vicente Reynal and executives from both companies will lead IndustrialCo. The IndustrialCo board will be headed by Gardner Denver chairman Peter Stavros and include seven Gardner Denver and three Ingersoll Rand designated directors. IndustrialCo’s corporate operations will be located in Davidson, North Carolina.

Michael Lamach, Ingersoll Rand’s chairman and CEO, along with the current Ingersoll Rand executive team, will continue to lead ClimateCo, which is expected to be renamed.

Through the “Reverse Morris Trust” transaction, Ingersoll Rand Industrial is expected to be spun off to Ingersoll Rand’s shareholders and simultaneously merged with and surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gardner Denver. Existing Ingersoll Rand shareholders will own 50.1% of the combined company, with existing Gardner Denver stockholders holding 49.9%. ClimateCo will receive US$1.9 billion in cash from Ingersoll Rand Industrial that will be funded by newly-issued debt assumed by Gardner Denver in the merger.

“This transaction will create a global leader in mission-critical flow creation and industrial technologies, and accelerate both companies’ strategic priorities of deploying talent, driving growth, expanding margins through increased efficiencies and allocating capital effectively,” said Gardner Denver’s Reynal.

Following the close of the transaction, IndustrialCo intends to grant all employees of the combined company—who are not already equity eligible—with an equity award in IndustrialCo.

“In the same spirit in which we granted stock to our employees during Gardner Denver’s IPO, we feel strongly that all employees of IndustrialCo should be owners of their business,” said Gardner Denver’s Stavros. “We believe in fostering an ownership mentality, and that this drives motivation and engagement, something that has been clear in Gardner Denver’s strong performance. We look forward to offering this equity award to all eligible employees of the combined company and working together to drive the business forward to create value for all of our shareholders.”

The transaction is expected to close by early 2020, subject to approval by Gardner Denver stockholders, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

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