FGD and DeNOx
NEWSLETTER

August 2019
No. 496

Table of Contents

OVERVIEW

• Coal-fired Plant Decisions Provides Guide to Lowest Cost of Ownership

INDIA

• Older Review of India Particulate and FGD Options

• Combining Particulate and SO₂ Control in India

• ANDRITZ Offers Improved FGD Scrubber, But It Has Been A Ping Pong Evolution

• Condensibles Become a Sematic Problem With FGD

• Indian FGD status

• SEIL Floats Tender To Set Up Two FGD Units In Its Two Power Plants

• 63,000 MW of Precipitator Upgrades Planned

• Biomass Reburn for NO_x Reduction

• FGD Increases Particulate Emissions In One Study

• Case for Dry Scrubbers for Indian Power Plant

• India Will Be A Major Purchaser of Dry Scrubbers

• NTPC March 2018 Tender for DSI for Dadri

• Overview of Tata Power Coal-fired Decisions

• March 2019 Environmental Report gives latest Status On Tata Joint Venture for the Maithon Right Bank Plant

• FGD for Mundra Plant of Tata --- September 2018

• Tata Trombay #6 Analysis of Switch from Fuel Oil to Coal with FGD and High Efficiency Precipitator

• Thermax Is Building Momentum In the World APC Industry

• Limestone Availability Is An Issue for Indian FGD

• SO_x-NO_x Conference Will Be Held In India In September

• Mostly Combustion Modification For NO_x Reduction At Delhi Area Plants

• Fortum Has Combustion Modification Order From Hindalco

• BHEL Has 13 Orders For  Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System to Reduce NO_x

• BHEL Has Order For FGD Systems At The 4x250 MW Nabinagar Project of BRBCL

• ECOMAK Supplies Precipitator Upgrades and the Venturi Option Could Be Combined With FGD

• United Conveyor Has Dadri Order For DSI

• Envea Pursuing FGD CEMs Market In India

• Johnsen Chemicals Has A Combustion Catalyst That Lowers Pollutants

• Steam Equipments Supplied CEMS to Tata Power

• EPP Provides FRP Scrubber Vessels

• Uniphos Provides Particulate and Gas CEMS

• LeBracs Supplies Rubber Lining for Vessels and Ducts

• CSL - Chemtron Science Laboratories provides Cannisters and Gas Handling Equipment

• Speakers at SOx-NOx 2019

OTHER ASIA

• Flue Gas Desulfurization Project in Vietnam Completed

• Mercury Workshop Slated for Vietnam in October

U.S.

• AEP To Install DSI But Not FGD

• Most U.S. Coal-fired Plants Elected to Install Pollution Controls Rather Than Retire

• Spray Dryer Is A Cost-effective Option for FGD Waste Treatment

• Dry Scrubber Users Will Meet To “Work Smarter Not Harder”

• Dry Scrubber Silo Busting

• REE Extraction From Coal Is Moving Forward

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OVERVIEW

Coal-fired Plant Decisions Provides Guide to Lowest Cost of Ownership

Coal-fired power plants around the world have lots of common challenges but each has its unique challenges as well. Utilities, consultants and suppliers have been relying on 44I Coal Fired Power Plant Decisions for 45 years to assist them in making the best choices. In addition to the organized online systems, McIlvaine is helping connect the appropriate individuals at conferences. Because of a huge expansion in the market for dry scrubbing and for upgrading precipitators, a special effort will be made at four upcoming conferences.

A coal-fired power plant pollution control silobuster program is being pursued to ensure that  Asian and African utilities can gain from the experience of the European, Japanese, and U.S. suppliers and operators. In the September-November period there will be a focus on dry FGD and precipitator upgrades. The urgency is due to a program in India which is likely to result in 60,000 MW of precipitator upgrades and 60,000 MW of dry FGD systems along with 100,000 MW of wet FGD.

McIlvaine has been publishing 44I Coal Fired Power Plant Decisions  for more than four decades. There are monthly newsletters in four areas including Fabric Filters, FGD & DeNOx, Monitoring and Electrostatic Precipitators. An intelligence system, directories, webinars and other components reflect the latest knowledge from around the world.

This service is free of charge to power plant operators and through subscription to others. A special effort will be made in the next three months to provide a forum to analyze the cost of various approaches to improving precipitator operation and utilizing dry scrubbers for coal-fired power plant exhaust gas. The material in the service will provide a foundation for face to face discussions at the four conferences. It will be permanently available to operators at no cost and available to other conference registrants for a one-month period coinciding with the conference at no cost.

This free access to all attendees at each of these conferences will facilitate the discussions and stand tour guides. The DSUA and SOx-NOx conferences are relatively small so no tour guides will be needed. Discussions will be informal. Pre-conference webinars will frame the issues. The newsletters are providing the basis for discussion. The current newsletters have information on each of the exhibitors at SOx-NOx. Post conference webinars will provide the takeaways.

On Monday November 18^th there will be a preconference workshop relative to advising suppliers on how to move into the international markets. Of the four speakers/instructors one is from  McIlvaine and one from Tata Consultancy. Another speaker is from XMPLR addressing data analytics, which when combined with remote monitoring can leverage the world’s expertise in any remote region of the world where it can be valuable.

McIlvaine will be using precipitator upgrades and dry scrubbers as two examples as to how suppliers can move into markets such as India. Attendees can then utilize the tour guides in the following three days to pursue collaborative ventures in the international market.

For more information on

Coal Fired Power Plant Decisions click on 44I Coal Fired Power Plant Decisions.

DSUA click on http://www.dryscrubberusers.org/

SOx-NOx  http://soxnox2019.missionenergy.org/

PowerGen 2019 New Orleans  https://www.power-gen.com/index.html

PowerGen Europe https://www.powergeneurope.com/

For more information on this initiative contact Bob McIlvaine at rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com 847-784-0013 or cell 847-226-2391.

INDIA

Older Review of India Particulate and FGD Options

This article is several years old but has some current value:  Precip upgrades are needed: For example, NTPC Rihand, whose performance is good (gross efficiency of 36 percent), is upgrading its 25-year-old ESP to meet PM norms of 50 mg/ Nm³. It is installing advanced moving electrode electrostatic precipitator technology in two fields (the remaining four fields in the middle will remain fixed-electrode type) of the ESP. This technology is expected to reduce emissions from around 400-500 mg/ Nm³ to 50 mg/ Nm³.

Relative to FGD, major power equipment manufacturing firms have signed patent agreements for SO₂ emission control technologies. Thermax has signed a partnership with Marsulex, ISGEC Heavy Engineering Company Pvt Ltd. with Amec Foster Wheeler, and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) with Mitsubishi  Hitachi. Domestic companies like Transparent Technologies Pvt Ltd have developed indigenous technologies for SO_x, however, they have limited experience of larger installations, NO_x and PM control technology and are mostly indigenous.

http://re.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/BAT-report-power-plants.pdf

Combining Particulate and SO₂ Control in India

A number of Indian plants will be relying on FGD systems to remove particulate, which escapes the ESP.

McIlvaine Company has compiled lots of  information, which is still relevant due to the fact that in the U.S., the first FGD systems replaced precipitators when the particulate limits were above 0.1 lbs./MMBtu. When the limits dropped to 0.05, the FGD systems reduced particulate emissions from the precip from 0.1 lbs. to the new 0.05 lb. limit. When the limits were reduced to 0.03 lbs./MMBtu, the  typical scrubber became a device which could either slightly reduce or increase emissions.

The conventional spray tower is very inefficient relative to particulate. Sieve plate scrubbers and rod deck scrubbers are more efficient. Venturi and rod deck scrubbers can operate at increased pressure drop  to remove very small particles. However, it might require 60 in. w.g. pressure drop to meet the 0.05 lbs. MMBtu. However, even at a 5-inch pressure drop, the rod deck scrubber will be highly efficient in capturing SO₂ and will be better than the tray tower for particulate capture. If some of the Indian installations still fail to meet the particulate limits after installation of spray tower, then a rod deck can be fitted into the spray tower.

ANDRITZ Offers Improved FGD Scrubber, But It Has Been A Ping Pong Evolution

ANDRITZ has an improvement on the sieve tray by offering a rod deck, which creates venturi- like orifices. The turbulence actually improves SO₂ capture but at an increased pressure drop. However, the liquid flow rate can be halved and still achieve equivalent efficiency at the penalty of a few inches additional pressure drop. This technology has a long history. Along the way ping pong balls were used instead of rods. This is appropriate since the evolution of the technology is closer to a ping pong game than any scientific progressive development.

Let‘s start in 1946 when Johnstone invented the venturi scrubber at the University of Illinois.

Ping # 1 - He really was not the inventor. McIlvaine research revealed that a patent was issued by an Austrian Duke before 1900 on a scrubber to clean town gas (coal gas). In 1946-60 the venturi scrubber was thought to be superior for particulate capture but not gas removal. Packed towers were viewed as the best acid gas capture device, but they plugged.

To overcome the plugging Environeering created a scrubber using marbles in a fluid state. UOP soon thereafter created a similar device using ping pong balls. Both were successful in many industrial applications. Bob McIlvaine had just become Environeering CEO prior to the delivery of the first commercial FGD scrubber to Union Electric in 1968. This was a partnership between Combustion Engineering (CE) and Environeering. UOP teamed with B&W and soon thereafter furnished a scrubber to another U.S. power plant using the ping pong balls.

Ping # 2 - There were temperature excursions and water loss, which cracked the marbles and melted the ping pong balls. Environeering had already discovered that a rod deck scrubber was equally as efficient and did not have the maintenance problems. The CE/Environeering partnership had several additional scrubber systems under contract. Environeering was unable to persuade CE to switch to the rod deck design except for a particulate pre-scrubber at Northern States Power.

Ping # 3 - These early systems suffered from lack of chemistry control. Therefore, the utilities decided to take out all the internals and just operate the scrubbers as inefficient spray towers.  Most of the evolution since has been to make a very inefficient device somewhat more efficient with better liquid distribution.

Ping # 4 - Environeering merged with Riley Stoker and successfully designed rod deck scrubbers for Cilco Duck Creek and Mississippi Power. After two years McIlvaine left Riley and started in the publication business.

Ping # 5 - Complete chaos in Europe!  Instead of adopting U.S. and Japanese technology, a dozen European companies became FGD designers. A relatively large market lasted for just a few years and then bankruptcies abounded. Weak companies merged and then the successors merged. It is therefore difficult to trace the ANDRITZ scrubber history. It may have started with Waagner Biro, an Austrian scrubber company, which competed with Environeering for BOF furnace scrubber systems in the 1960s. Austrian Energy was possibly a successor company.

Deutsche Babcock was a big FGD supplier. They purchased the successor to Riley in the U.S. and formed Babcock Power. When the hard times were well underway, Deutsche Babcock and Austrian Energy merged. Babcock Power became a separate U.S. company. Eventually ANDRITZ acquired some of the European assets and people in Austria and Germany.

Ping # 6 – Deutsche Babcock, before the crisis, had both the rod deck scrubber and the open spray tower. The U.S. people pushed to use the successful rod deck design as proven at Cilco and Mississippi Power. The German contingent prevailed and the corporation standardized on the open spray tower.

Ping # 7 - ANDRITZ designs a rod deck scrubber as an improvement but 44 years after the successful experience at Cilco.

Condensables Become A Sematic Problem With FGD

Whether compounds convert from vapors to liquids in the stack prior to the PM monitor or whether they condense in the ambient air, when they exit the stack, they are still the same pollutants. With FGD scrubbers, which cool gases, it is likely that more condensables will be formed prior to the PM monitor. This phenomenon creates challenges for regulators and operators. There are 1000s of articles in Coal-fired Power Plant Decisions on this subject as per the following examples:

PRECIP NEWSLETTER 

June 2013

No. 449

“Particulate and Condensable Removal” Was the Subject of the Hot Topic Hour on April 25, 2013

Kevin Crosby, Technical Director at The Avogadro Group, says that the performance of the APC equipment is defined by the test method used. When condensables are included, there is the potential for artifacts. With Method 2012 you may show high emissions but if you test with Method 39 the results are likely to be much better. With either method ammonia still causes artifacts.

1. Condensable Particulate Measurement Methods Questioned

...PRECIP NEWSLETTER November 2005 No. 358 Condensable Particulate Measurement Methods Questioned Measuring SO3 concentrations in flue gas is an important issue when condensables may be included in operating permits...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 329  -  9 Jan 2014  - URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/precipnl358/Condensable%20Particulate%20Measurement%20Methods%20Questioned.htm

2. Condensable Particulate Control May Be Required for NSR Permits

...PRECIP NEWSLETTER October 2004 No. 345 Condensable Particulate Control May Be Required for NSR Permits At Coal-Gen 2004, Kenneth J. Snell and Timothy P. Krause,...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 305  -  9 Jan 2014  -URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/precipnl345/Condensable%20Particulate%20Control%20May%20Be%20Required%20for%20NSR%20Permits.htm

3. 75 percent of Coal Fired Power Plant Particulate Emissions are Condensables

... September 2003 No. 287 75 percent of Coal Fired Power Plant Particulate Emissions are Condensables Louis A. Corio, Versar, Inc., Columbia, Maryland and John ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 275  -  3 Sep 2007 - URL:

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/mon287/75%25%20of%20Coal%20Fired%20Power%20Plant%20Particulate%20Emissions%20are%20Condensables.ht

5. Improving SO3 Measurement

...SO2 and SO3, which then form acid gases. Measurement of SO3 and its condensable compounds is the first step towards an effective strategy to manage and mitigate the balance...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 248  -  5 Jan 2011 - URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/precipnl420/Improving%20SO3%20Measurement.htm

6. Understanding of Condensable Particulate Emissions Needed

... FABRIC FILTER NEWSLETTER June 2004 No. 356 Understanding of Condensable Particulate Emissions Needed Particulate emissions from coal-fired power plants has two forms — filterable PM and condensable PM....

Terms matched: 1 - Score: 210  - 3 Sep 2007 - URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/ffnl356/Understanding%20of%20Condensable%20Particulate%20Emissions%20Needed.htm

7. Questions Surround Condensable Particulate

... PRECIP NEWSLETTER February 2005 No. 349 Questions Surround Condensable Particulate Although EPA does not regulate condensable particulates as such, several states have required, either through permits or ...

Terms matched: 1  - Score: 190  - 9 Jan 2014 - URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/precipnl349/Questions%20Surround%20Condensable%20Particulate.htm

8. Sources and Control of Condensable PM

...PRECIP NEWSLETTER February 2005 No. 349 Sources and Control of Condensable PM Although the accuracy of Method 202 may be questioned by the utility industry, many State agencies...

Terms matched: 1 - Score: 180 - 9 Jan 2014

14.“Particulate and Condensable Removal” was the Subject of the Hot Topic Hour on April 25, 2013

...AIR & WATER MONITORING NEWSLETTER June 2013 No. 404 "Particulate and Condensable Removal" was the Subject of the Hot Topic Hour on April 25, 2013 Jim...

Terms matched: 1 - Score: 147 - 2 Jul 2013 - URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/ppks/subscriber/2013 monitoring/monnl404/%E2%80%9CParticulate%20and%20Condensable%20Removal%E2%80%9D%20was%20the%20Subject%20of%20the%20Hot%20Topic%20Hour%20on%20April%2025,%202013.htm

Indian FGD status

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)’s Dadri Power Plant is opting for a Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) system for controlling sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions. It is installing equipment supplied by United Conveyor, which has an Indian subsidiary.

The Dadri power station had invited bids in March 2018 from interested manufacturers to install DSI technology. In the first phase, four power generation units with a capacity of 210 MW each will be targeted. The Invitation For Bids (IFB) laid out the technical criteria, wherein the bidder should have built at least one DSI system, “in a pulverized coal-fired unit, having flue gas flow of not less than 6,00,000 Nm³/hr., with sulfur dioxide capture efficiency of at least 50 percent..... The….System should be using Sodium Bicarbonate as reagent and should have been in successful operation for a period not less than one (1) year prior to the date of Techno-Commercial bid opening.”

The power plant has been asked by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to comply with the environmental norms for coal-fired thermal power plants by December 31, 2019.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which has been at the forefront of advocating implementation of the 2015 environmental norms, had recommended that the smaller power generation units (less than 500 MW) should be adopting alternatives to the FGD system to achieve compliance with the prescribed standard. Against the 300 mg/Nm³ standard prescribed for 500 MW units, the smaller units have to meet 600 mg/Nm³. In 2016, several representatives of the thermal power industry as well as technology suppliers had agreed to the utility of sorbent injection for the smaller units.

Moreover, sorbent injection is not a new technology. It is not entirely unknown to India. Sorbent injection with hydrated lime as the reagent has been in practice for a long time in the cement and steel industries in the country to control SO₂ emissions.

Plants in the Delhi region will be hard-pressed to meet the new deadlines.

Central Electricity Authority (CEA), along with regional power committees, drafted a plan last year for the phased implementation of FGD systems at plants. However, FGD systems have been commissioned for only about 1.8 GW of capacity so far, against the 165 GW of capacity where FGD systems were planned to be installed. Meanwhile, the equipment market has witnessed heightened tendering activity, with utilities issuing/awarding a number of tenders over the past few months.

According to the CEA, as of September, FGD systems have been commissioned for 1820 MW of capacity across three units at two private sector power plants — Tata Power’s 500-MW Trombay thermal power station (TPS) and CLP India’s 2×660-MW Mahatma Gandhi TPS (which is currently under renovation and maintenance).

Meanwhile, bids have been awarded for 27 other thermal power units aggregating 13,540 MW of capacity. With all these units belonging to NTPC, the company is leading the way in FGD implementation. Since September 2018, NTPC has awarded three more projects — the 2×110-MW Tanda TPP, the 1×500-MW Unchahar TPP and the 4×210-MW Dadri TPP.

Further, tenders have been issued for 66,640 MW of capacity across 162 units and tender specifications have been finalized for another 89,720 MW of capacity across 211 units. Apart from this, feasibility studies have been completed for 118 units with an aggregate capacity of 39,990 MW.

With regard to the key equipment providers for FGD systems in the country, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has emerged as the front runner. As of October 2018, the company has secured FGD orders for 32 units from various customers. Other key players include Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Reliance Infrastructure Limited, GE Power and ISGEC Heavy Engineering. Notably, domestic equipment providers have partnered with global firms for developing FGD technology in the country. While BHEL has collaborated with Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Japan, L&T has collaborated with Japan’s Chiyoda Corp.

https://powerline.net.in/2018/12/29/picking-up-pace-2/

SEIL Floats Tender To Set Up Two FGD Units In Its Two Power Plants

Complying with environmental norms, Sembcorp Energy India (SEIL) has floated a tender to set up two flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) units worth over Rs 1000 crore in its two power plants with a total capacity of 2640 MW in Andhra Pradesh.

The company is in the process of setting up the FGD units and has invited bids for the same as per tender document. SEIL, which is the India arm of Singapore-based Sembcorp group, has a portfolio of 4.37 GW, including some under-construction plants. This includes thermal power generation capacity of 2.64 GW and over 1.7 GW renewable energy capacity.

The company, like other thermal power firms, has been mandated to set up the FGD plants following a directive from the CPCB in December 2017, through which, all thermal power units were asked to install FGD systems in their plants by 2022 to control sulfur dioxide emissions. The timeline was set following a phased implementation plan prepared by the Central Electricity Authority to install FGD units in 414 thermal plants having a cumulative capacity of 161,402 MW and upgrade electrostatic precipitator in 222 thermal plants with a cumulative capacity of 64,525 MW.

63,000 MW of Precipitator Upgrades Planned

Over the next few years 60,000 MW of precipitator upgrades will be needed to meet the new particulate emission limits.

Biomass Reburn for NO_x Reduction

Biomass reburn will be a good option for Indian power plants to meet the new NO_x limits.

Biomass reburn has the advantage of net CO₂ reduction as well as reducing NO_x. This is an 8-year old study, but we will pursue the authors for any updates. Ping Lu -Nanjing Normal University, Jiang Wu Shanghai - University of Electric Power, wei-ping Pan Western Kentucky University.

The effects of biomass types (including cotton stalk, wheat straw, rice husk, and rice straw), the stoichiometric ratio in the reburning-zone (SR2), the reaction temperature in the reburning-zone (t2), the particle sizes of biomass reburning fuels (dp), and the reburning fuel fraction (Rff) on NO reduction efficiency during biomass reburning were investigated systematically in an entrained flow reactor. The NO heterogeneous reduction mechanism resulting from the reburning of wheat straw and its char was analyzed. The results indicated that cotton stalk has the best performance of NO reduction, wheat straw is in second place, and rice husk and rice straw are less effective. In the range of t2 = 900–1100°C NO reduction efficiency increases when the reburning-zone reaction temperature is increased at the same SR2. NO reduction efficiency increases insignificantly with a decrease in the particle size of the biomass with dp < 425 μm. NO reduction efficiency follows a pattern of first increasing and then decreasing with the decreasing of the SR2 or the increasing of the Rff. The higher NO reduction efficiency (more than 50 percent) can be achieved in the range of SR2 = 0.7–0.8 or Rff = 20–25 percent during reburning with the four types of biomass. The contribution of NO heterogeneous reduction by wheat straw char to the total NO reduction was in the higher range of 59–68 percent, whereas the Rff was in the range of 10–26 percent.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231272890_Study_on_NO_Reduction_and_Its_Heterogeneous_Mechanism_through_Biomass_Reburning_in_an_Entrained_Flow_Reactor

FGD Increases Particulate Emissions In One Study

This is an 8-year old study showing increases in particulate emission through the FGD. The U.S. experience is that well-operated FGD systems aid in particulate reduction and that condensables are not increased but that they can occur in the stack and be measured by the PM monitor rather than forming after they leave the stack.  In either case the net effect is the same. We will contact the authors including Ping.

Ping Lu

Yongqiao Wang

Zhen Huang

Yongsheng Liu

Particulate matter emissions of filterable particulate matter (FPM), condensable PM (CPM), PM₁₀, and PM_2.5 at FGD inlet and stack in a coal-fired power plant were measured by EPA method 201A and method 202. The results indicated that emissions of total particulate matter (TPM) are 40.99 mg/m³ and 120.58mg/m³, and the filterable PMs are the highest emissions at both sampling locations which accounted for 76.3 percent and 75.4 percent of TPM, the PM₁₀ are 14.73mg/m³ and 88.23 mg/m³, the PM_2.5 are 3.17mg/m³ and 52.15mg/m³ at FGD inlet and stack, respectively. The concentration of PMs in flue gas increases significantly after the flue gas passes through the FGD unit. The increase values of PM₁₀/FPM and PM_2.5/FPM ratios are 106 percent and 266 percent, respectively, but the CPM/TPM ratio is almost at the same level (23.7~24.6mg/m³) after the flue gas passes through the FGD. The test indicated that FGD operation has a significant effect on particulate matters emission due to releasing finer particles and part volatile metals in FGD slurry. Some measures should be taken to control PM emissions for a utility boiler equipped with an FGD unit.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251941237_Particulate_Matter_Emissions_from_aCoal-Fired_Power_Plant

Case for Dry Scrubbers for Indian Power Plant

Bob Giglio of SHI FW makes a case for CFB dry scrubbers for the 60,000 MW of coal-fired power plants in India, which are less than 500 MW and are older. SHI-FW has provided CFB dry scrubbers with a capacity of 300 MW both to China and the U.S. Advantages include the low water requirements.

https://www.shi-fw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CFB-scrubbers-make-a-Case-for-India-SHI-FW-TEI-Times-March-2019.pdf

India Will Be A Major Purchaser of Dry Scrubbers

India is predicted to purchase dry scrubbers to clean 180 million CFM over the next five years. This is the latest forecast in N027 FGD Market and Strategies. The bulk of the investment will be for coal-fired power plants. There will be some installations in waste-to-energy, cement, steel and other industrial applications.

India will join China and the U.S. as the leading three dry scrubber purchasers. Dry scrubbing includes semi dry scrubbers, circulating dry scrubbers and direct sorbent injection. United Conveyor Corp. has an order for 4 x 250-MW direct sorbent injection systems at the Dadri plant of  NTPC.

The market surge will be due to new rules that allow older smaller power plants to discharge higher levels of SO₂ than others. It is anticipated that 50,000 MW of Indian power plans will be fitted with dry scrubbers over the next three years.

Dry scrubbers are more economical than wet scrubbers when the emission rates are higher and the sulfur in the fuel is lower. Dry scrubbers use higher cost lime or sodium compounds whereas wet scrubbers utilize ground limestone. However, the capital cost of wet scrubbers is more than twice that of CDS and semi dry scrubbers. Direct sorbent injection is very low in capital cost but very high in reagent cost.

Direct sorbent injection can be used to supplement other systems. DSI can be used in conjunction with semi dry systems to maintain efficiency at higher sulfur levels. DSI can also be used ahead of the air heater to react with SO₃ and allow the air heater to be operated to extract more heat without corrosion.

For more information on this report click on N027 FGD Market and Strategies.

Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at office 847-784-0013 cell 847-226-2391 or email him at rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com.

NTPC March 2018 Tender for DSI for Dadri

The scope of Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) System Package for NCTPP, Dadri, Stage-I (4x210 MW) for four units of 210 MW shall cover design, engineering, manufacture, shop fabrication, preassembly, shop testing/type testing at manufacturer’s works, packing, transportation, unloading handling and conservation of equipment at site, complete services of construction including erection, supervision, pre-commissioning, commissioning and performance testing of equipment under bidder’s scope of work of Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) System and its associated auxiliaries including all associated Electrical, Control & Instrumentation, Civil, Structural and Architecture works. Dry Sorbent Injection System shall use Sodium Bicarbonate as reagent.

http://www.ntpctender.com/uploads/job_23882.html

Overview of Tata Power Coal-fired Decisions

Presently, thermal power accounts for around 70 percent of Tata Power’s portfolio. But the current energy mix is part of the company’s long-term legacy before 2013 when renewable energy was pricier compared with competitive coal-fired power.

“The company’s plan, ‘Strategic Intent 2025’ calls for up to 70 percent of new capacity additions to come from solar, wind and hydro through to 2025. This represents a significant departure from the accepted wisdom of just a few years ago that a major expansion of coal-fired power would be required to serve India’s growing electricity demand,” said Simon Nicholas, energy finance analyst at IEEFA.

The majority of Tata Power’s thermal capacity is now centered on its 4150 MW Mundra coal-fired power plant — one of the biggest power plants in India — which experienced losses reaching $191 million for the first three-quarters of Fiscal Year 2019.

Since 2012-13, net thermal capacity addition by Tata Power is only 68 MW, factoring in the decommissioning of vintage power units. Over the comparable period, the company added solar and wind power capacities upwards of 2000 MW. Tata Power acquired Welspun Energy’s renewable portfolio of over 1 GW in 2016. In total, non-thermal power additions consist of 97 percent of all additions over this period.

The dramatic turnaround in the generation growth plan of India’s largest integrated power company is encapsulated in the title of Tata Power’s most recent 2018 annual report, “Renewables to Power Growth.” The introduction to the annual report states that “the Company has embarked on a journey of growth by focusing on renewables, distribution and transmission of power.” Tata Power is currently a significant player in the coal-fired power, renewables, transmission and distribution sectors. The company also has a presence in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, solar photovoltaic manufacturing and is India’s largest installer of rooftop solar.

With more than 40 GW of existing coal-fired power plants under financial stress in India, Tata Power is seeking to only add new coal-fired power capacity via fire-sale acquisition, at 30 percent-40 percent of historical Among the projects to have been cancelled or shelved are units 6 and 7 of the Mundra plant (1660 MW). Another proposal to be fueled by imported coal was the 2400 MW Coastal Maharashtra Project which was halted in 2012 due to a rise in imported coal cost. Another imported coal project — the 2000 MW Tata Begunia proposal was reported to be cancelled as recently as January 2017.

Four Tata projects in Jharkhand that were announced towards the beginning of this decade did not survive through 2015 and all appear cancelled: the 1320 MW Danbhum project; the 1000 MW Latehar project; the 1980 MW Tiruldih project and Phase 2 of the existing Maithon power plant (1320 MW). In addition, Tata Power has 1320 MW of coal-fired power in the pre-permit phase of development outside of India. This relates to the Long Phu-2 coal-fired power project in Soc Trang, Vietnam. The Long Phu-2 proposal was approved in 2013 and in 2014 the scheduled completion date was moved forward to 2019. Thereafter in 2016, the completion date was pushed back again to the end of 2020. Since then there appears to have been no progress and this may prove to be another imported coal-fired project development that grinds to a halt.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is accelerating its renewable energy plans. This is not Tata Power’s only attempt to build a coal-fired power plant overseas. The company was due to bring online a 1320 MW plant in Myanmar before 2020. Faced with strong local public opposition, there appears to have been no progress on this proposal since 2014 and it is considered shelved.

NTPC’s power plants are fueled almost entirely by cheaper domestic coal and its plants have recorded higher utilization rates than the Indian average. Its share price performance is the better of the three companies. Tata Power and Adani Power’s coal-fired capacity is predominantly imported coal-fueled, while Tata Power is growing its renewable energy, Adani Power has no wind or solar capacity (the Adani Group’s renewable energy investment is done through sister company Adani Green Energy). Adani Power, without renewables and even more reliant on imported coal than Tata Power, has the worst share price performance of the three.

In November 2018, Resurgent Power — a joint venture between Tata Power (26 percent), and ICICI Bank and international investors (74 percent) — closed a deal on the acquisition of 75 percent of Prayagraj Power’s stressed 2 GW Bara Thermal Power Station in Uttar Pradesh, giving Tata Power an equity share of 390 MW of the plant’s capacity. The plant has a long-term PPA and fuel supply agreement in place. Praveer Sinha has indicated that further acquisitions of existing coal plants would be made through Resurgent Power. Although Tata Power will be looking to acquire existing thermal power projects at fire-sale prices, it will still be faced with risks faced by the Indian thermal power fleet. The company will only consider acquisitions with certainty over coal source and logistics as well as power purchase agreements with off-takers. However, they may be faced with risks over existing or future environmental regulations.

http://ieefa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tata-Power_Renewables-to-Power-Growth_April-2019.pdf

March 2019 Environmental Report gives latest Status On Tata Joint Venture for the Maithon Right Bank Plant

This is a 2 x525-MW coal-fired power plant. Ash from Indian coals ranges from 30-40 percent with 0.33  percent sulfur. Imported coals are blended to reduce average ash content. The precip is limited to 100 mg/NM³ but is operating at less than 40. CEMs measure SO_x, NO_x and particulate. Eight million tons of ash was generated during the period of which one million tons was used for cement and other beneficial purposes. Wastewater is being recycled after treatment in a RO system.

This semi-annual report was submitted by Jagmit Sidhu Chief of O&M.

https://www.tatapower.com/pdf/sustainability/maithon-half-yearly-compliance-report.pdf

FGD for Mundra Plant of Tata --- September 2018

Scope includes civil works for FGD Plant at Mundra comprising open intake channel (RCC) with forebay, aeration basin with mixing chamber, bypass channel for diverting existing outfall seawater flow, cofferdam across existing outfall channel for enabling construction of aeration basin, bridges across intake channel & aeration basin, 5 nos. pump houses, 5 nos. G+1 control building, ground story switchgear building, air blower shed, site grading levelling, transformer and equipment foundations, fire barrier walls, architectural finishing, storm water drains, internal roads, sewage treatment plant with network, fencing, cable trenches/supports, pipe trenches/supports, demolition of existing channel wall, earthing works, PHE works and other enabling works. The Project shall be executed on Item rate basis.

Vivek Mittal The Tata Power Company. Phone No: 022-67173227 Email id: vivek.mittal@tatapower.com

https://www.tatapower.com/TenderDocument/Tender_tender-24sep18-a_a27eae35a7.pdf

Tata Trombay #6 Analysis of Switch from Fuel Oil to Coal with FGD and High Efficiency Precipitator

High efficiency Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) will be provided to ensure particulate matter emission below 50 mg/ Nm³

·         FGD to treat 100 percent flue gas will be installed to limit SO₂ emission below 24 TPD as per present consent condition

·         Installation of low NO_x burners Air Quality Management

·         Unit # 6 Modernization by change of fuel 20

·         Coal transportation through closed pipe conveyor

·         Stacker reclaimer and screw unloader

·         Green area development around coal berth and coal yard to further reduce fugitive dust emission

https://www.tatapower.com/pdf/businesses/unit-6-presentation.pdf

Phase-II expansion of 2x660 MW Supercritical Capacity. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into between DVC and The Tata Power Company Limited ('Tata Power).

Thermax Is Building Momentum In the World APC Industry

Thermax Limited has concluded an order of INR 471 crore from an Indian government power company to set up two flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems at their thermal power plant in the state of Jharkhand.

As a part of the customer’s drive to meet the mandates for regulating SO_x emissions from coal fired power plants, they plan to install two units of FGD systems of 500 MW capacity each at their plant.

“Since its inception, Thermax has been one of the key contributors to the nation’s pollution abatement journey by providing sustainable solutions. This prestigious order reinforces our capabilities in supporting power plants to meet the stringent emission laws laid by the government in line with its commitment to the environment,” says M.S. Unnikrishnan, MD & CEO, Thermax Limited.

The scope of supply includes design, engineering, manufacturing, civil work, construction and commissioning of the FGD systems. The delivery of the project is scheduled over 30 months.

Naveen Sadhu, Global Head (S&P), Environment Business, Thermax Limited

Naveen was interviewed by PowerLine where he reflected on his two decades of APC experience.

In 2013, Sadhu took charge of Thermax’s international business on the particulate and gaseous emissions side, with a special focus on Latin American markets. He was instrumental in the development of Thermax’s brand in the international market. Now, with new norms in the domestic business, he has been focusing on strengthening the company’s footprint in the FGD and deNOx space. Thermax is currently bidding for multiple projects for FGD in the country, he informs.

Sadhu remarks that although there has been progress in the power sector in meeting the new norms, more efforts are needed to ensure implementation. According to him, while particulate matter emissions control by thermal power plants has progressed well, issues still remain in terms of SO_x and NO_x control. One of the challenges is technology constraints. Despite the presence of an adequate number of equipment players, the capacity to deliver falls short. Other issues are inadequate availability of limestone and water, space constraints for FGD systems, installation, high capex and opex needs. In terms of pricing trends, in the emission control market, he notes that going forward with greater indigenization prices should remain competitive.

Limestone Availability Is An Issue for Indian FGD

McIlvaine will be gathering information on lime and limestone availability for FGD in India. One decision is whether to locate ball mills at each plant as is done in the U.S. or to provide regional grinding as is done in China. Here is some basic information as a starting point.

Besides Himachal-Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat (the north and western region of India), have large deposits of limestone. This has resulted in development of lime and cement industry in these regions. In Rajasthan, besides cement grade (~70 percent), lime-stone of high purity (>90 percent) occurs in Sojat and Gottan towns.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/de73/e241d068b212d07f723306a450e9a70a2047.pdf

Chhattisgarh limestone and dolomite deposits are known in to be located in Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Kabirdham, Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon districts forming part of Chhattisgarh basin and in Jagdalpur district within Indravati basin and in Dantewara district in Sukma basin. Total estimated deposits of all grades of limestone are to the tune of about 9038 million tons and estimated reserves of dolomite are of the tune of 847 million tones as per Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM; Mineral Year Book, 2006) publication.

http://chhattisgarhmines.gov.in/en/district-raipur

CPG is an Indian company which supplies ball mills and complete limestone particle reduction plants for FGD. It is; well known for its design and manufacturing capabilities, since its inception in 1962, has been rendering services to various cement, mineral processing and fertilizer plants worldwide. It has received  repeated orders bags from customers from all over India, Nepal and other countries.

In terms of limestone quality, here is what is needed. High-quality limestone, whose calcium carbonate content is at or above 95 percent, may be found in seams. These stones typically are quite reactive and will work well in scrubbers when ground to the proper size (90 percent passing through a 325-mesh screen is a common rule-of-thumb). However, many formations contain fine grains of silica-bearing compounds commonly known as chert. Silica (SiO₂) is the primary component of sand, and although the grains within limestone deposits are typically very fine, they still represent inert material that reduces the quality of the limestone. Thus, for any given amount of limestone delivered to the plant, higher silica content equates to a reduction in available active content.

Inert issues may also arise from chemistry that is seemingly deceptive. In some FGD systems, soluble magnesium products are added for process improvement, as magnesium ions (Mg⁺²) will assist in holding onto bisulfite (HSO₃^-) and sulfite (SO₃^-2) ions until they can react with calcium. Some limestone formations contain a high concentration of dolomite (CaCO₃•MgCO₃), where a substantial portion of the calcium and magnesium carbonate exists in a 1:1 molecular ratio. These deposits may have well over 90 percent combined carbonate content. A first thought might be that this material would be great in a scrubber, but dolomite is quite un-reactive. Thus, un-reacted dolomite can behave like inerts in the scrubber and also reduce the value of the raw product.

Two other impurities that can cause difficulties are iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). Iron is usually found in higher concentrations than its cousin, Mn. Both of these compounds will catalyze the oxidation of intermediate reaction products to gypsum and can cause severe scaling in scrubbers that are not forced oxidized. Iron and manganese can also negatively influence filtration systems for byproduct dewatering. During testing, stones that had a noticeable iron content were found to influence iron particulate blinding of vacuum filter cloth. Also, some stones caused gypsum crystals to change shape from flat platelet configuration to needle-like structures. This crystal geometry change further hurts dewatering capabilities.

The upshot is that owners, operators and chemists of planned wet-limestone FGD systems should carefully evaluate the quality of limestone reagent to be used and discuss these issues with the equipment supplier. Good upfront work can prevent operating nightmares later. In addition to basic chemistry analyses, relatively straightforward tests are available to evaluate limestone reactivity before any material is accepted for use.

https://www.power-eng.com/articles/print/volume-115/issue-6/features/qualities-of-limestone-that-influence-wet-fgd-performance.html

SO_x-NO_x Conference Will Be Held In India In September

The SO_x-NO_x 2019 conference in Delhi, September 12-13 is particularly relevant in that most decisions are not yet made. This is due to the extension of the original emission limitations from 2017 to the 2020-22 timeframe. In addition to the speeches, there is an exhibition. Last year there were 24 exhibitors. Here are some of the exhibitors this year.

Johnsen Chemicals

Sootaway is a combustion catalyst for solid fuel. The active ingredient is a manganese complex. The catalyst works on all types of solid fuels. Claimed benefits to using Sootaway.

·         Increases rate of heat release

·         Lower ignition temperature

·         Reduces emission of CO, SO₂ and NO_x

·         Reduces unburned particles like soot

·         Enables total combustion at lower temperatures

ENVEA

The company is based in France with worldwide activity. The Indian subsidiary Environnement SA India Pvt. Ltd won the tender of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bongaigon, Assam to install two Dilution-based monitoring systems to measure continuously multiple parameters in the Casoline’s plant chimney: SO₂, NO_x, CO, and CO₂, integrated into a Safe Area Analyzer Shelter. Part of the package includes the particulate monitors PCME STACK 602. In parallel, two other gas emissions monitoring systems for SO₂ and NO_x as well as dust monitors PCME STACK 602 have been installed in the FCCU plant. Partners were Technip India Limited and L&T, Baroda.

EPP

The company was founded in 1986 and has seven manufacturing facilities. FGD scrubber shells of FRP are supplied along with tanks,  piping and grating.

More details on the conference are shown at http://soxnox2019.missionenergy.org/.

Mostly Combustion Modification For NO_x Reduction At Delhi Area Plants

Fortum Has Combustion Modification Order From Hindalco

Fortum, a Finnish clean energy company, signed its first commercial project with Hindalco Industries Limited, part of Aditya Birla Group. The project is aimed at NO_x reduction through combustion modification on one of the 150-MW boilers located at the Aluminum Smelter Unit in Mahan, Singrauli District in Madhya Pradesh. The modification will enable the power plant to comply with the tightening restrictions on nitrogen oxide emissions to 290 mg/Nm³ from current levels in the unit. The timeline for completion of this project is mid-February 2020.

Fortum has the patented technology for bringing about NO_x reduction up to the Statutory Limits by using only primary combustion modification on the boiler with minimal capital expenses and no operating expenses.

The key aspect of the NO_x reduction technology developed by Fortum in the early 1990s involves impacting the combustion process by modifying the over-firing of the combustion air. The solution is an efficient, and in terms of operating expenses, economical way to reduce emissions because significantly less nitrogen oxides is generated. The approximately 50 coal-fired boiler modification projects Fortum eNext has performed in the EU area since 1994 have reduced the boilers’ emissions into the air. These modifications have reduced NO_x emissions cumulatively by more than 700,000 tons.

BHEL Has 13 Orders For  Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System to Reduce NO_x

BHEL has a technology collaboration with South Korea’s NANO for SCR Catalysts in coal-fired power plants. An order for an SCR system was received in January for Mahagenco’s  ongoing 660 MW coal-based supercritical thermal power project at Unit 6 of Bhusawal thermal power station, which is located at Jalgaon district in Maharashtra.

BHEL Has Order For FGD Systems At The 4x250 MW Nabinagar Project of BRBCL

Amidst stiff competitive bidding, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has won an order for emission control equipment from Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Limited (BRBCL), a joint venture of NTPC Ltd. and Indian Railways.

Valued at about Rs 750 Crore, the order involves supply and installation of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) system at 4x250 MW Nabinagar project of BRBCL in Aurangabad district of Bihar. BHEL’s scope of work includes design, engineering, civil works, supply, erection and commissioning of wet FGD system along with auxiliaries including limestone and gypsum handling system and wet stack on full EPC basis.

ECOMAK Supplies Precipitator Upgrades and the Venturi Option Could Be Combined With FGD

For the last two decades BU,  has offered solutions to air pollution to a number of industries and for a variety of applications. The projects undertaken by ECOMAK are in Mines & Minerals, Metals and Power industries globally.

In Power, the company supplies flue gas cleaning systems for industrial boilers and also material handling systems. A client in Karnataka had to retrofit their ESP, which was not performing satisfactorily. The client after seeing ECOMAK's expertise in project execution on Indian and overseas projects awarded the project to ECOMAK. ECOMAK took up yet another challenge of retrofitting the ESP in 30 days from receipt of purchase order to re-commissioning of retro-fitted ESP. The client had demanded a guaranteed emission of 100 mg/Nm³ (max). ECOMAK demonstrated an emission of less than 50 mg/Nm³ on continued basis.

A customer in Assam was facing a problem of air pollution at their plant. The company is one of the largest producers of Petcoke in India. The plant is situated in a remote location near a forest which was enriched with wildlife and natural resources on the banks of the Brahmaputra River. The customer is very serious when it comes to preservation of natural resources and asked ECOMAK to provide a viable solution for their problem.

Conventionally, a baghouse system or an electrostatic precipitator is provided at the kiln exhaust. The ECOMAK team first surveyed the area and found out that there was an abundance of water available. To take advantage of this situation, ECOMAK supplied a Venturi Scrubber instead of any conventional system. This system on petcoke calcination is a first of a kind system in India

This experience could be helpful in evaluating the potential of rod decks (similar to venturis) to improve FGD scrubber particulate efficiency. A number of utilities are hoping that the scrubber installation will improve particulate capture.  Mcilvaine has done extensive analysis of this option as explained elsewhere in Coal-Fired Boiler Decisions.

Location: Ecomak Systems Pvt Ltd,

201-C, S.No. 268, 'Mantri Alpine',

Off Mumbai - Bengaluru Highway, Bhunde Vasti,

Bavdhan, Tal: Mulshi, Pune, Maharashtra 411021 India

Contact: +91-892-892-9100 | +91-70-3023-9988 office@ecomak.co.in

Shekhar Joshi, President Technical at ECOMAK Systems Pvt. Ltd. joshisj@gmail.com, linkedin.com/in/shekhar-joshi-a40172a

Sandesh Kadam, Chairman & Managing Director at ECOMAK linkedin.com/in/sskadam

Anand Kadam 

Head - Business Development & Operations at ECOMAK Systems Private Limited

linkedin.com/in/anandkadam11

United Conveyor Has Dadri Order For DSI

United Conveyor Corp ( UCC) is installing the dry injection systems at the 4 x 250 MW Dadri plant of NTPC.  Here are some of the  past FGD newsletter articles about UCC.

DSI Demonstrations Show O₂, HCl, Hg and SO₃ Removal

United Conveyor Corp. (UCC) has completed over 25,000 hours of Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) demonstration tests. Full-scale, on-site DSI demonstrations help UCC utility customers address regulatory requirements for the reduction of SO₂, SO₃, mercury and acid gases.

UCC has the industry’s largest number of full-scale demonstration tests with 45 conducted to date; 12 tests have been completed over the last year with five more tests scheduled. Recent demonstration tests have been primarily focused on simultaneously removing SO₂, HCl and mercury to provide specific information to the power plant for meeting the new Utility MACT and Cross State Air Pollutant Rule (CSAPR) requirements. These tests have been conducted on a number of large PRB-fired units, as well as smaller bituminous-fired units.

UCC modular demonstration systems provide both flexibility and performance with minimal disruption to a power plant during installation and testing. Prefabricated, mobile equipment enables rapid installation. All equipment is scalable so demonstration equipment can be rented longer term after the test or be upgraded to become the permanent system. The result is lower total installed cost and shorter lead-time.

UCC offers Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modeling of plant duct flows to best predict and enhance performance of the DSI system. CFD modeling ensures optimum sorbent distribution in the flue gas to maximize performance and minimize sorbent usage.

The UCC VIPER™ Mill design incorporates proprietary technology that results in lower operating costs while improving performance. The VIPER milling technology is also tested on-site to show how the reduced sorbent particle size increases the reactive surface area to improve the emission removal efficiency and sorbent utilization. UCC DSI demonstration illustrates clear benefits:

·         Dry sorbent trona/sodium bicarbonate can remove over 90 percent SO₂.

·         Co-benefits include enhanced ESP performance and removal of Hg, HCl and NO_x.

·         In-line milling (to 12–15 micron) can provide 30 to 50 percent better trona utilization.

·         SO₂, acid gas (HCl, HF) and Hg can be removed simultaneously.

·         Hydrated lime can remove SO₃ and HCl

·         DSI delivers effective emission control at a fraction of the capital cost of a scrubber.

VIPER Mill Use in DSI Reduces Sorbent Usage

United Conveyor Corp. (UCC) was recently awarded contracts for 11 Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) systems which include a total of 41 VIPER™ Mills. Dry sorbent injection is a leading technology for the removal of SO₂, HCl and SO₃ acid gas emissions.

The patented VIPER Mill is the only mill developed specifically for dry sorbent injection and delivers the smallest particle size, highest throughput and greatest cost savings in the industry. The VIPER Mill reduces sorbent usage by 30-50 percent compared with as-delivered material. In an SO₂ removal application, that equates to a $3.0 million annual savings over un-milled trona for a typical 500-MW PRB-fired unit at a 60 percent SO₂ removal rate. In SO₃ removal applications, the high surface area sorbent particle size helps to achieve aggressive SO₃ ppm targets, while reducing trona usage by more than 50 percent.

UCC also has the industry’s largest number of full-scale demonstration tests with over 65 conducted to date; 26 of these tests used the VIPER Mill and successfully documented substantially lower sorbent usage. This test data allows customer lifecycle cost analysis to compare sorbent consumption and VIPER Mill usage with other milling technologies or without using a mill.

A Number of FGD and DeNOx Papers at Electric Power

Following are some relevant FGD & DeNOx papers from Electric Power in New Orleans:

Using Milled SBC with a Fabric Filter to Achieve High SO₂ Removal Economically

Jon Norman, Sales and Technology Manager, UCC Dry

Sorbent Injection LLC Coal-fired Utility Emission Compliance with Dry Sorbent Injection

James Fisher, Product Manager — DSI, Clyde Bergemann Inc.

Contacts: Jon Norman, Sales and Technology Manager jonnorman@unitedconveyor.com linkedin.com/in/jon-norman-a34b77169 

Kevin McDonough, Kevin Vice President of Sales and Marketing
kevinmcdonough@unitedconveyor.com, linkedin.com/in/kevin-mcdonough-54398311

Trish Miller Marketing Communications Coordinator at United Conveyor Corporation

Dawn Williams, MSM Marketing and Communications Professional dmw928@att.net,  linkedin.com/in/dawnwilliams-msml

Garreth CondronGarreth, Global Product Management gcondron@gmail.com,  linkedin.com/in/gcondron

Envea Pursuing FGD CEMs Market In India

Envea designs and produces a complete range of state of the art CEMS gas and dust analyzers, sampling systems, data acquisition systems and software for the continuous measurement & reporting of stack pollutants. The company  performs conceptual studies to full engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of turnkey systems for continuous emissions monitoring service.

Environnement SA India Pvt. Ltd. (a 100 percent Subsidiary) inaugurated on January 5, 2017  a larger facility necessary to meet company growth and expanding capabilities. Group President Mr. Francois GOURDON presided over the function of Inauguration. With nearly 200 employees today, Environnement SA India’s strength lies in the realization of complex projects, the optimization of the economic resources, the ability to experience and adopt best techniques in compliance with safety and environmental policies.

The expansion helps Environnement SA India Pvt. Ltd meet existing customers requirements for increased production of turnkey air quality and emissions monitoring systems as well and will also enable the company to further support new customers. 

At a recent conference, Jerome Laplagne presented an overview of the available gas CEMS technologies applicable to FGD and DeNOx efficiency control. Both extractive and in situ type gas CEM technologies were covered, including dilution based and TDL. It  included some case studies for various abatement technologies, with some guidelines for proper gas CEMS selection.

Jerome has a background of technical Engineer in Applied Physics and Instrumentation. Since 2002, he was able to develop strong technical and sales skills in gas analysis instrumentation and also complete monitoring systems through its involvement in various departments of the Envea company such as project engineering, R&D and Sales. After several years taking care of Europe and Africa, Jerome is now the Area Manager of Envea for India covering both Ambient Air and Continuous Emission Monitoring business units.

Jérôme Laplagne, Area Manager Europe & Africa

linkedin.com/in/jérôme-laplagne-7824b414

Malek Hattar General Manager at Envea (Altech Environment USA)  mhattar@altechusa.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/malek-hattar-440b7349/

Johnsen Chemicals Has A Combustion Catalyst That Lowers Pollutants

Johnsen Chemicals AS was established in 2008 and has since been working on the development of a catalyst for solid fuel. The product has been tested on several markets with good results. The results show that the catalyst contributes to a reduction of harmful emissions while also making the combustion process more effective with a lower consumption of fuel.

Sootaway is a combustion catalyst for solid fuel. The active ingredient is a manganese complex. The catalyst works on all types of solid fuels. 

·         Increases rate of heat release

·         Lower ignition temperature

·         Reduces emission of CO, SO₂ and NO_x

·         Reduces unburned particles like soot

·         Ables total combustion at lower temperatures

·         Reduces sediments 

·         Reduces consumption of fuel by 15-20% consequently reducing emission of CO₂

·         Reduces costs of energy production and maintenance of equipment.

Johnsen Chemicals AS

Trollåsveien 36

1414 Trollåsen, Norway

Telephone:

+47 913 31 089

Mail:

mail@johnsenchemicals.com

Leif Vebenstad Chairman Johnsen Chemicals AS

linkedin.com/in/leif-vebenstad-65b37683

Steam Equipments Supplied CEMS to Tata Power

Steam Equipments is a leading manufacturer of Steam and Water Analysis Systems, Gas Sampling Systems, Chillers, Sample Coolers, Pressure Reducers, Shelters, Rectifier Cooling Systems, Turnkey Automation projects and relevant accessories originally designed and selected throughout 20 years of working experience in various instrumentation industries and latest know-how in this field. The company is a Teledyne Instruments representative. CEMS were supplied for an 800-MW coal--fired boiler at TATA Power Mundra.

Steam Equipments Pvt Ltd 

Plot No – 44, Tiny Industrial Estate

Kondhwa Budruk, Pune – 411048

Maharashtra, India

Phone : +91-20-26930908

Fax : +91-20-26930959 

Email: sales@steamequipments.com|seplmktg@steamequipments.com

http://www.steamequipments.com 

Rashid Shaikh - Sr. Manager- International Sales & Marketing (SWAS , WQMS & Liquid Analytics)

linkedin.com/in/rashid-shaikh-55143b22

M H V Munshi, Director - Sales & Marketing

EPP Provides FRP Scrubber Vessels

The extensive range of products manufactured by EPP includes - GRP/GRE Pipes, Fittings & Liners, FRP Cooling Towers/Scrubbers/Blowers/Hoods/Ducts & Chimneys, FRP Storage Tanks, various FRP Pultruded Products

Tumuluru Ramakrishnan, Vice President linkedin.com/in/tram09    

ramashland@gmail.com

Uniphos Provides Particulate and Gas CEMS

Uniphos CEMS are available based on different technologies depending upon the suitability and user’s requirement:

·         Highly sensitive & gas specific Chemiluminescence / Fluorescence based NO_x and SO₂ Gas Analyzers

·         Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) based Analyzers

·         Electrochemical sensor-based analyzers

An Online Dust Analyzer uses the innovative Dynamic Detection Principle (DDP), which measures fluctuations in the intensity of a light beam, using a folded beam Transceiver /Reflector arrangement. Increased particulate density in the stack causes the scattered light intensity to increase. When calibrated against reference standards, the intensity of this signal relates directly to the particulate concentration in the stack, and this can be used to display as a reading in mg/m³.

Uniphos Envirotronic Pvt Ltd,

P.O Nahuli, Tal. Umbergaon, Dist. Valsad, Gujarat – 396108, INDIA

+91-9909 994 042 / 7574 839 945

Rahul Singh  Vice President (Business) at Uniphos Envirotronic Pvt. Ltd.

linkedin.com/in/rahulsingh1974

LeBracs Supplies Rubber Lining for Vessels and Ducts

LeBracs Rubber Lining Private Ltd. commenced manufacturing activities in 1989 at  Pondicherry, India. The factory is spread over 4 acres of land with a covered area of over 30,000 square feet. Over the years, the company has successfully executed many projects with customers in the Fertilizer / Chlor-Alkali / Water Treatment and Iron Ore benefaction industries in India and overseas. LeBracs Rubber has, over the years, been certified under ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 18001:2007 demonstrating the management’s commitment to quality of product and concern for the environment and safety. LeBracs Rubber has different formulas for various types of rubber lining, for its various applications.

Debananda Banerjee, Chief Marketing Manager

linkedin.com/in/debananda-banerjee-86b605101

CSL - Chemtron Science Laboratories provides Cannisters and Gas Handling Equipment

CSL is involved in gas blending, handling and measuring solutions to a wide base of clients in Oil & Gas, Refineries, Petrochemicals, Power, Cement & Steel, Chemicals & Fertilizers, R&D Institutes & Fruit Processing Industries. It supplies gas cannisters and gas handling equipment.

Shalini Ashish Srivastava, Director

linkedin.com/in/shalini-ashish-srivastava-b645705a

Aneesha Deshmukh 3rd degree connection3rd

Head of Sales

linkedin.com/in/ashish-srivastava-950a324

Speakers at SOx-NOx 2019

Chief Guest’s Welcome Address

Shri Prakash Javdekar, H'ble Minister

Ministry of Env., Forest & Climate Change

Shri R K Singh - H'ble Minister of State (I/C)

Ministry of Power

Special Guest’s Welcome Address

Shri C K Mishra, Secretary

Ministry of Env., Forest and Climate Change

Shri S C Garg, Secretary

Ministry of Power

Guest of Honor’s Key Observations

Shri Prakash Mhaske, Chairperson

Central Electricity Authority (CEA)

Shri S P Singh Parihar, Chairman

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Keynote Address

Shri Alok Perti, Former Secretary Coal

Shri Anil Razdan, Former Secretary Power

Shri Ahwinkumar Khatri, DG – MEF

OTHER ASIA

Flue Gas Desulfurization Project in Vietnam Completed

Doosan Lentjes is pleased to announce that the delivery and commissioning of two flue gas desulfurization (FGD) units in Vietnam were completed. The FGD system deploying seawater FGD technology was installed at the 2 x 620 MWe-coal-fired power plant Vinh Tan 1, located in Vietnam. The owner of the plant is Vinh Tan 1 Power Company Limited.

Doosan Lentjes FGD technology was installed to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO₂) from the power plant’s flue gas. As verified during the performance tests, both units achieve SO₂ removal efficiencies that are far below the governmentally required emissions directives.

Doosan Lentjes’ scope of work included the engineering and delivery of key FGD equipment along with advisory services for erection and commission. The main contractor of the Vinh Tan 1 project was Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd.

Mercury Workshop Slated for Vietnam in October

MEC 14, the  annual  IEA workshop focusing on mercury and multi-pollutant emissions from coal combustion, will be held in Hanoi October this year, with support from VEA – the Vietnamese Environment Administration. This workshop will pull together international experts on reducing emissions, including particulates, SO₂, NO_x and mercury, from coal-fired utilities and offers an excellent opportunity to mix with government agencies, regulators, utilities, consultants, equipment suppliers and academia.

MECS 13 was held in Poland where a hybrid mercury control system is being tested. The combination of methods available on the market include  sorbent polymer catalyst (SPC) module, injection of activated carbon, dispensing fuel additives, use chemistries for scrubber reemission. This presentation and the others are accessible at https://www.coalconferences.org/programme-mec13-presentations/.

Lesley Sloss spoke about compliance issues. “Most of the 600 coal-fired power plants in the EU are not in compliance with new IED limits (69 percent out of compliance for NO_x and 61 percent for SO₂.  45 percent of the challenged plants are in Poland.  Retrofit costs are likely to be $12/MWh which would be prohibitive.

There are 2900 large combustion plants in the EU; 81 percent will not be in compliance in 2021. Cost of retrofits is estimated at $ 17 billion.

Lesley provided a large number of slides including one showing that Feida has 3 combination precip/fabric filters in China and 1 in India. Longking has over 50 systems with this combination.

U.S.

AEP To Install DSI But Not FGD

American Electric Power (AEP) announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has approved a modified agreement that will accelerate emission reductions from the company's remaining coal-fired power plants in the Midwest, eliminate a requirement to install high-cost emission reduction equipment at the company's Rockport Plant in Rockport, Indiana, and retire Rockport Plant Unit 1 (1300 megawatts) by the end of 2028.

As a result of this modification, AEP's Indiana Michigan Power operating unit will operate enhanced dry sorbent injection equipment on both generating units at Rockport Plant beginning in 2021 to accelerate SO₂ emission reductions and achieve a plant-wide emissions rate of 10,000 tons or less a year. This change will accelerate SO₂ emission cuts from Rockport by eight years. The previous agreement would have achieved the same levels of emission cuts in 2029.

Additionally, Indiana Michigan Power will operate selective catalytic reduction to reduce NO_x emissions from Rockport Unit 2 by June 1, 2020. AEP will retire Rockport Unit 1 by the end of 2028.

"This modified agreement greatly benefits the Indiana Michigan Power customers. It eliminates the need to spend nearly $1 billion to install flue gas desulfurization, or scrubber equipment at Rockport Plant while still achieving emission reductions at a lower cost and sooner than previously planned," Akins said.

AEP has made significant reductions in emissions from its power plants over the last three decades. Since 1990, AEP's SO₂ and NO_x emissions have dropped by 96 percent and 92 percent respectively. The company's mercury emissions have been cut by 95 percent since 2001. AEP's carbon dioxide emissions are 59 percent lower than in 2000. AEP has set a goal to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent from 2000 levels by 2050.

AEP has retired more than 8,600 megawatts (MW) of coal-fueled generation since 2011 and will retire another 1100 MW by the end of 2020. The company recently added 724 MW of wind and battery generation to its contracted competitive portfolio and has proposed adding more than 9,100 MW of wind and solar generation to its regulated power plant fleet by 2030.

Most U.S. Coal-fired Plants Elected to Install Pollution Controls Rather Than Retire

Between January 2015 and April 2016, about 87 GW of coal-fired power plants installed pollution-control equipment, and nearly 20 GW of coal capacity retired. About 26 percent of those retirements occurred in April 2015, meeting the MATS rule's initial compliance date. 142 GW of coal-fired power plants had applied for and received one-year extensions that allowed them to operate until April 2016 while finalizing compliance strategies.

An additional one-year extension to April 2017 was granted to a few units critical to ensuring electric reliability. Five coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2.3 GW received this extension. Since then, two of the five plants have retired, one converted to natural gas, and one installed MATS-compliant controls. The remaining plant, Oklahoma’s Grand River Energy Center, was given another emergency extension for reliability issues in April.

Of the coal capacity installing pollution control equipment to comply with MATS, activated carbon injection (ACI) was the dominant compliance strategy, with close to 78 GWs of coal capacity adding ACI.

The cost of activated carbon and sorbent injection equipment is low but the operating costs are relatively high. EIA costs reflect U.S. conditions. In China, costs are less than 50 percent of the U.S. costs and the installation time is much shorter. An FGD system can be installed in less than 24 months.

Spray Dryer Is A Cost-effective Option for FGD Waste Treatment

Power plants with wet FGD in the U.S. have two choices --either the treat and discharge path, where the plant must meet the assigned limits for mercury, arsenic, selenium and nitrates/nitrites as N, or a voluntary incentive program using evaporation technology. These voluntary incentives program limitations may be met with more traditional evaporation technology, yet the salt dryer results in the wastewater stream being entirely evaporated into the flue gas, leaving behind only FGD solids and previously dissolved salts such as calcium and magnesium chloride. These solids are collected in a downstream particulate collection device PCD.

B&W's research indicated the advantages of the spray dryer (aka salt dryer, when used in a wet FGD application) far outweighed those of the circulating fluid bed salt dryer. The circulating fluid bed salt dryer often required adding insoluble material, which increased cost; the circulating fluid bed salt dryer required a large recirculating load of hygroscopic salts and experienced elevated-pressure pumping issues as a result of the relatively high suspended solids in wet FGD wastewater. Additionally, there is an elevated risk of corrosion resulting from contact between damp particles high in chlorides with the circulating fluid bed salt dryer vessel carbon steel walls. B&W also looked at the waste-to-energy applications, which have very high chloride fuel and high spray dryer outlet temperatures similar to a salt dryer. These applications also favor spray drying for SO₂ control.

Depending on the amount of water to be evaporated and the size of the boiler, anywhere from 6 percent to 12 percent of the flue gas generated in the boiler will be used to evaporate the wet FGD wastewater. For instance, a 900 MW unit burning low-chloride coal such as Powder River Basin coal with its typically low chlorine content, and a WFGD system capable of higher chloride loadings, may only necessitate blowdown of 30 gpm - 50 gpm, which would require 2 percent to 3 percent of the flue gas to be bypassed. However, if this same unit was burning eastern fuel with high chloride levels, blowdown of 170 gpm - 200 gpm or more may be necessary, requiring 10 percent to 12 percent flue gas bypass. An operator would want to limit this to no more than 12 percent in most circumstances.

A popular misunderstanding is that this level of bypass around the air heater leads to a significant impact on efficiency. However, a 12 percent bypass to impact boiler efficiency by approximately 0.3 percent.

The solids/salt combination that exits the salt dryer at 300°F may well be handled in the existing PCD. But if not, a separate fabric filter is needed if the additional solids loading to the PCD can't be tolerated for some reason. This also would require a booster fan and possibly solids handling equipment. Another advantage of including a separate fabric filter is that flyash collected in the existing PCD will continue to be sellable, since it will not be contaminated with high-chloride salts from the WFGD. This may warrant the installation of a separate fabric filter even if the existing PCD can tolerate the increased solids flow.

https://www.power-eng.com/articles/print/volume-120/issue-6/features/salt-dryers-for-true-zero-liquid-discharge-from-wfgd-wastewater.html

Dry Scrubber Users Will Meet To “Work Smarter Not Harder”

The 2019 Dry Scrubber Users Group will take place the week of September 9^th in Kansas City, Kansas bringing together a multitude of end users and vendors for dry scrubber applications and technologies such as spray dryer absorbers (SDAs), circulating dry scrubbers (CDS) and dry sorbent injection (DSI). The theme of this year’s conference is “Work Smarter, Not Harder”.  We have all experienced the change in the power industry over the past few years coupled with a generation of engineers and operators that have or will be retiring as we usher in a new generation of young engineers and operators who will take the reins.  As a result, the industry will have to continuously evolve to new technologies as well as new operating philosophies in order to minimize operating and maintenance costs while maximizing plant performance. While these constraints pose many problems this also presents opportunities for new solutions which is the essence of this year’s theme. 

  This year’s conference will consist of the following:

•  3^rd annual pre-conference golf tournament on September 9^th

• Welcome reception on September 9^th

• Technical presentations and break-out sessions on September 10^th and 12^th

• Plant tours and social activities as well as vendor exhibit night on September 11^th

This year the conference has three plant tours lined up consisting of the following:

• Kansas City Power & Light Hawthorn Station to showcase the SDA technology

• Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Nearman Creek Station to showcase the CDS technology

• Kansas City Power & Light Iatan Station to showcase the Spray Dryer Evaporator technology for disposal of wet scrubber blow down for zero liquid discharge operations

This year is unique in that not only will there be discussions and content on various dry scrubbing technologies that will attract the typical audience but with Iatan’s participation this year opens the door for facilities with wet scrubbers installed that are interested in future regulations that may drive them towards zero liquid discharge to attend to see the Iatan facility in person and talk directly to Iatan representatives to learn from their use of the Spray Dryer Evaporator technology.

If anyone is interested in registering for the conference, sponsorship, exhibiting, submitting abstracts for giving a presentation or simply have questions please visit http://www.dryscrubberusers.org/conference/ or contact the Dry Scrubber Users Group President, Gerald Hunt, at gerald.hunt@lhoist.com.

Dry Scrubber Silo Busting

The DSUA conference will be busting the silos in 4 areas. One is the retained knowledge of the soon to be retired engineers. The conference is a path for the  the younger engineers into the silo. Another silo is the new technology. While the semiconductor industry works hard to avoid silos, the power industry is known to be conservative. This is another way of saying that some very large silos have to be busted in order for a new and better technology to be accepted.

A third silo is the experience in other industries. Instrumentation, valves, nozzles and other components with unique and valuable features may first be developed for mining or cement applications. DSUA also provides a forum for users in waste to energy to interface with users in power, steel and other industries. A fourth silo is the knowledge in other parts of the world. China has the most-dry scrubber installations in the world.

The question is posed as to how the DSUA silo busting can be enhanced. DSUA has a website and links to past papers. So previous attendees have  access to them. An analysis has been prepared listing the resources supplied by DSUA and the opportunities for making a larger international contribution to furthering the use of dry scrubbing and DSI. 

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/Decision_Tree/DSUA_Silobusting.pdf

Part of that effort could be quarterly webinars. Another aspect would be collaboration by DSUA with media and conference organizers. McIlvaine is an organizer of a half-day session at PowerGen in November. The session will use dry scrubbing and DSUA silo busting as an example to show how U.S. suppliers can expand into Asian and other developing markets. This can be followed by discussions on the exhibit floor with Andritz, Beth and other dry scrubber system suppliers. It is interesting that there are more offshore dry scrubber exhibitors than U.S.- based although Andritz is in the U.S. based on an acquisition.

There is a SOx-NOx conference in India where a brief discussion relative to DSUA could also take place.

REE Extraction From Coal Is Moving Forward

Paul Baruya of IEA in his blog commented on the NETL’s opening presentation in the 3rd parallel session on obtaining rare earth elements (REE) from coal.

“Rare earth elements have added 17 new entries into the periodic table since I last memorized it in the 1980s and are now some of the most essential materials needed for modern society. However, with the majority of the world’s REE coming from one country, there’s an urgent need to find diverse sources. It’s exciting to, therefore, discover that some coal and coal waste is abundant in REE. The reuse of coal waste can partly mitigate the environmental impacts of storing it, while giving it a value from extracting REE. Work is currently at pilot scale and the results are promising for scale up.”

https://www.iea-coal.org/reflections-from-a-successful-cct-2019-in-houston-texas/

FGD and DeNOx Newsletter No. 496