FGD and DeNOx
NEWSLETTER

April 2020
No. 504

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

PANDEMIC IMPACT ON POWER INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY NEWS 

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PANDEMIC IMPACT ON POWER INDUSTRY

 

IEA Is Analyzing the Pandemic Impact on the Power Industry

 

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created an unprecedented global health and economic crisis. The energy sector, as a key enabler of modern life, is uniquely affected by this crisis but is also critical for global and national response and recovery efforts.

 

Energy security remains a major area of attention and the crisis highlights the critical value of electricity infrastructure and know-how, underpinning the response to the coronavirus pandemic. It demonstrates the central role and importance of electricity, and what policy makers need to do in order to ensure that current and future systems remain reliable even as they are transformed by the rise of clean energy technologies.

 

And, as governments respond to these interlinked crises, they must not lose sight of a major challenge of our time: clean energy transitions. Governments are drawing up stimulus plans in an effort to counter the economic damage from the coronavirus. These packages offer an excellent opportunity to ensure that the essential task of building a secure and sustainable energy future don’t get lost amid the flurry of immediate priorities.

 

The IEA is providing up-to-date data and rigorous analysis on the effects of the crisis, and recommendations for how governments and industry can make smart decisions that will lead to the affordable, secure and sustainable energy systems of the future.

 

An unprecedented global health and economic crisis

 

Millions of people are now confined to their homes, resorting to teleworking to do their jobs, e-commerce sites to do their shopping, and streaming video platforms to find entertainment. A reliable electricity supply underpins all of these services, as well as powering the devices most of us take for granted such as fridges, washing machines and light bulbs. 

 

"The huge disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis has highlighted how much modern societies rely on electricity." - Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director.

 

Social Distancing Alternative with Low Risk and Modest Cost for Coronavirus Mitigation

 

Social distancing needs to be redefined as staying six feet apart of other individuals or the space they have occupied in the last 60 seconds. This expanded definition creates great barriers to normal life. The safety of social distancing can be alternatively provided with a program which will have comfort and social acceptance along with affordability. This is now possible because of new filtration media, testing, decontamination and other technology innovations. It starts with the fact that a washable, highly efficient mask can be provided.

 

 

 

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There are retail stores in China, which sell nothing but these masks with many fashionable varieties. With the valve they are both comfortable and stylish. They are also washable. These are $30 masks, which if worn 60 times would cost $.50 per wearing. There are less expensive designs available as well. Chinese companies are also producing washable N95 masks with and without the valve feature. Over the last few months the production has expanded to several million per day. Since they are washable the cost per wearing is as low as 10 cents.

 

The valve feature makes the wearer comfortable but since breath is discharged unfiltered it should only be used by people without symptoms.

 

There have also been improvements in media for air filters, which allow high efficiency capture at modest pressure drop and cost. Other innovations involve air flow design in spaces and decontamination/destruction technology.

 

Here are the sequential protocols which will allow people to resume their normal business and social activities safely.

 

THE SOCIAL DISTANCING ALTERNATIVE

 

People will not wear an N95 mask with no valve in comfort. But if healthy people wear masks with valves they will be protected. If most people with symptoms wear the N95 masks without the valve they will not contaminate others. In fact, this approach is orders of magnitude safer than social distancing. A significant percentage of the viruses are emitted as small droplets (less than 5 microns) by breathing. You can visualize a virus cloud. If you are walking six feet behind, you are walking into the virus cloud created by the person ahead of you. So instead of a guideline, which advises staying six feet apart a revision is needed which says stay six feet apart from any individual or the space he has occupied in the last 60 seconds or the space to which the ambient air may have moved the virus cloud.

 

HEPA filters have been proven to remove more than 99 percent of the viruses. Viruses are smaller than the filter openings but collide with larger particles or with the fibers through diffusion. UV light will also destroy viruses. HVAC systems and room purifiers can be designed to effectively protect individuals in the space. Particulate monitoring comparisons to outside air provide good estimation of quantitative virus removal. Virus destruction with liquid chemicals, vapors, or gases can assure thorough sanitation.

 

The McIlvaine daily Coronavirus Market Alerts are providing insights on the best approaches to a cost-effective distancing alternative. The market forecasts anticipate a future where the protocols are permanent due to benefits not just from the present pandemic but for increased health generally.

 

Details on the service are found at http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/air/82ai-coronavirus-market-intelligence

 

Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at 847.226. 2391 or rmcilvaine@mcilvianecompany.com.

 

Power Industry Business Strategy in the Pandemic

 

Power plant suppliers need urgent answers to the following questions.

 

1.      What will be the near-term market impact?

2.      What will be the long-term market impact?

3.      Will there be access to supply sources both domestic and foreign?

4.      Will my plant operations be curtailed?

5.      How do I promote my products without exhibitions or direct sales contact?

 

The answers are highly dependent on

 

1.      Magnitude of the problem.

2.      The course of action taken by the U.S. government and citizens.

3.      The potential for the industry to proactively shape events.

 

Magnitude of the Problem: The U.S. is likely to be the most impacted country. China has already taken the necessary steps to avoid the deaths and disruption experienced in Italy. India is under lock down and may avoid the worst consequences.

 

There are numerous projections as to the number of deaths which will be caused by COVID-19 in the U.S. There is general agreement that if no action were to be taken 100 million Americans could become ill and that 1% could die.

 

 

The course of action taken by U.S. government and citizens. One option is that business returns to normal regardless of the consequences. The no plan scenario envisions a back to work protocol at Easter. It would possibly result in 1.1 million deaths in the U.S. The social distancing and shelter in place scenario would result in 150,000 deaths. A proactive back to work program with investment in protective gear and procedures would result in 165,000 deaths or 15,000 more than the distancing scenario.

 

One of the potential benefits of a return to work after Easter would be an anticipated increase in economic output and therefore sales of more power plant products. However, if during the year there are 1 million deaths, there is likely to be a big negative impact on the economy. One U.S. company with plants deemed critical throughout the U.S. has continued to operate. A worker at one plant tested positive for the virus. The next day no employees reported for work. So, the fears generated by the pandemic may influence economic productivity.

 

The biggest impact would be on life quality. A study by McIlvaine for the healthcare industry shows a life quality impact of $58 million for every life lost in a pandemic. One million lives would generate a negative life quality cost of $58 trillion. This huge life quality cost will likely dissuade the U.S. from a business as usual protocol.

 

 

 

Social distancing has both economic and social consequences. The average person chooses a life of 80 years which includes pleasure rather than an austere life of 100 years. This 25% premium can be used to calculate the social cost of distancing and sheltering in place. For 300 million Americans distancing has a life quality loss of 75 million life years.

 

Another variable is fear in a country where 1 million people are dying from the virus. Fear of the virus alone lessens life quality. Americans have been willing to suffer 20,000 influenza deaths per year without much life quality impact on the general population. But if there is the likelihood of 1 million deaths, the greater population will be fearful and suffer life quality reduction.

 

School shootings are an example of reduced life quality for the general population. Even if the odds of being shot are small, the number of school shootings has reached levels which have created widespread fear among children and their parents.

 

\The proactive approach would result in 15,000 more deaths than distancing but would enhance the life of the average person by 25% compared to sheltering in place. So, for 300 million Americans this is 75 million life years. The economic cost would be lower than with either of the other alternatives. Therefore, the proactive approach is the clear choice. This provides the power plant industry with the opportunity to shape its destiny.

Proactive program for manufacturers

Plant operations: The manufacturers and their suppliers can incorporate virus prevention protocols which greatly lessen the chance of on the job transmission. They include

 

·         Wearing of masks when taking public transportation to and from work.

·         Wearing of masks while working.

·         Follow recommended sanitization procedures for both personnel and equipment.

·         Practice physical distancing and other recommended protocols

·         Upgrade HVAC systems to capture and destroy viruses. 

·         Install local air purifying systems in offices and small plant spaces.

·         Incorporate foot sanitizers at plant and office entrances and UV robots for periodic sterilization.

·         Supply sanitized masks to each worker with a daily exchange of cleaned masks for the one being worn.

·         Purchase mask sanitizing systems using ozone, H202 or other proven methods.

Forecasting most profitable near-term and long-term markets: The low price of natural gas will encourage more investment in gas turbines. The emphasis on the short term should be on smart products and remote support. With air travel and meetings of any type curtailed there is a new incentive to operate as remotely as possible. Automation can replace many human interactions.  Supervision of maintenance tasks by remote camera has new appeal.

 

In the Alert last week, we speculated on the power requirements to upgrade HVAC systems around the world to increase air flow and install higher pressure drop more efficient filters. The amount of electric power required could be equal to 10% or more of all power presently consumed.

Pursuing the most profitable markets.  Without personal sales contact and the random sales leads garnered at conferences and conventions, it is important to clearly identify and pursue the most profitable market opportunities. Identification depends on understanding of processes and ascertaining why the proprietary product is the best choice to meet the customer needs. Webinars, magazine articles and other virtual tools can effectively substitute for the normal sales routine but only if there is a clear validation that the proprietary product is the best customer choice. This depends on making sure the sales personnel have the requisite process and product knowledge and that this is transmitted to the customers.

Power 2020 slated for Denver has been canceled. There were good sessions on plant cycling.  The participants can be a nucleus to pursue this topic on a continuing virtual basis. This was covered in our Utility E Alert 1462, March 20.

Power-Gen India has also been canceled.  This was covered in our Utility E Alert of March 13.  We have been in contact with the Indian Valve and Actuators Manufacturers Association (IVAMA) and Mission Energy regarding conducting a webinar on turbine bypass valves.

We have also been in contact with various parties including Mission Energy regarding webinars on air pollution upgrades.

Flow and treat companies that adopt the best pandemic business strategies will experience less lost revenue in the short term and market share gains in the long term.

 

 

INDUSTRY NEWS

 

Latrobe Valley Coal-fired Power Plants Have Substantial Emissions

 

Latrobe Valley coal-fired power stations have come out as some of the country's worst polluters according to the latest data from the National Pollutant Inventory.

 

Environmental Justice Australia analysis from the report between July 2018 and June 2019 revealed the Valley's generators were emitting high levels of fine particles, sulfur dioxide and mercury.

 

The National Pollutant Inventory is published by the federal government from information supplied by various industries and compiled by the states and territories.

 

Yallourn and Loy Yang A were Australia's second and third top emitters of fine particulates, behind Vales Point in New South Wales which had a 181 percent increase in these emissions.

 

Yallourn reported an 82 percent jump in particulates pollution, while Loy Yang A also reported the highest output of sulfur dioxide in Australia.

 

The report found that Loy Yang B put out almost twice as much fine particulates as Eraring in New South Wales, which is the country's largest power station.

 

The Valley's three power stations emitted a ton of mercury led by Loy Yang B, more than doubling the output of Australia's next eight biggest power stations combined.

 

EJA clean air campaigner Maxwell Smith said the increase at Yallourn was "remarkable" given unit three was offline for planned maintenance.

 

"Concentrations of other pollutants at Yallourn went down because it used less coal, but fine particulates skyrocketed and its operator EnergyAustralia has not explained this," Mr. Smith said.

 

Yallourn's pollution control equipment is the focus of legal action initiated by EJA in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

 

Mr. Smith said the data was a call for the Environment Protection Authority to step in and force the Valley's power stations to "clean up their act."

He said Victoria's power stations should be forced to install bag filters, which were standard practice in power stations around the world, that could capture up to 99 percent of fine particle pollution.

 

"There are a full suite of pollution controls to capture a range of emissions," Mr. Smith said.

 

"We know the EPA has been reviewing emissions licenses for the past several years and they should require these power stations to install pollution controls."

 

EPA Chief Executive Cathy Wilkinson stated that "to ensure compliance, EPA undertakes inspection and analyses of each station's annual performance statements".

 

Fine particulates proportions can vary depending on coal quality or combustion conditions with differences in composition between brown and black coal.

 

EnergyAustralia, AGL Loy Yang A and A Loy Yang B spokespeople said their brown coal stations operated within EPA license conditions.

 

Both EnergyAustralia and AGL pointed to their electrostatic precipitators which removed particles to ensure discharges were below license requirements.

 

GE Has Order for Scrubbers for Multiple Boilers at NTPC

 

GE Power India Ltd has been awarded a contract worth Rs 690 crore by NTPC Ltd for its Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Project Stage-I, II & III, 5x210 MW to supply and install Wet FGD systems for a value of INR 6900 million (USD 97 million) with common absorber (combination of multiple boiler units), a company statement said.

 

This is the first time that GE in India has been awarded a project to install a common absorber for a combination of multiple boiler units, it said. The project will be located in Unchahar, Uttar Pradesh.

 

The project intends to remove SO2 from flue gas generated by coal-fired boilers in the respective plants in order to comply to environmental new emission norms issued.

 

 This will help the customer to become compliant to environmental new emission norms issued by the Government in December 2015 to restrict the SOx emission with the help of limestone as a reagent to reduce the SO2 emissions, it added.

 

South Africa loosens Pollution Limits even as Virus sets in

 

Emissions rise from a tower of the Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Kusile coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga. South Africa has doubled emission limits for sulfur dioxide pollution that will come into effect April 1 at a time when there is growing concern about the outbreak of the coronavirus, which is more severe for those who already have respiratory problems.

 

The Department of Environmental Affairs on March 27 changed the minimum emission limit to allow 1,000 milligrams of the pollutant per normal cubic meter, twice the amount that had been planned. While that level is 28 times the limit in China and 10 times higher than that in India, it compares with South Africa’s current limit of 3,500 milligrams, which will fall away at the end of this month.

 

The pollutant is primarily produced by burning coal at plants owned by power company Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. and petrochemicals firm Sasol Ltd. Exposure to sulfur dioxide has been tied to respiratory problems as well as strokes and diabetes.

 

South Africa has been sued by environmental activists over the pollution caused by Eskom and Sasol, which are both saddled with debt. Installing flue-gas desulfurization units, the accepted way of curbing sulfur dioxide emissions, costs billions of dollars per plant.

 

“Government has now legalized industry’s lethargy in taking meaningful action to retrofit its facilities,” said Robyn Hugo, an attorney and head of the Cape Town-based Centre for Environmental Rights Pollution & Climate Change Programme. This will have “the impact that thousands more premature deaths will occur.”

 

The areas around Eskom’s concentration of coal plants in the east of the country make it the world’s second largest hotspot for sulfur dioxide pollution, Greenpeace said last year.

 

FGD Gypsum Sales Will Offset Limestone Cost

 

This is the conclusion of the Indian Center for Science and the Environment in a comprehensive study from which we have extracted some relevant data.

 

Although plants will use a range of reagents or alternative measures such as DSI, we have assumed that the cumulative SO2 reduction will be achieved using only limestone— this assumption will therefore give us the upper limit of limestone needed by India’s coal-based power sector. Under this scenario, 9–10 million tons of limestone will be needed annually by 2026–27, which is only about three percent of the current limestone consumption.

 

 

 

 

There is ample limestone available.

 

 

 

Limestone FGD requirements are modest.

 

 

 

 

 

While the limestone requirement for FGD is a small fraction of overall supply, an important factor is the distance of the source of limestone from the power station.

 

 

Given the weight of limestone, transportation adds significantly to costs. To assess the ease of access to limestone, we identified large power generation clusters across the country totaling 134 GW. Next, we identified the limestone mining areas that are nearest to these power-generating clusters. The results have been summarized and they show that almost 60 percent of the power generation capacity (~80 GW) falls within 200 km of a limestone mining district. Another 20 percent lies between 200–300 km of the mining district. Many states house both power plants as well as limestone mining regions (Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan). In certain cases, power stations are close to limestone-mining districts in the neighboring states—power stations in Punjab and Haryana are close to limestone deposits in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

 

Thermal power plants will have to make arrangements for procurement and transportation of limestone and its storage within the plant premises. Limestone storage yards, with a capacity of at least two to three months, would be typically needed by power stations to ensure that FGD operations run uninterrupted. NTPC’s Vindhyachal power station in Madhya Pradesh (MP) commissioned FGD systems recently. It procures limestone from the Katni district in MP, about 200 km away, instead of sourcing it from the nearby Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. The limestone, in the form of boulders, is transported by trucks and stored within the plant premises close to the FGD unit. The storage facility can accommodate stock for two to three months. A crusher has been installed with a cyclone precipitator for converting the boulders to powder or slurry. Similarly, CLP India Pvt. Ltd procures limestone from Rajasthan and has a storage capacity of five to six months in the plant premises. Limestone needs of two to three days are stored near the FGD system for processing.

 

The quality of limestone determines its selling price. Depending on the grade of limestone the price varies between ₹273–1007 per ton. Industry experts told CSE that the average selling price for limestone for FGDs would be around ₹500–600 per ton. However, NTPC has procured limestone at ₹900 per ton for the Vindhyachal power station’s FGD system — possibly, this is a higher quality limestone.

 

To develop some understanding of the cost of limestone for FGD in one power plant, we take the case of a 500 MW unit:

 

Based on our analysis, a 500 MW plant will require 32,000–40,000 tons of limestone annually. The annual cost of limestone will be in the range of ₹3–4 crore. The cost of limestone can be more than offset by selling gypsum, which sells for over ₹1,000 per ton, produced from the process. Limestone requirement for coal-based power plants is miniscule compared to the present demand and consumption of limestone. However, it is essential that good quality limestone be allocated to power plants. Most power plants do have a mine near them from which limestone can be sourced but the problem is that many of those mines are captive mines. Captive mines are those mines that are not allowed to sell limestone to any company other than the one that owns them. It is essential that these mines be opened up for use by the power plants in order to facilitate the availability of good quality limestone for FGD. This will ensure that there is enough supply of good quality limestone at low cost. Further, MoEF & CC should release guidelines for handling and storage of limestone and gypsum in power plants. Proper transportation, handling and storage practices need to be put in place to avoid fugitive emission like flyash.

 

With the implementation of FGD systems, India will produce around 12–17 million tons of FGD gypsum annually. Around 10 million tons of gypsum was consumed by the industrial sector in 2015–16, of which almost half was imported. The cement industry needs a large amount of gypsum (16–20 million tons of gypsum based on 330 million tons of cement produced in 2018–19) in its manufacturing and it is actually facing a gypsum shortage. Apart from imports, the sector is using inferior quality synthetic gypsum from the fertilizer industry. FGD gypsum can thus fulfil this shortfall both in quantity and quality.

The revenue generated from FGD gypsum is dependent on the price of gypsum. Since a large quantity of domestic gypsum supply remains under the government, it also controls its pricing. Rajasthan State Minerals and Mines Limited (RSMML), a public sector enterprise of the state of Rajasthan, fixes prices regularly and these prices usually become the market price drivers. Prices of gypsum have remained stagnant over the years, ranging from ₹450– 1100 per metric ton.       

 

Since the supply of gypsum from RSMML is quite limited, the cement industry located across the country has to rely on other sources. Import pricing depends on the source of gypsum and the port of arrival; however, that is also aligned with RSMML selling price. Plants located near the sea can economically import gypsum. For plants located far away from the port transport costs can be high, which is why some cement plants use somewhat inferior quality chemical gypsum (phosphogypsum) from nearby fertilizer plants. As coal-based power plants are located across the country, transportation costs for FGD gypsum to the cement plants can be significantly lower if sourced from the nearest power plant. Only a handful of units in India are currently operating limestone based wet FGD. Therefore, FGD gypsum prices are not well established. However, one can safely assume that they would be in line with RSMML’s mineral gypsum prices. Another proxy is the price of synthetic gypsum — various vendors are selling phosphogypsum online at ₹500–1,000 per ton, based on the quality. Gypsum of 99 percent purity is being sold at 1800/MT and Gypsum of 55–60 percent purity is being sold at 750/MT.

 

Our analysis shows that a 500 MW coal-based generating unit could earn around ₹2–5 crore annually by selling FGD gypsum. This earning can offset the cost of limestone incurred in operating the FGD. Looking at wide applications and scarcity in India, full utilization of FGD gypsum can be achieved with proper market linkages. This will also eliminate environmental impact of gypsum disposal. Thus, MoEF & CC should direct power plants to utilize 100 percent of FGD gypsum. Disposal guidelines may be given only for a short period of time.

 

B&W Generated Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA of $33.3 Million, Returning to Full-year Profitability on an Adjusted EBITDA Basis

 

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. announced 4th quarter 2019 GAAP income from continuing operations of $5.5 million, an improvement of $232.8 million compared to a loss of $227.4 million in fourth quarter 2018. Adjusted EBITDA was a positive $19.3 million, an improvement of $133.5 million compared to negative adjusted EBITDA of $114.2 million in the prior year period, resulting in the Company's third consecutive quarter of profitability in 2019 on an adjusted EBITDA basis.

 

Full year 2019 GAAP income from continuing operations was a loss of $129.7 million, an improvement of $528.3 million compared to a loss of $658.0 million in 2018. Adjusted EBITDA was a positive $33.3 million, an improvement of $331.0 million compared to negative adjusted EBITDA of $297.7 million in the prior year, returning the Company to full-year profitability in 2019 on an adjusted EBITDA basis.

 

"Our solid performance in the 4th quarter of 2019 shows we have turned the corner toward profitability and demonstrates the strength of our improved operational performance and cost-savings efforts. Our GAAP operating income of $10.0 million and consolidated adjusted EBITDA of $19.3 million in the quarter directly reflect the value of underlying assets within our core business," said Kenneth Young, B&W Enterprises Chief Executive Officer. "Before we began to feel the effects of COVID-19, the business was progressing as planned in the first quarter of 2020. However, like many companies around the world, the global COVID-19 pandemic and the many measures taken by local and national governments to control its spread continue to impact our operations, and we are not able to fully predict the extent or timing of the impact. Many projects are delayed or deferred as our customers are also following local or national restrictions. We have implemented work-at-home mandates in many locations and we are deemed an essential business, so we can continue operations and support when requested."

 

"We are in continual contact with our employees, customers, suppliers and government officials to collaborate on approaches to the challenges the pandemic presents," Young continued. "The work we do is essential to the U.S. and global power generation infrastructure, and our technologies are also used by several hospitals and pulp and paper industrial customers. We are committed to supporting our customers during this crisis."

 

"We ended 2019 having made significant progress with the implementation of previously announced cost-savings initiatives, to reach approximately $119 million in annualized savings, as the first step toward optimizing our business while maintaining our high standards of quality and service," said Louis Salamone, B&W Enterprises Chief Financial Officer. "We have a proven and experienced management and employee team that engineered the turnaround of our business, and they are even more determined as we plan and implement changes throughout our operations in response to the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19. We are focused on managing our costs and cash flow through this crisis, while continually evaluating the effects of the financial market disruption on our business, to support our customers in the long-term."

 

Air Plan Approval:  Arkansas

 

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Arkansas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Arkansas through the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) on August 13, 2019. The SIP submittal addresses requirements of the Act and the Regional Haze Rule for visibility protection in mandatory Class I Federal areas (Class I areas) for the first implementation period. The EPA is proposing to approve an alternative measure to best available retrofit technology (BART) for sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen oxide (NOX) at the Domtar Ashdown Mill and elements of the SIP submittal that relate to these BART requirements at this facility. In addition, EPA is proposing to approve the withdrawal from the SIP the previously approved PM10 BART limit and the federal implementation plan (FIP) provisions for the Domtar Ashdown Mill.

 

The EPA is also concurrently proposing to approve Arkansas' interstate visibility transport provisions from the August 10, 2018, regional haze SIP submittal as supplemented by the visibility transport provisions in the October 4, 2019, interstate transport SIP submittal, which covers the following national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS):The 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS; the 2012 annual PM2.5 NAAQS; the 2008 and 2015 eight-hour ozone (O3) NAAQS; the 2010 one-hour nitrogen dioxide (NO2) NAAQS; and the 2010 one-hour SO2 NAAQS.

 

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 51 / Monday, March 16, 2020 / Proposed Rules

 

Hamon Korea Supplying Dry Scrubber and Dry Sorbent injection FGD Systems

 

Hamon has successfully supplied its FGD Dry Sorbent Injection System for Sulsel Barru (100-MW boiler) in Indonesia for PT PLN (Persero) with Toshiba JSW Power Systems Pvt. Ltd.

 

In 2015 it installed a circulating dry scrubber system. South Korean electricity company Gunjang Energy decided to install a new unit, called Seagull, at its existing power plant at Gunsan city. The circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler size was 275 MW and it needed to fulfil strict emission requirements, which came into force in January 2015. Therefore, a suitable flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technology to meet this limit became mandatory. Gunjang Energy wanted to install the most economical FGD technology for these demands, and therefore selected circulating dry scrubber (CDS) technology. The contract was awarded to Hamon Korea in June 2014 and commercial operation started on May 18, 2016.

 

The basic principle underlying a CDS is the removal of gaseous components and a downstream filter for dust removal. The flue gas from the upstream boiler flows through the CDS and then a filter and is released into the atmosphere via induced draft fans and stack.

 

The main component for the removal of waste gases is the CDS with the high solid concentration situated inside it. These solids contain the dust brought in by the raw gas, a metered quantity of hydrated lime as the absorbent, and over 90 percent of FGD product, recirculated from the downstream arranged filter.

 

The FGD is located downstream of the air preheater in the power plant arrangement. The CDS system itself consists of a CDS absorber, a low-pressure fabric filter with eight chambers for dedusting downstream of the CDS absorber, the connecting ductwork including the recirculation duct, the ID fans downstream of the fabric filter and the connection to the stack. All equipment has been installed in a compact and space-saving way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FGD and DeNOx NL Table of Contents504