FGD and DeNOx
NEWSLETTER
December 2021
No. 523
Table of Contents
MARKETS
Increase Air, Water, Energy (AWE) Profits One Application at a Time
Most Profitable Marketing Program for AWE Products and Services
100 Billion Annual Market for Pumps, Valves, and Other Air, Water, and
Combustion Products in Energy Applications
COAL WORLD
·
Eskom Bid For Higher Pollution Limits at Two
Plants Rejected
·
Six Years After Pollution Rules, Most Indian
Coal Plants Remain Unchanged
·
Thermax Bags Rs. 830 Crore Order For Three
Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Systems
HYDROGEN
·
Zeeco Will Discuss Impacts of Firing Hydrogen
at Power-Gen Next Month
·
Howden and Chart Industries Collaborate on
Delivering Advanced Hydrogen Solutions
·
Tracking the Hydrogen Market in Detail
GAS TURBINE
·
Parker Has a New GT Inlet Filter to Increase
Efficiency and Life With Lower Operating Costs
·
Gas Turbine Filter Cost of Ownership
Determined by Filter Strength, Tightness and Corrosion Resistance
WASTE-TO-ENERGY
·
Babcock & Wilcox Renewable Awarded $58 Million
Contract to Supply Advanced Waste-to-Energy Technology for Power Plant in Europe
BUSINESS
·
Babcock & Wilcox and Applied Blockchain, Inc.
Sign Cooperation Agreement to Develop Energy Projects for Cryptocurrency Mining
·
Consent Decree Concerning LG&E’s Sulfuric Acid
Mist
·
US Court Ruling Makes Closure of Ameren’s Rush
Island Plant Likely
MARKETS
Increase Air, Water, Energy (AWE) Profits One
Application at a Time
The Most Profitable Market
(MPM) Program entails
·
Analyzing the unique aspects of each of your products
·
Determining which industries have the largest potential
·
Quantifying your product superiority in the relevant applications within the
industry
·
Execute a sales strategy to validate the product superiority and focus on those
purchasers who will most benefit.
Implementation of the MPM
program promises to greatly increase EBITA for those companies with superior
products. The program is explained at www.mcilvainecompany.com.
The
program can be implemented incrementally using the low hanging fruit method.
There are hundreds of specific industries and multiple processes within each.
Since the location of the individual fruit is not known and the cost and time to
locate each one is high the initial choice is a difficult one.
Company
personnel have superior knowledge relative to niches where they are active. This
knowledge can be combined with McIlvaine analysis of the size and growth of
multi niche segments to select the initial targets.
For any individual product the following questions
need to be answered.
·
How big is the market?
·
How fast is it growing?
·
How superior is the product?
·
Are the resources available to validate the advantage, make the sale and provide
what was promised?
These questions can be addressed for several
alternative low hanging fruit candidates and the program initiated for the most
attractive one.
Decanter centrifuges in bioethanol are used as an
example.
Here are the program steps.
Once the program to pursue the lowest hanging fruit
is successful the scope can be expanded until all opportunities are analyzed.
The plan should be flexible as external developments alter the
profitability potential.
For a specific product it is necessary to analyze
each application within an industry where total cost of ownership factors will
differ.
More than 40 segments of the pharmaceutical industry
are identified as shown at
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/other-services/free-news/news-releases/47-uncategorized/news/1688-nr2674
Food and beverage revenues for 24 segments are the
starting point for analysis. There is a 10 to 1 variation in the AWE revenues
per dollar of customer revenue among the various food products.
Industry revenues are at least a starting point for estimating both the total
market and the potential for individual prospects.
There are 10 major segments of the energy industry
which have significant potential for AWE products. Some of these such as
hydrogen and biomass are fast growing.
http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/other-services/free-news/news-releases/47-uncategorized/news/1687-nr2673
Summaries
of many applications are shown at http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/30-general/1658-holistic-content-marketing-program
The McIlvaine Company offers a combination of market
reports and custom consulting services to help AWE product and service suppliers
pursue the MPM. This includes leveraging of internal resources and the
acquisition of companies with the most valuable synergies.
The market reports are described at
www.mcilvainecompany.com
under the heading “Markets” at the top of the
page.
Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com or
cell: 847 226 2391
Most Profitable Marketing Program for AWE Products and Services
Opportunities are first identified by industry code. The location of products
within each
process is identified. The cost of ownership factors are evaluated. The markets
are forecast. Where a supplier has a superior product the routes for validation
are provided.
Here
is an ethanol example. The path taken is highlighted in yellow.
·
Details on the program
are explained at www. mcilvainecompany.com
·
Bob McIlvaine can
answer your questions at rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com or
847 226 2391
100 Billion Annual Market for Pumps, Valves, and Other Air, Water, and
Combustion Products in Energy Applications
There is a $100 billion annual market for air, water,
and combustion products in energy applications over the next 20 years regardless
of climate change policies.
Solar and wind require little investment in air,
water, and combustion products. Their percentage of total energy production will
grow rapidly. Nevertheless these two sources will not eliminate the need for
other technologies over the next 20 years.
Some CO2 neutral or negative technologies
such as BECCS and nuclear require more investment in air, water, and combustion
products than do conventional coal fired plants.
The mix of utility power generation sources as
forecasted by IEA and separately by McIlvaine show reliance on a number of fuel
sources.
In addition there will be large purchases by
industrial and commercial sources. These include
·
Off road engines
·
Stationary Engines
·
Marine
·
Rail
·
Industrial Power and CHP
·
Waste to Energy
There is
a new business strategy to pursue these markets: The Most Profitable Market
Program http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/images/Most_Profitable_Market_Program.pdf
The unique deliverable is the forecast of potential
EBITA for each major prospect.
The segmentation of forecasts should include the
following criteria
·
Market potential by application
·
Correlation to specific prospects
·
Cost of ownership factors
·
Geographical aspects
Market potential in each application: Selective
Catalytic Reduction (SCR) can be used as an example. The supplier of catalysts,
valves, or pumps wants to know how big the SCR market is in coal, gas turbines,
marine, stationary engines, etc.
Market potential by process: SCR is an
application which requires unique types of catalyst, pumps, and valves. So
determining the process potential is important. There are variations such as
when hydrogen is used as a fuel source.
Correlation to specific prospects: Each of these fuel
sources will have unique purchasers but there is overlap. A utility such
as NTPC in India is involved in all the utility fuel sources. Maersk is
buying catalyst for marine applications. There are more 90,000 ships of which
10% already have SCR systems. They represent a market for replacement catalyst
as well as repair parts for pumps and valves.
Cost of ownership factors: Each fuel source has
unique cost of ownership factors. Many sources require SCR. In the case of
coal-fired boilers, the particulate contamination of catalyst requires special
designs. Marine SCR systems have space constraints.
Geographical aspects: Regulations are not uniform across the world. There has
been no requirement for SCR on gas turbines in many countries. The coal-fired
capacity is shrinking in some countries and expanding in others.
Market forecasts detailed enough to provide
segmentation based on all five of the important criteria provide the foundation
of a business strategy. The supplier can then determine where they can offer
products with the lowest cost of ownership and maximize EBITA and revenues.
McIlvaine provides reports on products such as
valves, pumps, filters etc. on all applications as well as well as process
oriented reports such as NOx control or cleanrooms. Descriptions for
each are found at www.mcilvainecompany.com.
Custom
consulting is also available. Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at 847 226
2391 or email him at rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
COAL – WORLD
Eskom Bid For
Higher Pollution Limits at Two Plants Rejected
South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment has rejected a
request from Eskom to exempt the 3,990 MW Mathimba and the 4,800 MW Medupi coal
power stations from minimum emission standards. The department stated Eskom has
“made minimal effort to fully comply with the standards” and its request could
not be met as the agency “does not have the prerogative to issue decisions which
are outside the current legal provisions or are in non-compliance with the law.”
The Mathimba plant was commissioned in 1991 and units at the Medupi plant were
progressively commissioned from 2015. While the legal limit for SO2 emissions
is 500 milligrams per cubic nanometer (mg/Nm3) Eskom had been granted
to emit 3500 mg/Nm3 until 2025 and had sought permission to emit up
to 4,000 mg/Nm3 until 2030 and at up to 1,000 mg/Nm3 for
the remaining life of the plant.
Six Years After
Pollution Rules, Most Indian Coal Plants Remain Unchanged
Six years after the Indian Government first announced new coal power air
pollution limits and four years since they came into effect, only 2300 MW of
India’s 167,000 MW of coal plant capacity have installed FGD units to slash SO2 emissions.
The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimates contracts have been
awarded to fit FGD units to a further 67,000 MW of coal plant capacity. However,
almost 98,000 MW of coal plant capacity have not yet committed to the
installation of SO2 emission control equipment.
Thermax Bags Rs.
830 Crore Order For Three Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Systems
Thermax Limited has concluded an order of Rs. 830 crore from an Indian power
private sector company to set up flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems for
their three units of 660 MW capacity each in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The FGD
systems will be installed at their plant to cut down SOx emissions
and comply with the air quality standards set for fossil fuel based power
plants.
“Our proven technological capabilities in the area of air pollution and gaseous
abatement, especially FGD, where we are already executing a few large orders,
led to this competitive win. In addition to supporting the customer in meeting
statutory compliance related to industrial pollution norms, the project
reinforces our commitment to the environment,” says Ashish Bhandari, MD & CEO,
Thermax Limited.
The scope of supply includes design, engineering, manufacturing, civil work,
construction, and commissioning of the FGD systems. The project is slated to be
completed in 36 months.
HYDROGEN
Zeeco Will
Discuss Impacts of Firing Hydrogen at Power-Gen Next Month
Bob Langstine of Zeeco will be one of the speakers on hydrogen. Firing hydrogen
or primarily hydrogen is a definitive way to reduce carbon emissions and
operating fuel costs. However, without the right knowledge and technical
specifications in place, firing H2 can be dangerous and lead to increased NOx formation.
Typical low-NOx burners may not be capable of firing H2 without
flashback issues or damage to the burner or boiler. This presentation will
examine why H2 is different from traditional fuel gas steams and the impact of
those differences on flame characteristics, burner design, refractory materials,
control systems, and emissions. He will use data from both new and retrofit
installations to illustrate how properly engineering a system to fire H2 can
generate multiple benefits.
Howden and
Chart Industries Collaborate on Delivering Advanced Hydrogen Solutions
Howden and Chart Industries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as
they move forward in collaboration for advanced hydrogen solutions,
incorporating Howden gas compression systems into Chart hydrogen offerings.
Howden is a leading global provider of mission critical air and gas handling
products, technologies, and services across a diverse range of industries, while
Chart is a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment, servicing
multiple applications in the clean energy and industrial gas markets.
This relationship will result in more cost-effective standardized solutions
within an integrated and optimized service offering. This will provide customers
with tailored global aftermarket support and will leverage both companies’
manufacturing capabilities to be close to the regional hydrogen projects that
are anticipated to move quickly to commercialization this decade.
Ross Shuster, CEO of Howden comments: “We are confident that this collaboration
with Chart will bring significant benefits to customers, while also more broadly
benefitting the rapidly developing renewable hydrogen industry. We view this
collaboration as one means to bring cost-effective, standardized solutions to
the market in order to help reduce the time required to develop new projects and
to lower costs associated with renewable hydrogen. This cooperation with Chart
is a natural one given our common focus on customers, technology and innovation,
and our passion for enabling the global clean energy transition.” Commenting on
the partnership, Jill Evanko, CEO of Chart Industries stated, “We are pleased to
partner with Howden, a market leader in numerous areas, including gas
compression, and a partner that we have worked with for many years. The
combination of our offerings are highly complementary which reduces lead-time
and unnecessary costs for our customers as hydrogen projects require speed to
market and cost competitiveness.”
Tracking the
Hydrogen Market in Detail
HIS Markit is providing detailed analysis of the hydrogen market.
Hydrogen is produced in large quantities, both as a principal product and as a
by-product. Hydrogen producers may consume the product captively, sell it to end
users, sell it to a company that specializes in marketing industrial gases, burn
it for fuel, or vent it to the atmosphere. Hydrogen consumers may buy hydrogen
from an industrial gas company or a byproduct producer, use internally generated
by-product hydrogen, or install a hydrogen plant
on-site. In some cases, a company will generate crude by-product hydrogen that
is purchased and purified by an industrial gas company and then sold back to the
original generating company.
Growth in the hydrogen market is driven primarily by large-scale applications
such as ammonia and methanol production, petroleum refining, and metals
applications. Emerging use of hydrogen as energy carrier, either directly in
fuel cells or as heating fuel, or indirectly in the production of renewable
diesel (hydrotreated vegetable oils [HVO]), green ammonia, or green methanol,
are emerging and fast-growing end-use segments, albeit from fairly small levels.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of hydrogen:
Most of all hydrogen produced today is still derived from fossil fuels, with
natural gas being by far the most frequently used, followed by liquid
hydrocarbons, coal, and electrolysis of water.
Global opportunities for hydrogen look strong in the forecast period. Production
of methanol has been on the rise, especially in the United States, with lower
natural gas prices providing an advantage. The ammonia market is also
experiencing robust growth. Demand for distillate is steadily on the increase.
Refineries are large-volume producers and consumers of hydrogen for distillate.
In general, environmental regulations implemented in most industrialized
countries result in increased hydrogen requirements at refineries for gasoline
and diesel desulfurization because of increased demand for cleaner fuels and
tighter engine manufacturer specifications.
Hydrogen is also expected to see a surge in consumption in the transportation
sector as well as in other applications of hydrogen as an energy carrier,
including the production of green ammonia and green methanol.
Overall global demand for hydrogen is expected to increase strongly during the
next five years, primarily as a result of demand from petroleum refinery
operations and the production of ammonia and methanol. Asia will continue to
lead demand growth in line with the increasing growth of its domestic economies.
IHS Markit’s Chemical Economics Handbook –Hydrogen has
been compiled using primary interviews with key suppliers and organizations, and
leading representatives from the industry in combination with IHS Markit’s
unparalleled access to upstream and downstream market intelligence and expert
insights into industry dynamics, trade, and economics.
This report can help
https://ihsmarkit.com/products/hydrogen-chemical-economics-handbook.html
GAS TURBINE
Parker Has a
New GT Inlet Filter to Increase Efficiency and Life With Lower Operating Costs
All components within the latest advanced gas turbines must be able to withstand
the harsh environments and multiple contaminates that these systems are
continuously exposed to. Leveraging decades of filtration engineering experience
and direct feedback from customers, Parker said every detail of
the new clearcurrent ASSURE filters is designed to ensure they support
predictable, reliable, and optimized gas turbine performance.
“The efficiency we see from today’s advanced gas turbines, such as the H-class,
is far superior to that of previous machines,” said Tim Nicholas, power
generation market manager, Gas Turbine Filtration Division. “The precise
engineering involved to achieve these output levels requires a conditioned,
consistent and reliable air flow through the inlet house, and our new line of
filters helps to protect turbine health and performance.”
Filtration systems for gas turbines require consistent innovation to keep pace
with ongoing improvements to turbine design and performance. Advanced classes of
turbines have recently broken the 60% net efficiency barrier in combined cycle
mode. By leveraging technologies such as 3D printing and advanced analytics,
such increased levels of efficiency are becoming increasingly common, and it is
expected that further improvements will soon follow.
Parker’s new clearcurrent ASSURE filters feature durable hydrophobic and
oleophobic properties, which remove problematic contaminants carried through to
the turbine in liquid forms. Their unique design provides effective filtration
across a range of models including high-performance self-cleaning units.
Construction practices and materials are selected for extended service life to
enable longer maintenance intervals and reduced lifetime cost while sustaining
performance.
“The lower efficiency of legacy turbines means that particles adhering to the
blades have less impact on performance. However, to maintain the efficiency of
the advanced performance turbines entering the market today, internal components
need better protection from sticky particles in the inlet airflow which can
impact aerodynamic and thermal performance,” Nicholas added. “Our clearcurrent
ASSURE filters are designed with housing materials and filtration media that is
precision-engineered to set a new benchmark in protecting these incredible
machines.”
The measured and consistent performance of the clearcurrent ASSURE filters
through all filtration stages equates to predictable differential pressure (DP).
This is essential to avoid sudden pressure spikes that lead to unplanned turbine
outage or damage to the system. They are designed to an exact fit in the inlet
house to prevent them being bypassed, significantly reducing the risk of
accelerated degradation of turbine components and helping to optimize
maintenance over the life of the system.
Gas Turbine Filter Cost of Ownership Determined by Filter Strength, Tightness
and Corrosion Resistance
Strength and Tightness:
Filters contain pleated media and are designed to maximize filtration area. Any
damage to these pleats, however, can create a bypass route for air and moisture.
To ensure strength through the entirety of the pleats, including the edges,
inlet filters should be reinforced in several ways. Components and designs that
allow the flow of compounds evenly through the pleat channels ensures
encapsulation of the pleat tips, reducing bypass opportunities. In addition,
edge seal technology, which applies a continuous application of hydrophobic
hot-melt beads at the border of the pleat pack, creates a secondary
reinforcement seal.
Pressure Drop:
CFD modelling and other tools can be used to show the impact of pleat spacing,
height and depth on Dp and DHC on any given media and its efficiency. It
delivers specific information that enables the effectiveness and utilization of
the media to be optimized for all environmental challenges. Modelling through
the proprietary media optimizer helps improve performance for the best of the
best outcomes for all filtration variables.
Corrosion Resistance:
Powder coating provides protection to galvanized frames.
Validation:
Parker has decades of experience and the ability to test used and new filters.
It also has the expertise. One of the the two authors of this article was Steve
Hiner who is the chief engineer for Parker Hannifin’s Gas Turbine Filtration
Division. He has 27 years developing air filters and filtration systems solely
for gas turbines. The other author, Tim Nicholas, has spent nearly 15 years in
the gas turbine filtration industry in a variety of engineering, product, and
commercial roles. The article is on line at https://www.filtnews.com/protecting-gas-turbines-the-details-matter/
Validation is best accomplished with case histories and reference lists. But
validation is achieved when the achievement is communicated.
IFN is an effective communicator In 2019 Adrian Wilson penned an IFN gas
turbine article in which he stated “In a significant development three years
ago, Clarcor (which became a part of Parker-Hannifin at the start of 2017)
announced a 10-year strategic arrangement with GE involving the supply of 100
percent of the requirements for filters and components for GE’s latest advanced
technology H-class gas turbines and certain other gas turbine platforms.
This positioned Parker Filtration as the sole developer of the next-generation
air inlet filtration systems for the H-class gas turbine, which is expected to
become industry standard over the next few years.”
In terms of validation Adrian is an expert on the media. His article has
important insights comparing media. It is found at https://www.filtnews.com/the-crucial-role-of-air-inlet-filters-for-gas-turbines/
Parker has a new gas turbine filter, which is included in a separate McIlvaine
article. It emphasized the value of innovation. In turn, innovation necessitates
continuing evaluation of filter options. McIlvaine has a free program now
available.
The Gas Turbine and Combined Cycle Decision Guide also has child webs e.g.,
turbine intake filters and various air and water segments.
Links to articles, recorded webinars and analysis are included for intake air,
air pollution control, intake water, cooling, steam, and wastewater treatment.
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/GTairTech/Subscriber/Default.htm
WASTE-TO-ENERGY
Babcock & Wilcox Renewable
Awarded $58 Million Contract to Supply Advanced Waste-to-Energy Technology for
Power Plant in Europe
Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) announced that its B&W Renewable segment has been awarded
a contract for approximately $58 million to design and supply an advanced
waste-to-energy boiler, combustion grate and other equipment for a
waste-to-energy power plant in Europe.
B&W Renewable’s technologies, including its advanced DynaGrate® combustion
grate, will help the plant operator divert 435,000 tons of non-recyclable waste
from landfills, reducing methane emissions and providing renewable energy for
the equivalent of 95,000 homes. The DynaGrate is ideally suited for
waste-to-energy applications and features a high level of fuel flexibility,
energy recovery and combustion efficiency, while also reducing emissions by
destroying dioxins and furans, minimizing formation of nitrogen oxides, and
limiting unburned carbon.
“Diverting hundreds of thousands of tons of waste each year will significantly
reduce the environmental impact of landfilled waste in this region, including
from runoff and methane emissions,” said Jimmy Morgan, B&W Chief Operating
Officer. “Waste-to-energy, biomass and renewable technologies are an important
part of B&W’s business growth strategy, and we’re pursuing other significant
renewable energy projects around the world.”
As the world looks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil
fuels, waste-to-energy technology can play a key role in those efforts while
providing renewable, baseload power. In Europe alone, 50 million tons of waste
is converted into valuable energy, supplying 27 million residents with power,
and substantially reducing the need for landfills.
Enviva Partners, LP (“Enviva”), a global renewable energy company specializing
in sustainable wood bioenergy, and Tokyo-based utility Electric Power
Development Co., Ltd. (“J-Power”), have signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) for the long-term, large-scale supply of sustainable wood biomass from
Enviva's manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Southeast to J-Power’s coal-fired
power plants in Japan. The agreement is designed to develop an executable and
investable plan under which Enviva will build new infrastructure to produce and
deliver up to 5 million metric tons of sustainable wood pellets to permanently
replace coal in J-Power’s existing coal-fired power plants, significantly
curbing the utility’s greenhouse-gas emissions. The MOU provides a framework to
advance the role of biomass as a renewable and sustainable energy source and
help J-Power meet its “Blue Mission” goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
“Climate change is a global challenge requiring a global solution. Enviva has an
established track record of delivering a dependable, scalable, and sustainable
product, which today delivers substantial and deep decarbonization of energy to
generators and industrials around the world,” said Thomas Meth, co-founder and
executive vice president of sales and marketing at Enviva. “We are delighted
that our partnership with J-Power can help this leading utility in Japan reach
its climate goals with reliable, baseload energy that complements the
intermittency of wind and solar.”
In April, Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, nearly doubled its 2030
target to cut carbon emissions by 40%, up from 26% in 2013, joining other
countries shifting from coal and other fossil fuels to accelerate the fight
against climate change. To further align with the government decarbonization
policy, J-Power, which has a total of 8.4 gigawatts of coal-fired power
capacity, recently announced various plans, including phase-out of aged thermal
power plants and co-firing of biomass or ammonia.
Under the agreement, the parties will jointly evaluate the most sustainable and
cost-effective means to deliver on the potential of the coal-to-biomass
conversion project, such as security of supply, port reception, delivery and
storage logistics, safety measures, and project economics. The investment will
leverage J-Power’s existing coal-fired power plants by re-purposing them via
conversion, resulting potentially in both dedicated as well as co-fired biomass
plants.
Converting existing coal-fired power plants to sustainable biomass usage is one
of the quickest, most cost-effective ways to reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas
emissions of a plant by more than 80 percent while retaining jobs throughout the
supply chain. Coal-to-biomass conversion projects enable former coal plants to
continue operating cost-efficiently with their existing supply, generation, and
grid infrastructure. Unlike wind and solar energy, biomass is not dependent on
grid expansion.
“We are confident that our partnership with Enviva, which has a track record of
supplying biomass sustainably and reliably, will firmly support J-Power’s
efforts in realizing carbon-neutrality. By combining J-Power’s highly efficient
technology to utilize solid fuel and Enviva’s global supply capability, we are
meeting the social expectations of achieving carbon neutrality coupled by stable
energy supply,” said Shinsuke Suzuki, Executive Officer, Director of Thermal
Energy & Value Creation Department at J-Power.
Biomass ultimately provided by Enviva under the agreement will be certified
under the European Union’s (EU) current sustainability criteria, which maintains
and improves long-term forest health, growth, and capacity. The EU’s
sustainability standard guarantees biomass is only sourced from sustainably
managed forests that are regenerated, ensuring that carbon stocks are stable or
growing, that forest harvesting is legal, and prevents sourcing from nature
protection areas, taking soil quality and biodiversity into account.
Earlier this year, Enviva announced its own Net-Zero Commitment that will
reduce, eliminate, or offset all of its direct emissions by 2030. Enviva agreed
to adopt innovative and improved lower-emission processes through investments in
projects that result in real, additional, and third-party verified net-carbon
reductions as part of this ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions from fossil
fuels and improve energy efficiency.
BUSINESS
Babcock & Wilcox and Applied Blockchain, Inc. Sign Cooperation Agreement to
Develop Energy Projects for Cryptocurrency Mining
Babcock & Wilcox announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with
Dallas-based Applied Blockchain, Inc. to identify and explore opportunities to
develop, supply, construct and operate baseload power and clean energy projects
in the next three years to support cryptocurrency mining operations.
These projects could result in up to 1.5 gigawatts of electrical generation
capacity and will be a platform for using B&W’s solutions such as renewable
waste-to-energy, BrightLoopTM carbon capture and hydrogen production,
solar generation, and long-duration energy storage to provide baseload power and
clean energy to support Applied Blockchain’s power needs in North America.
“The global demand for cryptocurrency mining has been growing substantially and
we’re excited to play a key role in helping our partner, Applied Blockchain,
develop the infrastructure necessary to power this technological revolution in a
sustainable and economic way,” said B&W Vice President, Corporate Development &
Investor Relations, Megan Wilson. “Clean energy technologies, including solar,
hydrogen and long-term energy storage, will play a pivotal role in providing the
electrical capacity needed to power cryptocurrency mining, and B&W is
well-positioned to be a solutions provider to support this growing need.”
“B&W has more than 150 years of experience in the U.S. energy industry providing
innovative solutions to meet customers’ unique power needs, making us
well-positioned to develop these types of projects for diverse and novel energy
users,” Wilson said. “Applied Blockchain is a dynamic, forward-thinking company
and we’re excited to team with them to pursue multiple clean energy and baseload
power projects.”
B&W’s clean energy capabilities include its ClimateBrightTM suite of
decarbonization technologies – including BrightLoop, which can use multiple
fuels to produce clean hydrogen – as well as waste- and biomass-to-energy
technologies and solar installation services. In addition, B&W industry-leading
thermal energy generation and environmental technologies round out a diverse and
flexible array of options to power cryptocurrency mining using virtually any
fuel.
Consent Decree Concerning
LG&E’s Sulfuric Acid Mist
On December 1, 2021, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed consent decree
with the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in
the lawsuit entitled United States and Louisville Metro Air [[Page
69297]]Pollution Control District v. Louisville Gas & Electric Company,
Civil Action No. 3:20-cv-00542-CRS.
The United States and the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District
(``District'') filed a complaint against Louisville Gas & Electric Company
(``LG&E'') alleging violations of the Clean Air Act (``Act'') at LG&E's Mill
Creek facility in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The claims alleged in the
complaint and resolved by the proposed consent decree concern LG&E's emission of
sulfuric acid mist. The proposed consent decree requires LG&E to pay a $750,000
civil penalty, perform a supplemental environmental project estimated to cost
$540,000, and perform injunctive relief.
The publication of this notice opens a period for public comment on the proposed
consent decree. Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General,
Environment and Natural Resources Division and should refer to United States and
Louisville Metro Air Pollution
Control District v. Louisville Gas & Electric Company, D.J. Ref. No.
90-5-2-1-11597. All comments must be submitted no later than thirty (30) days
after the publication date of this notice. Comments may be submitted either by
email or by mail:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To submit comments:
Send them to:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By email............................
pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov.
By mail.............................
Assistant Attorney General, U.S.
DOJ--ENRD, P.O. Box 7611,
Washington, D.C. 20044-7611.
Federal Register/Vol. 86, No. 232/ Tuesday, December 7, 2021/Notices
US Court Ruling
Makes Closure of Ameren’s Rush Island Plant Likely
The Eighth Circuit of the US Court of Appeals has rejected a bid by Ameren to
overturn a 2019 court ruling directing the utility to install pollution control
equipment on its 1242 MW Rush Island Energy Center in Missouri. The utility
could appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, spend up to US$1 billion fitting
scrubbers to the two coal units by 2024 or close the plant. The plant, which was
commissioned between 1977 and 1979, had a nominal retirement date of 2039.