Electron Beam Process Expected to be Cost Competitive with Limestone FGD

Poland’s Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT) with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency has achieved commercial success in its prototype operation of the Electron Beam Process with its 2 x 60 MW dual-module system installation at Pomorzany Power Station in northeast Poland. The Pomorzany E Beam system has provided as great as 90 percent system availability. A 10,000 Nm³/hour Electron Beam field pilot plant is operating at the lignite fired Maritsa East 2 in Bulgaria. With raw gas SO₂ concentration routinely as high as 5000 to 6000 ppm at Maritsa East 2, it is expected that in a full scale cost-effective design SO₂ removal efficiency as high as 95+ percent will be achieved with the use of pre-oxidation of the dedusted flue gas (via inlet duct injection of sodium chlorite solution).

INCT has two advanced technologies for agglomeration of the dry powder by-product to gain a final usable/salable product with physical properties unique to the preferred “granules” (as opposed to crystals or crushed briquettes). The granules exhibit high compaction strength and slow nutrient release, optimal in agriculture.

Total parasitic energy consumption for typical U.S. high-sulfur service is estimated as a maximum of 2.2 percent. INCT expects that the turnkey capital cost of a large capacity installation in the U.S. will be less than that for limestone FGD. Moreover, capital and operation costs can be largely offset by the ammonium sulfate/nitrate/chloride by-product net revenue.

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