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Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Retrofit Issues for Coal Fired Power Plants
Citation:
Chang, J., J. Gloria, AND D. Bahr. Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Retrofit Issues for Coal Fired Power Plants. In Proceedings, Power Plant Air Pollution Control "MEGA" Symposium, Baltimore, MD, August 20 - 23, 2012. Air and Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, 11 pg, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to provide an overall view of how preparing to install carbon capture technology impacts various areas of an existing plant. Many coal-fired units that are currently in operation would require significant upgrades and modifications to their existing air pollution control and BOP equipment prior to installing any type of carbon capture system. Approximately 70% of the model units required some AQCS upgrades to meet the flue gas quality requirements for a carbon capture process. Some upgrades, such as a polishing scrubber, would not be required until a future carbon capture system installation. However, other AQCS upgrades, such as FGD systems or baghouses, should be installed before implementation of carbon capture. With the installation of additional AQCS system, auxiliary power consumption could increase by as much as 3% of the total unit gross power before the installation of a carbon capture system. Additional plot space and water consumption must also be considered when preparing a unit to be “carbon capture ready.” However, this study also found that there are some units that could consider carbon capture technology with few or no upgrades to the existing system. While many units will likely require extensive and costly upgrades, it is likely that some units are already “carbon capture ready.”
Description:
Several studies have been published on carbon capture technology as an independent island. In contrast, this evaluation considered the impact on the existing plant and the potential improvements to ease the retrofit of a carbon capture process. This paper will provide insight into the overall modifications that should be performed to meet the required conditions for a carbon capture process at an existing power plant. Seven representative units were chosen from the existing units across the industry. These seven model units were evaluated to determine the required enhancements that would provide adequate flue gas quality for a future carbon capture technology based on the data available in public domain. Evaluations are conducted on: the secondary discharge, existing air pollution control upgrades or future installations, balance of plant impacts, and natural resource requirements such as additional plot space and increased water consumption.
URLs/Downloads:
REVISION 2 MEGA-ASSESSMENT OF GREENHOUSE GAS RETROFIT ISSUES.DOCProceedings Access
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