Achieving Cost-effective Compliance with Clean Air Rules

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In a competitive marketplace, plants’ environmental operations and assets must remain efficient and reliable. Not only is profitability at stake but federal and state laws governing the discharge of gaseous, liquid, and particulate pollutants to the environment dictate the granting of future plant operating permits. Violation can also result in hefty fines.

Issues to be considered in managing a cost-effective clean air program to protect public health include efficiency, reliability improvement, and proper maintenance, starting with coal handling, boiler operation, pollution control devices, and ash handling systems etc. Kinectrics, with nine decades of experience solving the most advanced technical challenges of North American utilities, can provide utility managers with practical fact-based solutions for managing environmental assets for profitability and clean air compliance.

The Regulations

The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), a cap-and-trade program, aims to cap emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) in 28 eastern states plus the District of Columbia to address the transport of pollution across state borders. SO₂ and NO_x contribute to the formation of fine particles and NO_x contributes to the formation ground-level ozone. The future objectives are:

• SO₂ - annual cap at 3.6 million tons by 2010 - 2.5 million tons by 2015
• NO_x - annual cap at 1.5 million tons by 2009 - 1.3 million tons by 2015 with
• NO_x ozone season cap - 580,000 tons by 2009 - 480,000 tons by 2015

Effective Solutions

Kinectrics assists clients using an assessment approach to analyze key areas and strengths and weaknesses in maintenance practices that impact environmental assets efficiency and performance. “Root-cause” analysis and solution implementation ensure plant assets are operating at peak performance to meet compliance. Recommendations regarding capital investment not only consider economic payback, but also whether the investment is justified. Specifically, Kinectrics can do the following to ensure power plant air emissions are in compliance with Federal and State laws:

·          Evaluate boiler-operating conditions for improved efficiency - air / fuel ratios, water wall ash deposits, carbon monoxide (CO)

        Evaluate low NO_x burner technologies and OFA – burner tilts, air/coal balancing, carbon in ash

·        Evaluate SCR reactors for optimized operations – ammonia distribution, catalyst performance, popcorn ash formation, ammonia slip

·        Evaluate SNCR & hybrid processes – urea consumption & utilization, NO_x removal performance, injector location & mixing issues

·        Evaluate limestone forced oxidation wet FGD – SO₃/H2SO4 blue plume issues, mist eliminators, nozzle designs, limestone grinding, scrubber performance, mercury mass balance around scrubber

·        Evaluate spray dryer absorbers – rotary atomizer performance, lime consumption, overall system performance

        Evaluate powdered activated carbon injection for mercury control, inherent capture, COHPAC, Co-benefit approaches from SCR & Scrubber,

·        Evaluate ESP performance especially with regard to fine particles  - removal efficiency, ash re-entrainment, back corona, SCA’s & ability of ESP to capture mercury, ESP upgrade for more efficient performance etc.

·        Evaluate multi-pollutant control for SO₂, NO_x, & mercury using co-benefits from existing pollution control devices – scrubbers, SCR’s ESP’s

·        Provide emissions and discharge management through effective CFD modelling – allows the plant to operate cost-effectively & within regulatory requiremens.

·        Provide cost-benefit analysis for engineering & construction of control technologies vs. emissions trading. 

Value-added capabilities

When generating assets are acquired toenhance profitability it isimportant to understand whether an investment is sound and capable of generating revenues. Kinectrics can do the following:

·        Perform due diligence for investors to ensure environmental assets are capable and competitive.

·        Assess upgrade requirements and related investment needs

·        Ensure regulatory issues are addressed such that past retrofits made to plant assets are taken into account with respect to federal standards (NSR) - ensure National Ambient Air Quality Standards are maintained.

·        Assess carbon emissions from plant and investigate whether revenues can be gained from trading

Help minimize the risk of potential EPA lawsuits. 

For more information, contact:

Rene Mangal, 416.207.6000 x6162, rene.mangal@kinectrics.com