AIR & WATER POLLUTION
MONITORING NEWSLETTER
July 2012
No. 393
$390 Billion Investment in Coal-fired Boilers Next Year
Power generators will spend $390 billion in 2013 for new coal-fired boilers. Direct costs of equipment will be $260 billion while indirect costs will be $130 billion. There will be a mix of subcritical, supercritical and ultra supercritical boilers. Most of the units which will be installed will utilize wet cooling. However, some units in China and elsewhere will install dry cooling systems. These add as much as 5 percent to the total plant investment. On the other hand, the cost of the Chinese plants will be only 60 percent of the cost for the same plant in the U.S. or Europe. All new plants will have high efficiency particulate control (electrostatic precipitators or fabric filters). Most of the new plants will use extensive wastewater treatment and some water recovery. The investment in new coal-fired power plants in 2013 will exceed the investment in gas turbines and nuclear plants combined.
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