Fabric Filter

Fabric filters are specified for a number of new coal-fired plants in the U.S. They are specified for the Mid America Council Bluffs plant where they will be used in conjunction with a dry scrubber on a 750 MW boiler. They will also be used for particulate control for a new coal-fired plant to be built by WE Energy.  In this scheme a wet scrubber will follow the filter and will in turn be followed by a wet precipitator. These are good examples of the fact that fabric filters will be used for most new coal-fired generating facilities in the U.S.

Over the last several weeks three important trends have gained direction. (1) There will be more reliance on coal than previously thought. (2) NSR litigation and consequent elimination of the grandfather advantage is back on track. (3) The re-definition of particulate will have huge consequences. The price of natural gas will bounce around but there is a growing realization that it is not going to be a low cost fuel for electricity generation. As a result many plans for coal-fired plants are under way. The Dominion settlement with the Justice Department is a very big milestone in the process of requiring all coal-fired plants to upgrade to NSPS. The European concern with erroneous particulate measurements discussed below is significant because it is an acknowledgement of the problem.

The idea that actual yearly fine particle and total particle emissions could be hundreds of percent higher than thought also indicates that every aspect of the reduction effort is suspect. Here are two contrasting examples of near absurdity. (1) Some regulations require opacity monitoring before the scrubber because that is the only place it can be measured without steam interference. (2) Other regulations require opacity measurement downwind of the stack where condensation take place to assure condensables are tracked.

Utilities could be shut down under the Title V permit enforcement procedures if they are unable to prove that the tons per year of particulate emissions are below the stipulation in the permit. How many utilities have proof that would hold up in court?  The answer is zero.

How much effort should be made by fabric filter suppliers to capture this coal-fired generator market?  The answer to that question is found in the online continuously updated analysis Fabric Filters and Elements: World Markets

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/air.html#N021 .

One of the new features of this report is an extensive monthly Update. Specific project opportunities around the world are described. They include cement, waste incineration, steel, and even crematories.

You can track all the new coal-fired plants and the retrofits of fabric filters to existing plants in Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/energy.html .

Bob McIlvaine

847-784-0012

www.mcilvainecompany.com