Subject:  Biomass Co-firing And Reburn Is The “Hot Topic” For May 31

In case you are wondering why we picked biomass co-firing and reburn as a “Hot Topic” for discussion, consider the potential advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages
Increase electrical output with a supplemental biomass gasifier and use of reburn
Decrease NO_x, mercury, SO₂
Solve the problem of mercury in the gypsum
Reduce net greenhouse gases
Reduce net fuel cost
Make and sell hydrochloric acid

Disadvantages
Derate the coal-fired boiler under the co-firing scenario
Cause boiler tube corrosion
Damage the SCR due to catalyst poisoning
Increase particulate emissions
Create a maintenance headache
Make fly ash unsalable
Make a capital investment

We are going to spend an hour or two in a “Hot Topic” webinar starting at 9:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time on Thursday, May 31 discussing all of these potentials but, most importantly, we will try to shed light as to why it is a whole new ball game.

When most of the analysis of these technologies was undertaken, mercury was not a concern.  Now it is a top priority.  If you add straw with high chlorine to your coal-fired boiler you are going to oxidize the mercury.  How important is this?  CAMR is based on the assumed difficulty and high expense of removing mercury when the chlorine content of the fuel is low.  Thus we have a $64,000 question (this could be the price of mercury allowances per lb).

Global warming concerns have risen dramatically.  Use of biomass contributes directly to greenhouse gas reduction.  Europe is embracing it for this reason.  The 4,000 MW Drax Station will replace 10 percent of its coal with grasses grown on 4 percent of the available UK cropland. Therefore this is a huge project.  If it makes sense in Europe, why not elsewhere?

Hydrochloric acid by-product sales are another new development.  Adding biomass with some chlorine and using a chloride pre-scrubber would result in capture and separation of the mercury plus a salable hydrochloric acid.  The advantages would be higher mercury capture, less mercury in the gypsum, and greenhouse credits for eliminating chlori alkali plants.

The value of increased electrical output has risen greatly.  Utilities would love to build many more new coal-fired plants because of the low cost of electricity generation.  But it is tough to
negotiate the legal challenges and hurdles.  Biomass reburn along with steam turbine modification is a way to increase generation from coal-fired plants with the blessing and backing of the environmental community.

Do these new conditions make biomass co-firing and or reburn even more attractive?  To find the
answer to this question join us on May 31 and listen to the experts debate the subject.  Just click
here for more information: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/FGDnetoppbroch/Default1.htm .

Bob McIlvaine

847-784-0012

rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com