Huge Variables in the World Energy Outlook
Our energy sources are wind, solar, other biomass, hydro, nuclear, petroleum
liquids, gas and coal. The McIlvaine Company continues to analyze and predict
the future of each of these sources.
At some point in time fossil fuels will no longer be an energy source. As fossil
fuel resources are depleted, the price will rise. The extent of that rise will
be dependent on the availability and cost of the alternatives.
Petroleum liquids have been more highly valued than other forms of energy
because they have more uses and specifically have been the exclusive choice for
transportation. This advantage could be diminished as natural gas and electrical
energy are becoming increasingly competitive to supply transportation energy.
Nuclear energy unlike biomass has the capability to supply much of the world’s
energy needs. Questions about safety and cost and, most importantly, public
prejudice threaten future use of this energy mode.
Near-term competition is mainly among various forms of fossil fuels. The most
important development has been the conversion of one form to another. China has
embarked on a huge program to convert coal to synthetic natural gas, gasoline
and chemicals. Sixty large coal to syngas projects under development in China
would equal two-thirds of the U.S. shale gas output.
Other countries are also pursuing this course. The Ukraine and China are
cooperating to build four large coal to syngas plants using Ukrainian coal. This
will lessen dependence on Russian gas.
There are a number of projects to convert coal to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Some involve above ground gasifiers. Some involve underground gasification and
others will utilize coal bed methane. Posco, the large Korean steel maker, is
completing a plant to convert coal to LNG. This gas will replace the purchased
LNG presently used in steel making operations.
Australia has a number of LNG projects involving coal bed methane and
underground gasification. The country recently abolished its carbon tax and is
no longer pursuing a strategy to reduce global warming.
Whereas, in the past it appeared that the efforts to reduce global warming would
shape the energy future that no longer appears to be the case. Asia is focusing
on solving its immediate problems and has placed a low priority on global
warming. Europe has fallen way behind its timeline for CO2 reduction. The
urgency has been reduced by what the environmentalists term a “pause in global
warming” and what opponents claim is proof that the predictions were wrong.
Further information on these forecasts is found in:
N043 Fossil and Nuclear Power Generation: World Analysis and Forecast
N042 Renewable Energy World Markets
$2.9 Billion Market for Stainless Steel in Flow and Treatment Control Equipment
In 2015
Purchases of stainless steel by manufacturers of flow and treatment control
equipment will be $2.9 billion next year. This forecast does not include storage
tanks, piping, ductwork and other ancillary system components. These forecasts
are part of Air/Gas/Water/Fluid Treatment and Control: World Market published by
the McIlvaine Company. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)
Flow control including pumps and valves represent almost two thirds of the
total. Sales of these components will be $139 billion next year. The suppliers
will purchase stainless materials exceeding $1.9 billion. In some cases, the
purchases will be direct but often through suppliers of forgings, castings and
fabrications.
2015 Market For Stainless Steel In Flow and Treatment Equipment
Product Stainless Steel
$ Millions Total
$ Billions
Flow Control 1,900 139
Liquid filtration and separation 240 46
Water and liquid treatment 70 15
HVAC 20 11
Stack gases and compressed air 680 73
Monitoring 20 15
Total 2,930 299
The vessels used to support liquid filtration devices are constructed of
stainless steel where there are hygienic or corrosion considerations. Centrifuge
design includes the additional challenge of rotating parts. The scrolls and
discs revolve at high speed. Stainless disc type centrifuges are used for wine,
food, dairy and chemical applications. The scroll type centrifuges are used for
sludge dewatering and for many chemical applications.
Reverse Osmosis housings are frequently constructed of stainless steel.
Microfiltration and ultrafiltration housings used in desalination are also
typically stainless steel.
Stainless steel will continue to gain market share in the flow and treatment
market as operators seek higher performance and reliability. For more
information on Air/Gas/Water/Fluid Treatment and Control: World Market, click
on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/markets/27-water/445-n064-air-gas-water-fluid-treatment
“Municipal Drinking Water Treatment” Hot Topic Hour October 16, 2014
McIlvaine has created a free website Drinking Water Filtration - Continuous
Analysis. A series of webinars will serve to further populate this website and
make it an important decision making too for municipalities.
The tried and true method for purifying drinking water has been the use of
gravity media filters. In the last decade, cross-flow membranes have been an
alternative selected by municipalities seeking protection against small
microorganisms. Chemicals and ultraviolet disinfection are also widely used. The
webinar on October 16 will explore each of these technologies and the advantages
and disadvantages of each.
The devil is in the details. With gravity media filters is air scour, water
backwash, or a combination the best way to keep the unit clean? What are the
options regarding underdrains? How do systems utilizing an intermediate layer of
gravel between the treatment media and the underdrains compare to those which
retain the media directly? Should an online particle counter be used to monitor
performance? If cross-flow membranes are used, should the medium be
microfiltration or ultrafiltration? What about the tradeoffs between UV, onsite
chemical generation and purchased chemicals? How do chemicals aid the filtration
process?
We are asking viewers to submit data to populate this site and to review the
posted data prior to the webinar. This will ensure a high level discussion.
Contact: Bob McIlvaine at rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com.
Renewable Energy Briefs
Nareva Selects GE Turbines for 10 MW Wind Farm in Morocco
GE announced it will supply 56 1.7-100 wind turbines for its first wind farm in
North Africa developed by Energie Eolienne du Maroc (EEM), a leading developer
of wind projects and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nareva Holding. The 100 MW
wind farm will be located near Akhfennir in southern Morocco.
Akhfennir is one of the wind farms in the first phase of the Moroccan Integrated
Wind Energy project, set to produce over 720 MW. Five new sites are being
planned to utilize Morocco’s strong potential in wind power, estimated at 25,000
MW. Morocco’s Renewable Energy Law (No.13-09) supports energy production from
renewable resources.
Voith Awarded Contract for Upgrading Priest Rapids Dam in Washington
Voith Hydro has been awarded the contract to rehabilitate and upgrade the
turbines in the 10-unit powerhouse at Grant County (Washington) Public Utility
District’s (PUD) Priest Rapids Dam on the Columbia River.
Installation of the upgraded vertical Kaplan turbines, with a majority of the
rehab work being performed at Voith’s York, Pennsylvania facility, will span 10
years starting in 2016, with one unit upgraded per year. Voith performed
extensive model testing over the past several years, culminating in a successful
customer witness test in Lausanne, Switzerland in June 2013. Each turbine is
rated at approximately 100 MW.
Cavitation free performance and stringent fish passage criteria were critical
components for the final awarded design of the turbine. With the award of the
Priest Rapids contract, Voith is once again modernizing components of a
hydropower plant on the Columbia River; the company recently completed the final
turbine upgrade at the 10-unit Wanapum Dam, which is immediately upstream from
Priest RapidsB.
SPI Solar Subsidiary Announce Agreement to Purchase and Develop 19 MW of Solar
PV Projects in Shandong Province, China
SPI Solar, a vertically-integrated photovoltaic solar developer, announced that
its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xinyu Xinwei New Energy Co., Ltd. (Xinwei), has
signed an agreement to purchase and develop approximately 19 megawatts (MW) of
distributed generation (DG) solar power projects in Shouguang, Shandong
Province, China via the acquisition of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that owns
the rights to such projects.
The agreement calls for the development of four rooftop sites (consisting of 5
MW, 5 MW, 4.5 MW and 4.5 MW, respectively) for established manufacturers in
China. Construction of the projects is scheduled to begin in September 2014,
with completion and grid connection expected during the fourth quarter of 2014.
This marks SPI’s second significant DG project announcement in Shandong Province
in the past month.
Glennmont Begins Operations of 38 MW Biomass Plant
Glennmont Partners, a leading investment manager dedicated to clean energy in
Europe, has commenced operation of the 38 MW Sleaford straw-fired renewable
energy plant.
The plant was built by a consortium of Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor
A/S and Burmeister and Wain Energy A/S. Glennmont purchased 100 percent of the
equity in the project in December 2011, and financed the construction through a
debt package provided by NIBC Bank NV, RBS, Siemens Bank GmbH and Unicredit Bank
AG.
Sleaford will generate enough electricity to power 65,000 homes as well as
providing free heat to local sports clubs and community facilities. It will
create and support jobs in local agriculture and has been built to perform to
the highest environmental standards.
Saft to Deliver Third Li-ion Energy Storage System for California Utility
Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology
batteries for industry, has received its third contract from a major California
utility. Since the first utility-scale storage system was commissioned at the
end of 2012, Saft received two additional contracts bringing the total to a
combined energy storage system (ESS) capacity of 7.5 MWh, deployed in 12
containers. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) energy storage systems will be used to
mitigate power fluctuations inherent with solar-generated electricity.
The first ESS supplied by Saft to the California utility, partially funded by
the Department of Energy, ultimately participated in one of the first times in
the nation’s history that a microgrid was used to power a large portion of a
community during an emergency situation. Commissioned in late 2012, the contract
included three battery containers and one power electronics container, rated at
500kW/1500kWh and installed at a remote desert community microgrid. The
community is served by a single transmission line that is subject to disruptions
due to weather fluctuations and the prevalence of wildfires.
Saft’s ESS solution demonstrated its operational value in the fall of 2013 when
intense thunderstorms cut power to the community. Utility engineers were able to
call on the microgrid for assistance and used its local power sources to restore
electricity to 1,060 customers, including the essential downtown business area.
The location’s fragile connection to the power distribution system, proximity to
a local substation and prevalence of customer-generated solar power served as an
ideal microgrid test site.
For more information on Renewable Energy Projects and Update please visithttp://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/Renewable_Energy_Projects_Brochure/renewable_energy_projects_brochure.htm
Headlines for Utility E-Alert –September 19, 2014
UTILITY E-ALERT
#1192 – September 19, 2014
Table of Contents
COAL – US
• CMS undertaking $1 Billion Program to cut Emissions from Five Coal-fired Power
Plants in Michigan
• Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection intends to issue an Air
Operating Permit to NRG Power Midwest
COAL – WORLD
• IGCC System for Tokyo Electric Power
• Volta River Authority signs MOU for 1,200 MW Coal-fired Power Plant in Ghana
GAS/OIL - US
• Panda Power Funds to commission 758 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Temple,
Texas
• EPA Draft Air Permit for 225 MW Red Gate Power Plant Project of South Texas
Electric Cooperative (STEC)
GAS/OIL WORLD
• UK approves new 470 MW Gas-fired Power Plant at North Killingholme, England
• Carlton Power to develop 1.8 GW Gas-fired Power Plant and also purchasing GE’s
interest in 1,500 MW Thorpe Marsh Gas-fired Power Station in England
• POSCO E&C wins $1.14 Billion Nigeria Power Plant Order
• Lafarge, Wärtsilä, IFC to build 220 MW Gas-fired Power Plant in Nigeria
• Sasol lets Services Contract to Foster Wheeler for Mozambique Gas Processing
Plant
CO2
• Victorian CCS Research (Australia) wins $5 Million Grant
NUCLEAR
• GE Hitachi’s Boiling Water Reactor Design approved by NRC
• Entergy seeks to renew Indian Point’s Federal Operating License – Opposition
from New York Regulators and Environmental Groups
• Groups appeal decision in Utah Nuclear Power Plant Case
BUSINESS
• GDF SUEZ purchases Lahmeyer Engineering Company, Germany
• Energy Future Holdings (TX) to auction stake in Oncor Power Distribution
• STEAG now also successfully servicing Asia
• Substantial Merger Activity in the Air Filtration Industry
• Fuel Tech acquires Intellectual Property for Carbonite Fuel Conversion Process
• Fuel Tech awarded Air Pollution Control Orders totaling $7.8 Million
HOT TOPIC HOUR
• Water Monitoring for Combined Cycle Power Plants was Hot Topic September 18,
2014
• “Water Treatment Chemicals for Gas Turbine Combined Cycle Power Plants” - Hot
Topic Webinar on September 25 at 10 a.m. Central
• “Dry Scrubbing” will be the Hot Topic on October 23, 2014
• Upcoming Hot Topic Hours
For more information on the Utility Tracking System, click on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/databases/2-uncategorised/89-42ei
“Precipitator Improvements to Meet MATS and MACT” on October 2 “Hot Topic Hour”
Power plants must upgrade particulate removal to meet MATS while cement plants
and industrial boiler operators must upgrade to meet MACT. The EPA
recommendation is to replace the precipitator with a fabric filter. This is an
expensive approach. An alternative is to upgrade the existing precipitator to
meet the new particulate limits.
One option is to change the internals and electrical system to achieve better
performance. Another is to change the conditions e.g. the temperature of the
incoming gas. A third option is to supplement the precipitator with other
capture technology. If you are installing a wet scrubber for SO2 and mercury
capture it will also reduce the total particulate. A forth option is to adjust
the fuel mix (e.g. burn both gas and coal).
Three experts with nearly 100 years of precipitator experience will be
addressing these options:
Michael (Mike) James Widico, Vice-President, Business development, APC at KC
Lodge
Bruce Schere of Particulate Control Technology
Dr. Ralph Altman of Particulate Control Technology
Click here to view schedule and register
McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration
On Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts a 90 minute web meeting
on important energy and pollution control subjects. Power webinars are free for
subscribers to either Power Plant Air Quality Decisions or Utility Tracking
System. The cost is $300.00 for non-subscribers.
See below for information on upcoming Hot Topic Hours. We welcome your input
relative to suggested additions.
DATE SUBJECT
October 2, 2014 Precipitator Improvements
October 16, 2014 Municipal Drinking Water Purification More Information
October 23, 2014 Dry Scrubbing More Information
October 30, 2014 Coal-fired Power Plant NOx Reduction Innovations
November 6, 2014 Power Plant Cooling
November 13, 2014 Boiler Feedwater Treatment
December 18, 2014 Power Plant Pump Innovations
Click here for the Subscriber and Power Plant Owner/Operator Registration Form
Click here for the Non-Subscribers Registration Form
Click here for the Free Hot Topic Hour Registration Form
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You can register for our free McIlvaine Newsletters at: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&formId=5
Bob McIlvaine
President
847-784-0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvainecompany.com