August 16, 2007

Making ammonium Sulfate or Sulfuric Acid can be more Economical than Making Gypsum

When the sulfur level is high the manufacture of ammonium sulfate fertilizer or sulfuric acid becomes more competitive. This was a consensus conclusion among the presenters at the Fertilizer and Sulfuric Acid FGD Byproducts Hot Topic Hour conducted yesterday by the McIlvaine Company.

Murray Mortson of Airborne explained the process loops in this system which uses sodium to capture SO₂, and NO_x and then uses an oxidant for mercury capture. In the pilot unit at Ghent 99.9 percent of SO₂ and SO₃ were removed but NO_x removal was 92 percent and mercury less than 70 percent. To improve the NO_x and Hg removal, a test program was conducted through EERC and the result was 99 percent NO_x removal and equally high performance on mercury. A full scale plant was slated for Mustang Energy but the project is now uncertain. However, a system will be installed at Saskatchewan Minerals.

Sam Chidester of Haldor Topsoe said that when the sulfur content is high and the chlorides and mercury are low the SNOX process is attractive. It removes both NO_x and SO₂ using catalyst. The Niles plant demonstration showed applicability to coal in the U.S. but the big potential is petroleum coke firing. A unit at OMV in Austria with a flow of 510,000 SCFM will be started this fall.

Amy Evans of Marsulex described their system to make ammonium sulfate. The most recent installation is at Syncrude where a unit has been operating since the first quarter 2006. This follows the success at Dakota Gasification where the equivalent of a 350 MW unit has been operating since 1997. The value of the ammonium sulfate is considerably higher than the value of the ammonia. So the value-added can generate significant offsets to the system costs.

Rich Staehle of Marsulex displayed a green coal diagram. Ammonium sulfate from the coal-fired power plant is used to grow corn. Waste heat from the coal-fired power plant is used by a co-located ethanol plant to process the corn.

Stephanie Procopis of Powerspan provided power points but due to a conflict was not able to make a presentation. She indicated that fertilizer revenue can create a net cash in-flow against all other operating costs for the ECO system. She also quoted the Sulfur Institute which predicts a 1.5 million ton plant nutrient sulfur deficit in the U.S. by 2010 (equivalent to six million tons of ammonium sulfate).

You can view the power points in the FGD Decision Tree through the following links.

Murray Mortson – Airborne Clean Energy

 

Continuing Decision Process For: Products

Advanced Pollution Control - The Airborne Process

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/FGD_Decision_Tree/subscriber/Tree/DescriptionTextLinks/Airborne - ACE Introduction Aug 07 McIlvaine Rev 4.pdf

Samuel H. Chidester – Haldor Topsoe

Continuing Decision Process For: Products

SNOX Flue Gas Treatment -

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/FGD_Decision_Tree/subscriber/Tree/DescriptionTextLinks/Haldor Topsoe - Samuel H. Chidester - SNOX McIlvaine Hot Topics 8-16-07 SHC.htm
 

Amy Evans – Marsulex

Continuing Decision Process For: Products

MET Proprietary Technology - Ammonium Sulfate Process

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/FGD_Decision_Tree/subscriber/Tree/DescriptionTextLinks/Amy Evans, Marsulex - Hot Topic Hour August 16.htm

Stephanie Procopis – Powerspan Corp.

Continuing Decision Process For: Products

ECO Process

http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/FGD_Decision_Tree/subscriber/Tree/DescriptionTextLinks/PowerspanPresentation_McIlvaine_08-16-07.pdf

HCl Recovery added to FGD Decision Tree

We have a new category under multi-pollutant control in the FGD Decision Tree. The use of pre-scrubbers to capture HCl and make salable acid or calcium chloride could be very important. The advantages are:

• Very efficient mercury removal,
• Concentration of the mercury for final disposal,
• Disposal of chlorinated wastes, PVC scrap,
• Salable by product,
• Reduce wastewater treatment costs,
• Reduce materials cost for the SO₂ scrubber,
• Eliminate CO₂ and mercury emissions from chloralkali plants.

Questions such as stripping the mercury from the acid have generated further research. It turns out that it is being done in many locations. So there is lots of documentation for all the aspects of the process. These documents are accessed through the FGD Decision Tree as follows:

To learn more about this or other “Hot Topic Hours” or to register, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/FGDnetoppbroch/Default1.htm

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This Utility E-Alert is part of the Utility Upgrade Environmental Tracking System. The system allows you to instantly retrieve project details, profiles of each coal-fired plant worldwide, the right contacts at the OEM and A/E firms and summaries of all the scheduled FGD and SCR projects. You need a user name and password to access this system. If you have forgotten your user name or password or are not sure whether you are eligible to access this system, email:

editor@mcilvainecompany.com.