Wet Calcium FGD “Hot Topic Hour” On July 24

There is a big initial investment in wet FGD.  Operation and maintenance costs are also significant.  Regulators in the U.S. and China are putting pressure on operators to increase removal efficiency.  There are new challenges as regulations on mercury capture, wastewater and solid waste can dictate changes in wet FGD operation and design.

A new website, Wet Calcium FGD-Continuing Analysis, is being created for power plants that are making decisions about new or replacement systems as well as improved operation of existing FGD systems.  This site will be freely accessed.  It is part of a whole new wikinomics concept - Continuous Analyses.  Periodic webinars will be free to utilities.  The goal is to make this site the default starting point for utility decision makers.

The first webinar on July 24 will be introductory.  The comprehensive information which has been transferred from the protected McIlvaine sites to the free site will be reviewed.

With this e-mail we are also seeking input from others for this first webinar. This input is in three categories:

1.      Introduction of neutral niche experts who will provide future insights on some aspect of the decisions (EPRI, VGB, consultants and utility veterans).

2.      FGD system suppliers and others, who can debate the important classifications, e.g. are spray tower, tray tower and sump scrubber, the three major design options.  (We are arbitrarily calling the Chiyoda jet bubbling reactor and the Alstom design sump scrubbers).

3.      Component suppliers and system suppliers to provide discussions of oxidation of sulfite to gypsum. Which blower design is most energy efficient? What is the best mixing approach? Can you make better quality gypsum? Are the approaches and challenges different in China than elsewhere?  Over time we will be covering all the components but we are starting with oxidation.   The free site has comprehensive information on all the components.

So, if you fit one of the three categories above, we would like to hear from you.

Specific Issues which will be continually analyzed include, but are not limited to:

1.