Events Shaping Mercury Technology Selection 

Scrubbers for Any Plant

As explained in the other categories above, the odds are at least nine to one that all coal plants will add scrubbers before 2023. However, at least some plants which will install scrubbers in 2011-13 are already committed to use activated carbon starting this year or in the next two years.

If the scrubber selected is dry then the odds for ACI are high. But even if wet scrubbers are selected ACI may still be used for additional removal. But the odds are against this combination.

Wet Scrubber Selected

Most scrubber selections will be wet. The high sulfur coal units will almost all opt for wet scrubbers. Some of the low-sulfur coal units will also opt for wet scrubbing because of the higher efficiency.

Dry Scrubber Selected

The first choice for units burning low sulfur coal is dry scrubbing. But as in the case of LCRA the existing precipitator was efficient and the levelized cost of wet limestone was viewed to be lower than dry lime. So, on a nationwide basis the odds are one to five that any particular unit will opt for dry systems.

 

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