Case study

Industry: Electric power generation, Industry

ISSUE

Balancing emissions reduction with stability of power supply

As part of efforts to achieve commitments to curb the effects of climate change, governments around the world have created policies and roadmaps to evolve their energy systems, while companies are also doing their part. For those in the energy sector, the challenge is to supply stable electricity to meet the global demand while decarbonizing the power generation process. Admittedly, constructing new gas-fired power plants and ramping up adoption of renewable energy require significant investments. In some cases, power producers have to consider how to make use of existing power generation facilities to achieve the same goals while minimizing cost.

SOLUTION

KEY POINTS TO THE SOLUTION

  • Reduction of pollutant emissions
  • Optimized heat recovery
  • Reduction of Operation & Maintenances costs and workload

Reduction of pollutant emissions

If natural gas is utilized in steam power plants, CO₂ emissions per kWh declines dramatically compared to coal-fired or oil-fired power generation. Furthermore, natural gas has no sulfur or ash and contains less nitrogen than coal or oil, significantly reducing emissions of NOx, SOx and dust in flue gas.

A graph of CO₂ emissions per kWh for each fuel
 A graph of CO₂ emissions per kWh for each fuel

Optimized heat recovery

Fuel conversion from coal or oil to natural gas changes boiler heat transfer characteristics. The component in flue gas which causes corrosion at low temperatures decreases, enabling the addition of another heating surface to enhance heat recovery from flue gas.

Reduction of Operation & Maintenances costs and workload

Fuel conversion lessens ash or sulfur content in flue gas, which in turn reduces the amount of boiler tube deposits and the corrosion of the boiler and related equipment. These enable customers to reduce the frequency of maintenance and associated costs.

EXPECTED OUTCOME

  • Fuel conversion to natural gas enables stable power supply and reduction of environmental impact – contributing to a sustainable society and enhancement of customer's corporate image.
  • Natural gas firing can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 40% compared to coal-fired power generation.
  • If a gas pipeline is located near your plant, you can achieve CO₂ emission reduction with minimum investment utilizing existing power plant.
  • Fuel conversion enables maintenance cost reduction, boiler performance sustenance and effective utilization of space through removal of existing facilities.

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