Search

The development and application of low-cost and high-performance fillers by the paper industry is one of the most interesting aspects of filler technology. A novel calcium silicate, a byproduct, known as fly ashbased calcium silicate (FACS), from the value-added use of fly ash of coal-fired power plants, can be used as paper filler. To simulate the industrial papermaking process, a dynamic sheet former was used to evaluate the effect of FACS on the physical properties and printability of calendered paper. The results were compared with those of commonly used fillers, i.e., ground calcium carbonate (GCC) and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). FACS-filled paper delivered a higher bulk than GCC-filled or PCC-filled papers at a given paper roughness. In addition, use of the original FACS exerted less influence on the tensile and tear strength of the filled paper. Printing quality tests indicated that at the same print density, the ink demand of FACS-filled paper was higher than that of GCC-filled or PCC-filled papers, but lower print through was obtained at the same amount of ink transferred to paper. The paper sheets containing the original FACS exhibited better surface strength than PCC-filled sheets. The results support the potential use of FACS as a low-cost filler for fine paper production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the experimental study on the use of fly ash, major by-products of thermal power plants as wet end filler in papermaking. According to the author, the effects of fly ash addition as compared to those of kaolin clay is more superior. Fly ash obtained from burning of pulverized coal are dumped close to power plants creating environmental pollution. It has a wide variation in particle size and acts as an inert material. The author added that this is the first evaluation of the possible use of fly ash in paper industry.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a unit namely Condensate Structure of coal-fired thermal power plant. The data collected may not be exact. There may always be an imprecision due to human errors. To extract the useful information from the records, data have been tackled by tolerance in context of fuzzy logics. To handle the uncertainty in the data, two kinds of tolerances have been used. Fuzzification of data have been done using unilateral tolerance with the membership function as Right triangular generalized fuzzy numbers (RTrGFN) and bilateral tolerance with the membership function as generalized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (GTFN). Using lambda-tau expressions, failure rate, and repair time for the entire structure has been calculated and all reliability parameters of Condensate structure have been calculated as well. The defuzzified values are also obtained for application purpose. This paper aimed at finding the performance of the structure and best possible way to increase the reliability of the structure. The results have been shown with the help of graphs and tables. Then, ranking has been used to identify the critical component of the system. Comparative study of the considered structure has been made between the results obtained by two different methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an experimental study on the use of pulverized coal fly ash as a wet end filler in papermaking. A major by-product of thermal power plants, large amounts of fly ash are dumped close to power plants which can cause environmental pollution specially when mixed to air, water, and soil over several hectares of land. According to the report, paper samples with fly ash were superior compared to kaolin clay which are commonly use as filler. It has a wide variation in particle size such as those from the burning of pulverized coal which has very fine particles and it acts as an inert material in papermaking process. The author states that this is the first evaluation of fly ash possible use in paper industry.

It is a fact that engineering properties of the building materials are particularly difficult to model analytically. Given the importance of their values in any application, it is critical to have an estimation of every engineering parameter that is required. This two-part paper will present a dataset containing three engineering properties of some new materials obtained through recycling waste from petroleum industry and from coal-based power. The second part of the paper will present the application of several Machine Learning algorithms to the dataset mentioned above. The performance of each model was assessed and discussed. It was found that Bagging (with a Decision Tree based algorithm) and XGBoost algorithm have the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine Learning algorithms have demonstrated their ability to model complex processes that are otherwise impossible to model analytically or through standard techniques. However, the amount of data and more importantly, the data quality, are critical factors for obtaining a good performance with such algorithms. This two-part paper will present an experimental dataset and will discuss several commonly used Machine Learning algorithms adequate for such problems. In the first part of the paper an introduction to several algorithms will be given; the inputs of the algorithms and some special constraints and limitations will be introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Phasing out coal-fired power is inevitable, but a deeply complex process from a social-institutional standpoint. • The nature of the coal-fired power transition is comparable to the automotive industry closures observed in Australia's recent industrial past. • This paper draws on just transitions and the transition management analytical frameworks. • Four key insights offer pointers for policymakers to support the transition away from coal-fired power in Australia and globally. Nearly three-quarters of Australia's electricity generation is coal-dependent with fossil fuel-led electricity contributing to over a third of Australia's CO 2 emissions. Climate change imperatives are calling for permanent shifts to these patterns, leading to early closure announcements of several coal-fired power plants across the country. Although the pace and scale of the energy transition are unprecedented, the closure of large-scale industries is not uncommon. The most recent closure in Australia's industrial past that remains vivid in the nation's collective memory was the end of nearly 70 years of automotive manufacturing. Drawing on expert consultations, and applying just transitions and transition management thinking, this paper identifies four key insights from the auto sector closure experience. These offer compelling pointers to guide socio-economic transformations in frontline regions that are likely to face challenging, often deeply personal, impacts resulting from the closure of coal-fired power stations over the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The government's clean electricity subsidy and carbon utilization subsidy have pushed the timing of CCS retrofitting significantly forward, but the initial investment subsidy has little impact on it. • Under the cooperation mode of coal-fired power plants and oilfield enterprises, the optimal cost-sharing ratio of the initial investment for coal-fired power plants is about 0.4 to promote both sides to reach cooperation faster. • The carbon tax policy effectively propels the development of CCS-EOR technology. When the carbon tax rises from 30 CNY/t to 120CNY/t, power plants will conduct CCS retrofitting investment two years in advance. Carbon capture and storage with enhanced oil recovery (CCS-EOR) technology plays a crucial role in achieving dual carbon targets in China. And the rapid diffusion of technology requires collaboration among various stakeholders involved in industrial chain of CCS-EOR project and then it will cause conflict of interest among the participants. In order to solve the problem existing in CCS-EOR promotion and propel the rapid deployment of low-carbon technology in China, the paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model by incorporating the strategic choices of coal-fired power plants, oilfield enterprises and governments into the framework, explores the respective dynamic evolutionary path of three parties and analyzes the impact of each parameter change on the system evolution results Through the numerical simulation, the paper identifies the optimal evolutionary path to spur the application of CCS-EOR and determine their strategy choices of three involved subjects in the game framework. Based on the sensitivity analysis, results are given as follows: (1) The government's clean electricity subsidy and carbon utilization subsidy have pushed the timing of CCS retrofitting significantly forward, but the initial investment subsidy has little impact on it; (2) Under the cooperation mode of coal-fired power plants and oilfield enterprises, the optimal cost-sharing ratio of the initial investment for coal-fired power plants is about 0.4 to promote both sides to reach cooperation faster. Once it exceeds 0.4, the probability of cooperation between them will be significantly reduced; (3) The carbon tax policy effectively propels the development of CCS-EOR technology. When the carbon tax rises from 30 CNY/t to 120CNY/t, power plants will conduct CCS retrofitting investment two years in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Amine emissions and their volatile degradation products from carbon capture pilot plant. • Long-term measurement of purity of the CO 2 produced from the desorber. • Process parameters for treating 200 m3/h of flue gas from coal-fired boiler. • Gas analysis from different sections of the absorber using FTIR analyzer. • Evaluation of the pretreatment section, which cleans the flue gas entering the CO 2 absorber. Carbon dioxide reduction by amine absorption is considered the most technologically advanced method. This method is particularly recommended for gases with low CO 2 concentrations, such as flue gases. On the other hand, the use of amine absorption solutions can contribute to the emission of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. This paper presents the emission of amines and their degradation products from a CO 2 capture pilot plant treating a slipstream (approximately 200 m3 N /h) of flue gas from a pulverized coal-fired boiler. The studies were conducted during a 2-week research campaign at the Łaziska Power Plant in Poland. An aqueous blend of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (25 % AMP) with piperazine (9 % PZ) was used as the absorption liquid. Among others, ammonia (12 ppmv), acetone (1 ppmv) and AMP (20 ppmv) were found to be the main contaminants in the clean gas (from the absorber). However, it should be noted that only single water wash section was used. The composition of the CO 2 produced (from the desorber) was also measured. It was shown that the main pollutants were water vapor (3–4 % vol.), ammonia (2–6 ppmv), nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, and formic acid (sum, up to 10 ppmv). Traces of acetone were also detected. The composition of this gas is of practical importance for the planned management of the captured CO 2 stream. During the studies, the CO 2 capture efficiency was in the range of 86.6 %-94.6 %. The average specific reboiler heat duty (gross) was 3.24 MJ/kg of removed CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing concerns about the impacts of climate change, Japanese public financial institutions continued to build on long-standing partnerships in Southeast Asia through the expansion of thermal power generation. Recent Japanese investments include coal-fired power plants in Indonesia and Vietnam and natural gas supply chains in Indonesia and Bangladesh. Japan was one of the last developed countries globally to champion coal development that, even if highly efficient, comes at a cost to the environment. Overseas energy investment is at the nexus of two significant challenges of this century: the threat of climate change and great power competition. Japan, regionally proximate to China and burdened with a shrinking economy and limited energy supplies, shapes its regional foreign policy to enhance energy security, expand overseas market share, and uphold a rules-based international order. This paper discusses these primary drivers of Japan's policy approach and highlights examples of Japan's overseas energy investment strategies starting to shift to maintain a competitive edge as public opinion and market forces react to the increased risk perception of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Systematic analysis of 4 CCS configurations, differing in the source of the regeneration steam and auxiliary power. • Sensitivity analysis for varying coal type, price, gas price, CO 2 sale price & tax, sorbent energy requirement and plant size. • The Petra Nova (PN) model has several advantages over the Boundary Dam (BD) model for new coal-fired power plants. • Overall CO 2 emission rate in the PN model is more than twice that of the coal-only case based on the BD model. Abstract SaskPower's Boundary Dam plant (Canada) and NRG's Petra Nova plant (USA) are the only two commercial-scale coal-fired power plants currently operational in the world that use carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. While both CCS installations are retrofit projects that employ a post-combustion CO 2 capture system using advanced amines, the two plants differ significantly in their approach to providing the steam and electrical energy requirements of the capture system. This paper presents a comparative techno-economic evaluation of pulverized coal (PC) power plants equipped with the different CCS system configurations used in these two demonstration plants, as well as two additional design configurations that may be of interest. The results presented in this paper illustrate the conditions which favor one approach over the other, and thus provide insights for planning new large-scale CCS projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Baseline power plant models are essential for understanding the cost of CO 2 capture. • Power plants in China have distinct hardware and operating conditions. • A set of "baseline China plants with CO 2 capture" are proposed. • The biggest drivers for differences are steam cycle hardware and dry cooling. Abstract Global efforts to advance CO 2 capture technologies have produced a strong base of field experience and modeling capability to inform efforts to deploy this technology in China. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy has published bituminous coal baseline reference cases to provide a consistent set of assumptions for modeling the performance of coal power plants equipped with CO 2 capture technology in the United States. In China, there are some important features of power plant construction and operation, such as dry cooling in some plants, different grade coal, and low load operation, that must be accounted for in analyzing the performance of CO 2 capture-enabled power plants. Moreover, unique aspects of the policy landscape in China, such as an openness to partial capture solutions in the near-term, introduce some flexibility in deployment strategy. In this study, we analyze the impacts of these features on plant performance and we propose a set of "baseline China plants" based on industrial experience to serve as reference cases for analyzing deployment scenarios for post-combustion CO 2 capture at coal-fired power plants in China. This paper focuses specifically on the performance aspects of the technoeconomic analysis. Costs are addressed in a companion paper. The most significant factors responsible for differences in power plant efficiency were fuel quality and differences in steam cycle hardware and operation. The impact of dry cooling was also significant. Our reference cases are broadly consistent with previous studies of this topic and help to clarify the contributions of different factors when comparing the performance of CO 2 capture for power plants in the US and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tigyit coal mine and coal-fired power plant perpetuates an everyday violence. • Everyday violence includes the loss of experienced and potential benefits. • Environmental health and human health violations are synonymous. • Everyday violence occurs through material and structural pathways. Resource extraction sites are violent. They often begin in violence and operate through violence. In this paper we build on ethnographic research in southern Shan State, Myanmar and focus on Tigyit Coal Mine and Power Plant to highlight how civil society activist have conceptualized violence. We argue that through the processes of coal production and the operations of a coal-fired power plant, an everyday violence emerges. This violence results from the physical byproducts of building and operating a coal mine and power plant and the structural impacts of the policies used to manage the project. Everyday violence offers a grounded perspective that looks at the daily, accumulating, and interconnected environmental and life-making impacts from extractive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a cases study on implementation of a post-combustion sulphur removal system at Turceni coal-fired power plant. In order to assess the effectiveness of the sulphur removal system, a comparative study was conducted using emission data before and after implementation. It was found that: (1) before system implementation, the emission level for SO2, NO2 and particulate matter was much higher than the limit values; (2) after system implementation, the emission level reduced significantly, below the limit values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulation regarding electricity generation in coal-fired power plants have become increasingly more demanding both quantitatively and qualitatively. Implementation of sulphur removal systems has become a compulsory condition for continuation of operation. This paper presents the general considerations on sulphur emissions assessment and for various sulphur removal methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The vertical integration model is the CCUS business model with the most development potential in china. • Different incentive policies will cause different changes in the CCUS system. • In all scenarios, the combination of extra electricity quota and carbon trading price has the greatest impact on the project's income, the simultaneous increase of electricity price subsidy and carbon tax has more technical advantages than other policy combinations, and also has the best performance in terms of emission reduction benefits. Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is currently the most potential cutting-edge emission reduction technology in China to achieve the vision of carbon neutrality. The industrialization of CCUS faces multiple challenges such as high cost, technical security and public acceptance, but the lack of mature business model and corresponding incentive policies is the main restrictive factor affecting the industrialization of CCUS technology. Therefore, exploring a feasible CCUS business model and formulating relevant incentive policies are of great significance for promoting the commercial deployment of CCUS and achieving the national carbon neutrality goal. Focusing on coal-fired power plants, this paper uses the system dynamics method to compare and analyze two different CCUS business models from the perspectives of economy, technical feasibility and emission reduction benefits, and evaluate the system operation effects under different incentive policy scenarios. The research results show that the vertical integration model is the most potential CCUS business model in China at present, and different incentive policies will cause different changes in the CCUS system. Based on the research conclusions, this paper puts forward suggestions such as formulating differentiated power generation quota subsidy policies and actively developing the carbon emission trading market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, coal-fired power plants produce about 196 million tonnes of fly ash annually. The management of fly ash has thus been a matter of concern given the requirement of the large area of land for its disposal and potential of causing pollution of air and water. Various initiatives have been taken in the country to promote safe utilisation of fly ash. But despite these initiatives, the optimal utilisation is yet to be achieved. Most of the existing literature is related to forecasting the utilisation of fly ash in different modes and accordingly presents the promising applications, but the latent utilisation potential of applications is not yet explored. In this paper, the potential of fly ash utilisation in various construction-specific applications, i.e., cement, concrete, brick, and blocks, has been estimated through a simple framework. The study reveals that although cement is one of the most prominent applications where fly ash has been significantly utilised, it reached its threshold limit of utilisation. The scope of utilisation of fly ash in cement in the future is limited only to the extent of the rate of increase in cement consumption. The potential of fly ash utilisation in concrete is significantly higher, as the projected growth rate of ready-mix concrete (RMC) is moving upwards. However, this increased percentage of RMC will not impact much on overall fly ash utilisation as this will only balance out the share percentage of overall cement requirement. In this study, the bricks/blocks emerged out to be the application having a maximum consumption potential. This study further explores the reasons behind the sluggish performance of fly ash bricks and blocks in the market and suggests strategies for policy-level interventions that can accelerate the process of successful commercialisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study on the prospects for coal-fired electricity generation in classic thermoelectric power stations in Romania, in the context of respecting the environmental legislation. The results of the assessment of the pollutant emissions by measurements made with specialized equipment are presented, at 330 MW energy groups that operate on lignite in Rovinari and Turceni thermoelectric power stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The integration of the Power to Fuel, Ptf, plant increases capacity factor and efficiency of the Coal Fired Power Plant. • The Carbon Capture and Sequestration System, CCS is not economically justified under the current EU ETS CO2 price. • With the EU ETS CO2 price over 25 €/ton, the solution with PtF and CCS became the most favorable as Cost of Electricity, COE. • Electrical energy cost, followed by the oxygen selling cost, affects the most methanol production cost. • In a future scenario, methanol production cost would be very close to the actual market ones. In this paper, an analysis of the integration of a carbon capture unit and a power to fuel system for methanol synthesis with a coal power plant is presented from the energetic, environmental and economic standpoints. The study is carried out in three different sections. In the first part, the impact of the integration of a carbon capture system (CCS) and of a power to fuel plant (PtF) for methanol production is investigated in terms of plant average efficiency, fuel consumption, CO 2 emissions. In the second part, the annual fixed and variable costs of the power plant, and the annual cost of electricity (COE) are assessed for different plant configurations. Additionally, future scenarios are analyzed considering the impact of European policies on the CO 2 emission's cost, defined by the European Emission Trading System (ETS). Finally, an economic feasibility analysis of the power to fuel plant is performed and the methanol production is evaluated. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to evaluate the impact of the most affecting parameters (electrical energy cost, the methanol selling price and the capital cost of the electrolyzer) in terms of Internal Rate of Return (IRR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• • Three approaches are compared for dynamic simulations of CO 2 capture. • • The influence of key operating factors of CHP plants on approaches is studied. • • The influence of time step on the amount of captured CO 2 is studied for each approach. • • Recommendations are given for the selection of approaches. Integrating CO 2 capture with biomass/waste fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants is a promising method to achieve negative emissions. However, the use of versatile biomass/waste and the dynamic operation of CHP plants result in bigger fluctuations in the properties of flue gas (FG), e.g. CO 2 concentration (CO 2 vol%) and flowrates, and the heat that can be used for CO 2 capture, when comparing with coal fired power plants. To address such a challenge, dynamic modelling is essential to accurately estimate the amount of captured CO 2 and optimize the operation of CO 2 capture. This paper compares three dynamic approaches commonly used in literature, namely using the ideal static model (IST) and using dynamic models without control (Dw/oC) and with control (DwC), for MEA based chemical absorption CO 2 capture. The performance of approaches is assessed under the variations of key factors, including the flowrate and CO 2 vol% of FG, and the available heat for CO 2 capture. Simulation results show clear differences. For example, when the CO 2 vol% drops from 15.7 % to 9.7 % (about 38 %) within 4 hours, DwC gives the highest amount of captured CO 2 , which is 7.3 % and 22.3 % higher than IST and Dw/oC, respectively. It is also found that the time step size has a clear impact on the CO 2 capture amount, especially for DwC. Based on the results, suggestions are also provided regarding the selection of dynamic modelling approaches for different purposes of simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a contribution to the ongoing debate on carbon-negative energy solutions. It deals with biomass conversion in dedicated biopower plants equipped with CCS (BECCS), or co-fired plants retrofitted with CCS in order to generate negative CO 2 -emissions. In this context, bioenergy refers to the use of biomass to generate electricity (i.e. biopower) in compliance with the needs of nations and regions without seasonal space heating demand. In this paper, direct-fired and co-fired systems will be addressed, combined mainly with post-combustion flue gas cleaning. The question is which CCS alternative should be preferred in order to obtain negative emissions: either building multiple smaller biopower units, or employing co-firing of biomass and coal in existing large coal power plants. Based on efficacy and the potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions as key indicators, some major differences between the alternatives are shown. In the event that a coal power plant equipped with CCS is readily available, more net electric energy (in MWh) can be provided from the feedstock of biomass than would be obtainable from an independent BECCS plant, although the amount of CO 2 captured and stored from the biomass (per tonne) will be essentially the same. Further case-specific cost-benefit analyses will be required to determine the feasibility of carbon-negative energy solutions. Although the study is carried out from the perspective of actual biomass sources as regards biomass composition and available technology (i.e. expected efficiency levels) using Indonesian agricultural residues, its main conclusion is fairly general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission costs of a coal fired independent power producer (IPP) operating in the European Union (EU). To meet its CO 2 emission obligations the IPP has to choose between purchasing emission unit allowances (EUA) through EU Emission Trading Scheme and installing a CO 2 capture and storage system (CCS). Since there are significant differences and inconsistencies in the existing studies, our goal is to clearly identify the key drivers behind CCS costs and to analyze the technical and economic viability of coal fired IPPs. An important question tackled in this paper is: at what EUA price level does an IPP with CCS technology become competitive in the current market? In this paper, we expand the existing equations for calculating cost metrics by directly accounting for the chemical properties of the feedstock. Instead of using a deterministic or a scenario-based approach, we apply parametric estimation of relevant variables. Our Monte Carlo simulations show that under the current regime of electricity and EUA price level, an EU based coal fired IPP is, at best, only marginally profitable while an identical IPP with CCS technology is completely unviable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of CCS technology involves considerable efficiency losses and significant additional investments. The aim is therefore to reduce these efficiency losses and to cut costs. Against this background, membrane-based carbon capture routes for the post-combustion, oxyfuel and pre-combustion technology lines will be analyzed in the following for hard-coal-fired power plants. To the best knowledge of the authors, this paper is the first one comparing membrane based capture routes on common technical and economic boundary conditions. The post-combustion process involves a cascade arrangement of polymer membranes. In the optimum case, the efficiency losses for this concept amount to 9.6 percentage points. In comparison, efficiency losses for the other two membrane-based concepts, i.e. oxyfuel (oxygen transport membrane (OTM) with vacuum pump) and pre-combustion (water-gas shift reactor—WGSMR), are considerably lower (5.3/5.5 percentage points). The main goal of this paper is to assess levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the process routes under consideration and their sensitivity on CO 2 allowance costs, yearly operating hours, membrane costs and membrane lifetime. The specific investment costs for the capture plants are 2410 €/kW h (oxyfuel), 2572 €/kW h (post-combustion) and 2660 €/kW h (pre-combustion). This is 66% (post-combustion), 55% (oxyfuel) and 33% (pre-combustion) above the specific investment costs for the corresponding reference case without carbon capture. Allowance prices in a range from €20 (pre-combustion) to €39 (post-combustion) per tonne of CO 2 would be necessary to compensate for the additional investments. Since it can be assumed that the membranes have a limited lifetime, the influence on electricity generation costs was calculated for different lifetimes. The results show that a technical service life of more than 3 years does not have a significant impact on generation costs. This applies to all the technological concepts investigated. In terms of LCOE and CO 2 avoidance costs ( € / t CO 2 ) it turns out that oxyfuel and pre-combustion based membrane power plants are favorable compared to the post-combustion route. However, it has to be kept in mind that the uncertainty in membrane costs are higher for the oxyfuel membranes (ceramic oxygen transport membranes) and the pre-combustion membranes (microporous ceramic membranes) compared to the polymeric post-combustion membranes which already have achieved a commercial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the start of China's G20 presidency, China positions itself as a world leader in fighting climate change and emphasizes the wish to 'break a new path for growth'. China aims to peak carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions by 2030 and cut its greenhouse gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product by 60–65% from 2005 levels by 2030. The pledge is eagerly awaited as China aims to develop a low carbon economy through switching to alternatives to fossil fuels and being technologically energy-efficient. The power industry is the most important industrial sector while the biggest bottleneck for CO 2 emission control in China. This paper develops a technologies-based bottom-up CO 2 mitigation model to assess emission reduction potential of different technologies in the thermal power industry up to 2030. Using 2010 as the reference year, two macro-economic scenarios and four technological scenarios have been set to describe future policy measures for the period of 2015–2030. CO 2 emission trends, reduction potentials and cost curves are demonstrated under different scenarios. The results show that the electric power industry can reach its CO 2 emission peak by 2030 in the middle policy control scenario under macro-economic slow growth. Emissions would peak at 4.6 billion tonnes CO 2 -eq for the least cost scenario, which is 1.78 billion tones CO 2 -eq less than peak the BAU scenario in 2030. This is equivalent to the total CO 2 emissions from 300 MW to 1000 MW coal-fired power plants with 5000 h in 30 provinces and municipalities of China in 2013. This research shows that the top four negative cost-beneficial technology options, 630℃ or 700℃ USC, small hydroelectricity, and nuclear power pressurized water reactor II and III, are the most preferable to be promoted to meet the CO 2 emissions peak target in 2020 and 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to remain within the 1.5 ° C limit of the Paris Agreement, countries that operate coal-fired power plants should replace some of them with renewable energy capacities, and reduce the activity of the operational ones. Another possibility to diminish emissions is the saving of primary energy and, in this context, the recovery of energy from industrial processes should be a priority. For most companies in Romania, the continuous increase of the cost of utilities, and especially of the cost of energy in different forms, has a significant influence on the production and the profit. Increasing the energy efficiency of the processes and the decentralized generation of energy represent opportunities to decrease the dependence of companies on an energy market that is, most of the times, inflexible. At the same time, costs would be reduced and corporate social responsibility would increase. The paper analyzes the possibility of covering the energy requirement for a wood processing company, through decentralized generation of electricity and heat. Considering that the sawdust resulting from the technological process is burned in heating boilers, an ORC can be installed to recover the heat of the flue gases discharged from the boiler to produce electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom ash resulting from combustion of low-quality lignite in Romanian coal-fired power plants contains significant amounts of unburned carbon. This large value is caused by many factors, such as the high humidity value of the raw coal delivered to the plant, advanced wear of the coal mills and large variability of the coal quality. As the unburned carbon reduces significantly the economic efficiency of the power generation, solutions to improve the process were investigated. Within the CHARPHITE project we propose a recycling process of coal ash for obtaining a carbon concentrate that can be used as raw material for graphitization procedure. Various secondary waste materials result from separation and concentration phases of the recycling process. We point out the possibilities to use the by-products with very low carbon content as substitutes for natural aggregates in ceramic bonded construction materials. We tested two kind of coal ash: bottom ash collected from a Romanian power plant and fly ash collected from a Portuguese power plant. In the second part of the paper, we present the main characteristics of the building materials manufactured from coal-ash and clay mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom ash resulting from combustion of low-quality lignite in Romanian coal-fired power plants contains significant amounts of unburned carbon. This large value is caused by many factors, such as the high humidity value of the raw coal delivered to the plant, advanced wear of the coal mills and large variability of the coal quality. As the unburned carbon reduces significantly the economic efficiency of the power generation, solutions to improve the process were investigated. Within the CHARPHITE project we propose a recycling process of coal ash for obtaining a carbon concentrate that can be used as raw material for graphitization procedure. Various secondary waste materials result from separation and concentration phases of the recycling process. We point out the possibilities to use the by-products with very low carbon content as substitutes for natural aggregates in ceramic bonded construction materials. We tested two kind of coal ash: bottom ash collected from a Romanian power plant and fly ash collected from a Portuguese power plant. In the first part of the paper we present the coal ash characteristics and the methods used to determine them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new parametric meta-frontier estimation method, which we call the metafrontier input distance function (MIDF), is proposed to construct a new green productivity index and the shadow price for Chinese coal-fired power plants. Taking the policy heterogeneity into account, 93 Chinese coal-fired power plants are divided into two groups based on whether they are located in China's key "environmental protection cities", a Chinese environmental protection policy. Using this method, the productivity and the shadow price of the two groups are compared. We find that the average annual growth rate of green productivity of coal-fired power plants in key environmental protection cities is 5.11% from 2005 to 2010, while in the non-key environmental protection cities it is 9.43%, suggesting that environmental regulation will damage productivity growth. Interestingly, although coal-fired power plants in key environmental protection cities face more stringent environmental regulation, their green productivity index still shows an overall upward trend, which partially supports the Porter hypothesis. For the shadow price of sulfur dioxide (SO 2), the group-based shadow price of coal-fired power plants in key environmental protection cities is 5419 US dollar per ton on average, while in non-key environmental protection cities it is 1628 US dollar per ton, which also indicates that power plants facing more stringent regulation bear greater abatement costs. • Parametric metafrontier input distance function is proposed. • The productivity and shadow price index are constructed. • TFP results partially supports the Porter hypothesis. • Environmental protection group bear more abatement cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Method for calculating breakeven CAPEX and OPEX and minimum CCA of novel technologies. • Simplified mass and energy balance and economic model for greenfield coal power plant. • Method applied on selected technologies for CO2 capture in coal power plants. • Limiting the efficiency penalty of novel capture systems main driver for technology developers. • CCA mainly affected by increased CAPEX of conventional units caused by efficiency penalty. This paper describes a simplified method to estimate the cost of CO 2 avoided for a power plant with a novel CO 2 capture system based on only a limited number of fundamental input parameters used to establish basic mass and energy flows for the plant. The cost calculation method follows a sequential approach, estimating first the cost and efficiency penalty impacts of those elements of the plant that are standard and well characterized. We then define the cost gap allowed for the novel elements to break even against a benchmark plant. This method allows one to estimate: (i) the maximum cost reduction potential that a novel CO 2 capture technology can achieve with respect to a benchmark technology, and (ii) target breakeven costs for technology developers in the form of combinations of CAPEX and OPEX for a novel capture technology needed to make the technology competitive with the benchmark system. Case studies are presented applying the proposed method to post-combustion and oxy-combustion capture systems, showing that: (i) a clear relationship exists between the breakeven costs and the efficiency penalty caused by the CO 2 capture process, mainly because of its effect on the specific capital cost ($/kW e) of the conventional power plant components; and (ii) the minimum cost of CO 2 avoided is closely related to the capture system efficiency penalty. For the case study assumptions, avoidance costs vary from ∼20 $/t CO2 to ∼60 $/t CO2 for efficiency penalties ranging from 2.7% pts to 11% pts, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Dynamic modeling and simulation of entire CFPP-PCC process. • Dynamic behavior analysis for the CFPP-PCC process. • Centralized predictive control design for the integrated CFPP-PCC system. • Interactions between CFPP/PCC systems are taken into account. • Three operating modes proposed for the CFPP-PCC unit. Abstract The growing demand for CO 2 capture from coal-fired power plant (CFPP) has increased the need to improve the dynamic operability of the integrated power generation-CO 2 capture plant. Nevertheless, high-level operation of the entire system is difficult to achieve due to the strong interactions between the CFPP and post combustion CO 2 capture (PCC) unit. In addition, the control tasks of power generation and CO 2 removal are in conflict, since the operation of both processes requires consuming large amount of steam. For these reasons, this paper develops a model for the integrated CFPP-PCC process and analyzes the dynamic relationships for the key variables within the integrated system. Based on the investigation, a centralized model predictive controller is developed to unify the power generation and PCC processes together, involving the key variables of the two systems and the interactions between them. Three operating modes are then studied for the predictive control system with different focuses on the overall system operation; power generation demand tracking and satisfying the CO 2 capture requirement. The predictive controller can achieve a flexible operation of the integrated CFPP- PCC system and fully exert its functions in power generation and CO 2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This research aims to quantify the contribution of NETs in reducing carbon emissions with minimum cost to achieve net-zero emissions. • Life cycle optimisation study provides an optimal solution by optimising the system's life cycle impacts. • DACCS shows a different economic performance when different comparison basis is used. • Minimum carbon emission is achievable with minimum system cost. • The resulting NETs portfolios provide a new benchmark for selecting an optimal carbon removal approach. Negative emission technologies (NETs) have been identified as the key to achieve carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission targets in most coutries. However, selecting the most appropriate and cost-efficient NET to meet these targets is challenging. Thus, a deeper understanding of the system impacts of NETs is necessary for effective decision-making. This work presents a life cycle optimisation (LCO) study of a set of NET technologies. LCO study combines life cycle analysis with techno-economic analysis to optimise and screen process alternatives such as bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCCS), and biochar. The proposed methodology was demonstrated with a case study with five scenarios to achieve two objectives: to minimise total system cost and to minimise net CO 2 emissions. The case study analysed different NET configurations to decarbonise an existing coal-fired power plant in East Malaysia (Sarawak). In this work, an existing Balingian Coal-Fired Power Plant was considered. NET configurations were assessed based on critical performance aspects such as total life cycle carbon emissions (TLCCE) and total life cycle cost input (TLCCI). However, it is worth emphasising that the proposed methodology can be revised to handle other NET configurations that were not explicitly addressed in this paper. This can be done by utilising relevant data and assumptions that are specific to each NET configuration. Results from the case study show that the minimum cost case provides an optimum NET configuration with TLCCE and TLCCI ranging from -0.02 kgCO 2 eq to 100.28 kgCO 2 eq and 23.99 USD/MWh to 1466.70 USD/MWh, respectively. In terms of life cycle analysis, DACCS shows a favourable TLCCI of 23.99 USD/MWh and TLCCE of -0.02 kgCO 2 eq/MWh. On the other hand, minimising CO 2 emissions results in a 7% to 17% higher TLCCI in Scenario 2 and 3 but a similar trend in each sub-system can still be observed. This has proven that higher cost is required in the case when the CO 2 emissions were to be minimised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Calcium Looping (CaL) process is a promising technology for post-combustion CO 2 capture from fossil-fired power plants and carbon intense industry. Within a CaL system, a limestone based sorbent stream is forced to circulation between two interconnected circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactors. The main part of the CO 2 , contained in the flue gas stream is absorbed by CaO within the carbonator, whereas it is released during regeneration in the oxy-fired calciner. The feasibility of this technology was proven by numerous experimental investigations in semi-industrial scale. The next step in the development of this technology is expected to be a demonstration plant in the scale of approximately 20 MW th . The focus of this paper is the determination of the heat and mass balances and the assessment of the operability of a newly designed 20 MW th CaL demonstration plant. The investigations are based on a steady-state process model, which has been validated by experimental data from 1 MW th pilot tests. The aspect of solid entrainment during part load operation are addressed. In the present design case, a stable operation of the demonstration plant at 40 % equivalent carbonator load is feasible without additional flue gas recirculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordinated control system (CCS) serves as an important role in load regulation, efficiency optimization and pollutant reduction for coal-fired power plants. The CCS faces with tough challenges, such as the wide-range load variation, various uncertainties and constraints. This paper aims to improve the load tacking ability and robustness for boiler-turbine units under wide-range operation. To capture the key dynamics of the ultra-supercritical boiler-turbine system, a nonlinear control-oriented model is developed based on mechanism analysis and model reduction techniques, which is validated with the history operation data of a real 1000 MW unit. To simultaneously address the issues of uncertainties and input constraints, a discrete-time sliding mode predictive controller (SMPC) is designed with the dual-mode control law. Moreover, the input-to-state stability and robustness of the closed-loop system are proved. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme, which achieves good tracking performance, disturbance rejection ability and compatibility to input constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gas-to-liquids (GTL) process with two different synthesis gas (syngas) production configurations including steam methane reformer (SMR) and auto-thermal reformer (ATR) was optimized to maximize wax production rate and carbon efficiency. The kinetic model used was the one given by Van Der Laan for an iron-based Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactor (Van Der Laan and Beenackers, 2000). In this paper, Wang's correlation (Wang et al., 2003) was used to calculate chain growth probability (α). It was assumed that there exists a 300 MW coal-fired power plant with a downstream post-combustion CO 2 capturing unit nearby the GTL plant and all the captured CO 2 is available to be utilized in the GTL process. The optimization results suggested that the ATR- and SMR-based GTL processes could produce 68.17 and 101.4 tons/h of wax, respectively. Furthermore, about 166.4 tons/h of CO 2 was optimally imported from the power plant to the SMR, while there was no potential for CO 2 utilization in the ATR-based configuration. The GTL process with either SMR or ATR reformers is net CO 2 emitter and respectively releases ca. 194.1 and 131.3 tons/h of CO 2 to the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Textile Leader is the property of China Textile Information Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

China’s economy has entered a “new normal,” characterized by slower economic growth and widespread overcapacity in its industrial sectors. Nevertheless, construction of power plants, especially coal-fired plants, continues at a rapid pace. Our analysis examines the extent of overcapacity in China’s regional electricity grids. We show that already in 2014, the average reserve margin across China’s regional grids was roughly 28%, almost twice as high as a standard planning reserve margin in the U.S. In addition, we find large variations in reserve margins across regional power grids in China, with the highest reserve margin (64%) in the Northeastern grid. This paper examines future reserve margins across regions in China under three growth scenarios. The results suggest that the majority of China will not need new baseload coal power (at least for reliability purposes) before 2020, and potentially not until 2025, under the low- and mid-growth scenarios. Under the high-growth scenario, China’s central and eastern regions will need to import more power or built new capacity by 2020. As China’s energy sector enters this new normal, our results highlight the growing importance of establishing mechanisms — planning processes and markets — that coordinate generation and transmission investments across grid regions, and that align the country’s energy sector investments with its longer-term air quality and climate goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of coal-fired power plant eco-efficiency and identification of influencing variables are of great importance for the government to develop relative policy decisions. In this article, an improved two-stage analysis model is employed to analyze eco-efficiency of 58 Chinese coal-fired power plants: firstly, principal component analysis is selected for pre-treatment of variables in order to reduce dimensionality and distinguish prioritized factors; secondly, the super efficiency data envelopment analysis is chosen to assess eco-efficiency with overall ranking; thirdly, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests are adopted to figure out macro-environmental factors; finally, considering interactions in the coal power industry chain, plus time effect, we apply the Tobit regression to determine direct external factors. According to the result, over 60% of the coal-fired power plants work in an acceptable productive condition, while some still face improper investment problems. Plants with large installed capacity tend to stably operate. Then, macro-environmental factors like policy preference and economic situation can greatly affect local plants’ performance, while resource distribution has few impacts because of the perfect transport condition. In addition, the increasing thermal coal price help improve eco-efficiency while the high power unit age and feed-in tariff do harm to production performance. Based on the analysis, this paper also proposes some effective suggestions for the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new model is employed to estimate the carbon efficiency and carbon abatement cost of China's coal-fired power plants. • The change of carbon abatement cost is associated with input change and technical change. • The potential for carbon efficiency improvement for China's coal-fired power plants is substantial. • Non-state-owned power plants possess higher carbon efficiency and lower abatement cost relative to state-owned ones. In this paper, we propose a new model to investigate the carbon efficiency and carbon abatement cost of coal-fired power plants in China based on the directional distance function with endogenous directional vectors (DVs). We further decompose the change of carbon abatement cost into two contributing factors, i.e., input changes and technical change. The empirical analysis is based on a recent panel dataset comprising 616 Chinese coal-fired power plants from 2011 to 2012. The results show substantial potential for carbon performance improvement in China's coal-fired power plants, with higher carbon efficiency (CE) and lower carbon abatement cost (CAC) associated with non-state-owned enterprises. The decomposition analysis shows that the change in carbon abatement cost is mainly attributed to technical change. However, imposing DVs exogenously can get the opposite results and have a significant impact on the distributions of the estimated results. The findings of this paper provide new insights for better understanding the recent dynamics of the carbon performance of China's coal-fired power plants and have important policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NO x is a common air pollutant that can cause a variety of problems including environmental pollution and human illness. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is currently the most effective method for treating NO x , and SCR denitration catalysts are widely used in coal-fired power plants, steel industry, automotive exhaust gas, etc. SCR denitration catalyst must be recovered if it becomes inactive and cannot be regenerated. The spent SCR denitration catalyst contains vanadium, tungsten, titanium and other valuable metals, and its recovery has important economic and environmental benefits. The current recovery methods for spent oxide SCR denitration catalysts are divided into two main categories: hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Hydrometallurgical recovery mainly includes reductive acid leaching and alkaline pressure leaching, while pyrometallurgical recovery mainly includes Na 2 CO 3 roasting and composite roasting. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. In their application, hydrometallurgical recovery needs to improve the metal leaching ratio and expand metal recovery types, while pyrometallurgical recovery needs to reduce process energy consumption and secondary pollution. Among them, vanadium is easier to extract, while the selective extraction of tungsten is more difficult, and titanium is basically left in the slag and then purified, so full element recovery based on current technology is more challenging. This paper reviews the recent research progress on spent oxide SCR denitration catalyst recovery, introduces the reaction mechanism and technical problems involved in each recovery process, and points out that multi-technology synergistic treatment and high value-added product preparation are the future development directions for spent oxide SCR denitration catalyst recovery. [Display omitted] • NO x has caused great damage to human beings and the environment. • SCR denitration technology is currently the most widely used denitration method. • The spent SCR catalyst has a large output and is toxic, which must be recovered. • Synergistic treatment and high value-added product preparation have bright prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromide coupled mechanical modified (BMM) fly ash showed good mercury adsorption performance. However, we have no information about the environmental stability after mercury adsorption. In this paper, environmental stability was investigated by desorption method in different temperature and improved continuous extraction experiments. Long-term environmental stability experiments showed that mercury desorption rates of BMM fly ash and activated carbon (AC) were both less than 5 % after placing them in the natural environment for one year. The stability of BMM fly ash after mercury adsorption was similar to that of AC. BMM method not only increased the specific surface area, but also improved the stable binding of bromide modifier on the surface, thereby improving the adsorption performance and stability. After adsorption, mercury in BMM fly ash existed in the form of HgBr 2 , HgS and HgO. Moreover, the improved continuous extraction experiments showed that the residue fraction of mercury in BMM fly ash was highest reaching 28 %, which was higher than that of AC (21 %). DFT calculation also showed that the presence of bromine reduced the adsorption energy of the mercury adsorption process, which proved that the presence of bromine improved the adsorption efficiency and stability of the adsorbent. These results indicate that BMM fly ash has the same environmental stability as AC, thus it has great potential application value for mercury removal from flue gas in coal-fired power plants. • Stability of adsorbents in three simulated natural environments are evaluated. • Mercury residue form is proposed to evaluate the stability of adsorbents. • Bromide coupled mechanical modified fly ash has good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Post-combustion CO2 capture and storage is among the most mature technologies to capture, compress, transport and store CO2 from flue gas in coal-fired power plant. This paper presents the simulation of monoethanolamine (MEA) based CO2 capture and compression process integrated within a 600MWe supercritical coal-fired power plant using chemical process simulators. Comparison between bi-pressure stripper and single-pressure stripper reveals that improved CO2 capture system with bi-pressure stripper minimizes energy penalty of CO2 capture and compression by up to 6.3% at full unit load. The study also explores optimization of some important process parameters affecting the performance of coal-fired power plant by taking into account both CO2 capture process and CO2 compression at full unit load. These parameters include operating stripper pressure, CO2 capture efficiency and steam extraction location. Results show that the optimal stripper pressure is within the range of 1.9–2.1bar and feasible CO2 capture efficiency is between 60% and 90%. Results also show that low-pressure steam extraction reduces energy penalty. Evaluation of improved CO2 capture system is also performed at part flue gas load ranging from 40% to 90%. The study reveals that operating at part flue gas load, as compared with full load, increases energy penalty of carbon capture. Not only energy penalty but also lean solution flow rate and plant efficiency are studied at different flue load levels in this paper. In addition, results show that bi-pressure stripper configuration is also effective in reducing energy penalty at part unit load. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The most promising technology for carbon dioxide capture from coal and natural gas fired power plants at large scale applications is based on post-combustion method using gas–liquid absorption. The paper evaluates carbon dioxide absorption, at low partial pressures, from flue gases by post-combustion capture using aqueous solutions of various alkanolamines: monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), 2-amino-2methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and their corresponding mixtures. At a constant capture rate of about 90%, the performance of these aqueous alkanolamine solutions is compared in terms of solvent loading and overall energy consumption. The objective of the present paper is to assess using a multicriterial analysis (e.g. energy consumption, environmental and operational criteria) the carbon dioxide capture using the above alkanolamines and to investigate the effect of using alkanolamine mixtures as solvent on the gas treatment process. The evaluation was based on Aspen Plus® simulations. As illustrative example, the case of an IGCC coal-fired power plant generating 375–450MWe net electricity with and without post-combustion capture was presented in details. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been identified as a critical enabling technology to mitigate the large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from coal-fired power plants and subsequently discharged to the atmosphere. While large-scale CO2 injection in geologic formations associated with enhanced oil recovery operations have been ongoing for over 30 years, different technical challenges face the injection of CO2 into saline reservoirs sourced from utility boilers. Beyond the high costs of capture, operational reliability related to the integration of capture with pipeline transport and injections are components of CCS with very little operational experience. Some issues unique to utility boiler capture include planned and forced outages, generation loading, and changes in CO2 purity. These operational issues can only be resolved through the integration of capture, transportation, and injection operations in demonstration-scale projects. Parametric testing provides an opportunity to evaluate how the integration of transportation and injection for storage respond to changes in plant operations. This paper will introduce a CCS demonstration-scale research program that involves a carbon capture unit designed to supply up to 500 metric tons (tonnes) per day (182,500 tonnes per year), a 19-kilometer pipeline and injection into a subsurface saline reservoir located at 3,060 meters below ground surface. The project will provide a test bed to begin to understand and resolve the challenges of integrating the key components of CCS with utility boilers. The paper will provide an update on the status of the project, covering the permits required to get the demonstration in motion, the geologic assessment of the proposed injection target reservoirs, and the engineering design for the injection and monitoring program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most projected climate change mitigation strategies will require a significant expansion of CO2 Capture and Sequestration (CCS) in the next two decades. Four major categories of challenges are being actively researched: CO2 capture cost, geological sequestration safety, legal and regulatory barriers, and public acceptance. Herein we propose an additional major challenge category across all CCS operations: Water management. For example a coal-fired power plant retrofitted for CCS requires twice as much cooling water as the original plant. This increased demand may be accommodated by brine extraction and treatment, which would concurrently function as large-scale pressure management and a potential source of freshwater. At present the interactions among freshwater extraction, CO2 injection, and brine management are being considered too narrowly -in the case of freshwater almost completely overlooked- in the technical and regulatory CCS community. This paper presents an overview of each of these challenges and potential integration opportunities. Active management of CCS operations through an integrated approach -including brine production, treatment, use for cooling, and partial reinjection- can address challenges simultaneously with several synergistic advantages. The paper also considers the related potential impacts of pore space competition (with future groundwater use, gas storage and shale gas) on CCS expansion. Freshwater and brine must become key decision making inputs throughout CCS operations, building on existing successful industrial-scale integrations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Netherlands is both heavily dependent on the success of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable electricity for its decarbonisation policy. The same holds for the EU and some of its Member States like the United Kingdom. This paper discusses several scenarios for the Netherlands within the context of a liberalised and a more and more connected energy market in Northwest-Europe. The research reported here shows that CCS on new coal fired power plants does not pose a threat to the increase in the electricity production by large quantities of wind energy in the electricity system, and vice versa. For renewable energy, several additional policies are in place mainly in the form of financial support as long as these renewable options are not yet profitable. For CCS, financial support is only granted now for a selection of the first demonstration projects now planned in the EU. It is not yet clear if large scale CCS and high shares of wind energy can be incorporated in a balanced way in the electricity system. This paper shows that from a technical and economic point of view, there is room for both, and under which conditions such a two fold growth will be feasible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A significant proportion of the research into CCS in the literature assumes ‘complete capture’ of the CO2, that is at least 85 to 90 percent of the CO2 from the flue gas is captured for the entire operating year (7,000 to 8,000 hours). Only a few papers have examined a model involving ‘flexible’ operation of the capture facility in which the CO2 is captured at variable or reduced rates for all or part of a day, week, season or year. This paper presents an assessment of the operational opportunities for deploying flexible CO2 capture at black coal fired power plants located in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Different models of flexible capture including part-time operation, partial CO2 capture rates and a combination of both operating modes are examined. The results show that it may be possible to reduce the current CO2 emissions from NSW coal-fired power plants by up to 50% during summer while still meeting the state electricity demand. The estimated cost of CO2 avoided ranges from A$120 to A$190 per tonne avoided for flexible capture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aqueous ammonia can be used to capture CO2 from flue gas of coal -fi red power plant with acceptable CO2 removal efficiency, high loading capacity of CO2, low corrosion, low cost, and less degradation, and it could remove other acid gas pollutants at the same time. However, the CO2 absorption rate and mass transfer in aqueous ammonia still need to study more deeply. The mass transfer characteristics of CO2 in aqueous ammonia were investigated in this paper. A small wetted wall column (WWC) was used to study the kinetics of CO2 absorbed in aqueous ammonia. The correlation of gas -side mass transfer coefficient kg was fitted as Sh=3.79(Re×Sc×d/h)0.486 based on the experimental data of CO2 absorption in 30%wt MEA solution for this WWC reactor. The reaction rates of CO2 in 1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 5 wt% to 7.5 wt% aqueous ammonia were measured at the temperatures of 10 °C, 20 °C, 30 °Cto 40 °C, and the second-order reaction rate constant k2 was calculated. The termolecular mechanism model was used and discussed according to the experimental results. The kinetics constants of kT NH3 in termolecular mechanism were also fitted in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]T H2O in termolecular mechanism were also fitted in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Making new coal-fired power plants carbon capture ready (Carbon Capture Ready) in China has been recognised as a crucial by a number of stakeholders academics, energy companies and regional government, based on a study in EU-UK-China NZEC project. A number of publications have investigated the definition, engineering requirements, economic and finance of CCR for China. However there remain a number of questions regarding the extent to which a plant’s physical location might constrain the feasibility of CCS retrofit. To address this issue, a Geographical Information System (GIS) has been used as a tool for mapping current and planned large carbon dioxide sources in Guangdong, also illustrating potential storage sites and calculating possible carbon dioxide transportation route. This paper investigates the location factors that should be considered when locating new build CCR power plants and demonstrates the methodology of using GIS software with spatial analysis in planning new build power plant in Guangdong. A preliminary study has identified over 30 large power plants within the region, with plant locations and historical emission data collected and presented in ArcGIS. Factors such as distance to potential storage site, route of CO2 pipeline, extra space on site and potential development plan etc. were investigated in the modelling and calculated the potential source and sink solution. The study then moves on to suggest possible new build plant locations which can be easily fitted in to the current network, based on economic optimisation. The scope for future coal plant development combined with a possible nuclear plant siting plan is discussed towards the end of the paper. Guangdong province, which owns the third largest coal-fired power installed capacity out of 31 provinces, generated over 8% of China’s total electricity every year for the past 15 years. CO2 storage opportunities could be found in the surrounding South China Sea, where Guangdong has a total of 4,300 km of coastline and some small scale oil fields on shore within the region. It is also among the first places to start the national open and reform policy in China. The province is one of the richest in China, with the highest GDP among all other provinces since 1989, and the foreign trade accounts for more than a quarter of China’s total amount. It also contributes around 12 of the total national economic output. Currently, the provincial government is proposing a low carbon roadmap, which is the first of its kind in China. The work has created a totally new thinking on capture ready power plant planning. This differs from existing studies (e.g., which aim to investigate the existing carbon dioxide emission sources at specified location and provide source and sink matching analysis. Instead the study focuses on policy implementation for new build capture ready power plants. Three clusters within Guangdong province are identified as potential temporary CO2 storage hubs before transporting the gas to a long term storage site. When officials are planning new power plant locations from a capture ready perspective, the plants should not necessarily be close to storage sites in straight line, but rather should be within a reasonable distance of a cluster. Transport of the captured CO2 will not be limited to pipelines, but could be extended to road and rail tankers. Power plant parameters and storage site data were collected for this research. Public transportation, utilities, landscapes, river, land used and population data were referenced from various sources; therefore, some of the data could be out of date. Nevertheless, it should still provide enough information when deciding the location of the transport cluster. Any future work could build on the existing model with updated data. Moreover, it could fit in with the national natural gas transportation network and utility planning network to provide long term integrated energy system analysis. The paper could provide policy makers, investors and urban planning officials with a view on how conventional thermal power plant investment and planning could be optimised, using Carbon Capture Ready designs, to keep the CCS retrofitting option open. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents an incipient fault diagnosis approach based on the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) technique. The GMDH algorithm provides a generic framework for characterizing the interrelationships among a set of process variables of fossil power plant sub-systems and is employed to generate estimates of important variables in a data-driven fashion. In this paper, ridge regression techniques are incorporated into the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimator to solve regression coefficients at each layer of the GMDH network. The fault diagnosis method is applied to feedwater heater leak detection with data from an operating coal-fired plant. The results demonstrate the proposed method is capable of providing an early warning to operators when a process fault or an equipment fault occurs in a fossil power plant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]