The magazine for the international power industry February 2017

New Eurelectric boss

on Europes energy
transition

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 POWER ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL
FEBRUARY 2017/// VOLUME 25/// ISSUE 2

Contents

31 Project Update

36 Diary

36 Ad Index

Advanced systems and methods are vital to meet mercury legislation - p18
Credit: Linde Group

Features
20 Combating the threat of mercury
2 Interview: Kristian Ruby, Eurelectric Monitoring and quantifying emission pollutants in an
The newly-appointed secretary-general of trade group accurate and transparent manner are becoming
Eurelectric gives his view on Europes energy transition, its priorities.
challenges and the opportunities it offers.

23 Biomass: Taking a new fuel to market

8 Renewables and gas reset the carbon clock A new production plant for black pellets could solve
A special report on the hot topics and debates from this some of the problems associated with traditional pellets
years World Future Energy Summit, which had a particular and create a new revenue stream for biomass plants.
focus on India and Saudi Arabia.

26 Maximizing cooling technology

12 Valves & actuators: risks and opportunities New technology advancements provide up to 50 per
To keep up with a rapidly-changing energy landscape, cent more cooling capacity, greater energy and
valve and actuator manufacturers have seen their installation savings, and easier maintenance.
technology become more complex.

28 Waste gas fix at South Africas flagship plants

16 Solutions for coal plant wastewater treatment South Africas Medupi and Kusile power plants will utilize
With the treatment of flue gas desulphurization induced air fans to balance pressure losses in the flue gas
wastewater becoming mandatory in coal-fired plants, this channels between the boiler and chimney.
article makes the case for carrier gas extraction.

On the cover
Cover design: Samantha Heasmer

Free Product Info

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1702pei_1 1 2/14/17 10:40 AM

 Q&A: Kristian Ruby
The energy
transition is
no walk in
the park
New Eurelectric secretary-general Kristian Ruby talks to Diarmaid Williams about
Europes changing power landscape, storage, interconnections and much more
In January, Kristian Ruby succeeded Hans
ten Berge as secretary-general of European
electric industry trade body Eurelectric.
A widely-recognized expert in sustainability
communication and political affairs, Ruby was
previously chief policy officer at the European
Wind Energy Agency and also worked for
Danish consultancy Operate, where he
was manager in the sustainability team,
specializing in climate, environment and
energy issues.
He also spent seven years as a public
servant in the Danish environment ministry,
and worked for the European Commission
in the cabinet of former Climate Action chief
Connie Hedegaard.
He spoke to Power Engineering
International about the ongoing challenges
facing Europes electric power sector.
Q:
Your appointment as secretary-general
of Eurelectric appears timely given your
background in renewables and the
ongoing transition of the EU towards
a cleaner energy infrastructure. What
would you like to achieve in your role at
Eurelectric?
A:
I would like to contribute to ensuring that we
take a balanced approach to the energy
transition, where we balance environmental
responsibility against economic responsibility,
2 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_2 2
EU legislation against the subsidiarity principle
and where we balance investor incentives
against investor certainty.
We need to incentivize innovation in the
electricity system. Meanwhile, policymakers
need to acknowledge that the utilities which
own the current assets are a key part of the
solution and that they are not helping the
energy transition if they pull the rug on the
existing assets in a way that is unsustainable
and leaves these companies unable to make
the necessary investment.
Q:
The European Power Plant Suppliers
Association last month spoke
enthusiastically about their role in
facilitating the clean energy transition, Q:
but also called for a fair price for their fossil
fuel-based power. Do you think a capacity
market similar to that operating in the UK
could be the answer for many member
state countries?
A:
Essentially the fact that the plant owner has
power readily available at any given time,
that has an economic value, should be
valued in the market.
Is the UK model the right one for Europe?
Thats where we take a step back and say
that different EU member states have different
energy system configurations and different
macroeconomic configurations, and hence
different market failures, in a sense. So rather
than prescribing one model for everybody,
we think there are central principles that
should be respected when creating a
capacity market mechanism. They should
be technology neutral, they should be open
to storage, to demand side response and
renewables. Another crucial principle is that
they should be open to interconnection
participation from assets located abroad as
well, so we dont build a lot of parallel power
systems and a lot of idle, unnecessary plant.
Another principle is that we think its very
important that they are market-based, and
they shouldnt be destroying or distorting the
energy market unnecessarily.
From your experience in your short time
in this role as an advocate, do you think
your views are being heard and will those
principles be applied?
A:
Our views are shared by DG Commission
[for energy], so no doubt they listen. I had
a visit to [EU energy and climate action
commissioner] Miguel Arias Caete today and
communicated our views on these matters to
him. Its going to be a discussion that unfolds
over the next two years. Theres going to be a
wide variety of views. Its no secret that this is
a divisive issue amongst member states and
within the sector.
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 10:40 AM

There are those that think an energy market
approach is the way to go. In Eurelectric
we endorse a more diverse position or
heterogeneous approach, in that we see
the business case for utilities emerge from
different revenue sources, one being from
energy market only, another from capacity
mechanism and a third being revenues from
ancillary services markets and on top of
regulated income from distribution.
Q:
The industry is waiting a long time to see
clarity on this subject. Is two years an
accurate timescale for completion?
A:
This is the nature of EU process and we have
a new set of uncertainties to work with, one
being Brexit, which could potentially incur
delays on the process here as well. Two years
is a good scenario if we have the Clean
Energy Package which Eurelectric supports.
If adopted within two years, that would be a
good thing.
Q:
At the recent EPPSA evening in Brussels,
European Commission energy chief
Dominique Ristori appeared to pinpoint
storage, demand response and electro-
mobility as key technologies the EU would
look to invest their vast sums of money in.
Privately, some of the delegates on the
evening were not totally convinced about
the prospects for electric vehicles and
storage in particular. What is your position
on these technologies, as it appears the EU
wants power firms to lead in terms of R&D in
bringing them forward?
A:
My view on electric vehicles is that clearly it
would be a very good thing for the power
sector for them to be rolled out, because that
means increased demand. I am in no doubt
that its a technology thats coming, but not
because we are going to push it as a sector.
Its because the auto manufacturers are
pushing it. In 2025 Volvo wants to bring out
one million EVs per year. Also by that year,
Volkswagen wants to put out two to three
million per year. And BMW wants to have
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_3 3
shifted all their models to electric live train by
that year.Thats just three manufacturers so this
is a megatrend in the auto sector, and I think
we are going to see millions of decentralized
storage devices added to the grid through
electromobility.
But EVs are one element of the storage
picture to emerge in the coming decades.
Another element to this is utility scale storage.
There was close to 3.3 GW of storage
(500 MW from batteries) procured through
one of the biggest auctions in the UK, and I
note that E.ON projects that the market for
storage batteries will reach 105 GW within the
next 15 years. Its a coming megatrend and
will change the way we operate the power
system and will change the business model,
and I think we should acknowledge that as a
sector and get ready for taking it on.
Q:
There are immense development initiatives
across the storage space, but is it
developing quickly enough? Could the rate
of research and development going on
mean it happens much quicker?
A:
The storage component coming into
the electricity system will be constituted
from a number of pillars. EVs will not
alone do the trick, but in my view there
are a number of projects when it comes
to utility scale projects that will add up.
I am talking about big batteries, new solutions
within the pumped hydro space, and new
thermal storage solutions which are currently
not at the mature level but will reach technical
maturity within seven to 10 years.
It will come sooner than you think, and the
sector should brace itself for it.
We are looking at a future where this will be
phased in over the next decade at utility scale
and it will change the way we operate power
Power Engineering International February 2017
Q&A
systems and will change our business models,
so I think we should basically be ready for
this.
There are two stages.There are technologies
reaching maturity, and then there is the
deployment of these technologies. When we
look at the utility scale, it is still in the making
and solutions are still being developed, and
that means when these reach maturity five to
10 years down the road, there is going to be
another period of time before they are rolled
out across the entire energy system. But its
coming and we need to be realistic about it.
Q:
Ireland has voted to no longer invest in fossil
fuels. Is it possible for a country in Europe
to go completely fossil fuel-free or will, in
Irelands case for example, biomass and
privately owned gas be vital for national
energy security? Do you see other countries
in Europe following Irelands lead, and what
does that mean for Eurelectrics members?
A:
We have to acknowledge, and we have made
this position clear to policymakers: this energy
transition is not going to happen overnight.
Its a long-term process. Eurelectric has stated
that we will clear the power sector of emissions
by 2050. We should be realistic about these
timelines but, as seen in Germany and other
places, its not a walk in the park.
If you make a decision based on phasing
out one electricity wedge, you are facing
difficulties with security of supply and very
Storage will come
sooner than you think
and the sector should
brace itself for it
3
2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Q&A
quickly also in other economic centres. I
must confess on the Irish regulations I cant
comment on whether it is technically feasible
and the costs involved.
Essentially, I believe in a rational position
mainly to advocate a balanced European
approach. Its not in the interest of investors
that every country goes its own way and takes
its own road to decarbonization. It provides
certainty and provides clarity for investment
if this is done with an EU-level solution, and if
we do it in a way where we gradually move
to a well-functioning European market and
an integrated energy union. So in essence
we would advocate, from the Eurelectric
point of view, for a European approach to
decarbonization.
Q:
If other countries follow the Irish example,
does that have a particular impact on your
members?
A:
Its going to mean they are operating in a more
complex space and a muddied regulatory
environment. You have to remember that
these companies own assets across Europe.
For example, CEZ is in seven countries,
Vattenfall and others across a number of
markets. Basically they need to deal with
28 sets of plans for decarbonization, and
28 sets of different national regulations and
policy tools.
It would be more difficult for them and will
ultimately add to the costs, as there will need
to be more resources put into understanding
these complex regulatory environments.
a pragmatic solution as soon as possible.
Facilitating trade in Ireland and the impact on
Northern Ireland these are concrete issues
that need to be solved, and good pragmatic
technical solutions are needed. We wish to
continue trading in a sensible way and not
shut out the UK completely.
In terms of the impact on the power sector
from a regulatory view, I have a clear concern
about delays on current legislation. The ETS
will need to be recalibrated, and the energy
efficiency directive will need to be revisited in
terms of how much energy needs to be saved
essentially.
There are a number of other different
regulations that impact on the functioning of
the power sector and a number of different
regulations that need to be recalibrated as a
consequence of the UK leaving.
Also the institutional setup: what does this
mean for the composition of the European
We will clear the
power sector of
emissions by 2050
Parliament, the weighting of votes in the
European Council potential institutional
reform that may also play into this whole
process.
Finally, of course I think that in the dynamic
of the negotiations in the Council we are
losing a voice of reason in the UK, as they
have always advocated a very cost-effective
approach to decarbonization and they have
been supportive of a comprehensive set
of meaningful EU policies when it comes to
regulating the power sector.
For our members we want to see a clear
road ahead but a pragmatic one too.
Q:
Is there a place for clean coal technology in
Europes power generation space?
A:
There is a place for clean coal technology in
Europe today, as we have significant amounts
of coal providing baseload in Europe. But
we have to be clear. We are moving towards
decarbonization by 2050 and there will be
implications for coal-based assets. Unless we

Q:
What do you think will be the likely impact
of Brexit on the European power sector, from
the perspective of the UK and the EU? Will
Eurelectric continue to have UK members?

A:
With regard to Eurelectric membership,
I just visited the UK a couple of days
ago and they were very clear they wish
to continue to be part of Eurelectric.
What will be the consequence of Brexit for
the EU power sector? We are going to lose a
good partner here, and I hope we can find

4 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_4 4 2/14/17 10:40 AM

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 Q&A
find viable solutions, such as carbon capture
and storage, to handle emissions, coal is
going to have an increasingly difficult time.
Q:
Is it realistic to expect decarbonization
targets to be met when many European
countries are still dependent on coal?
A:
The electricity industry in Europe has
committed to this as its objective, and it
was reconfirmed most recently in the ETS
discussions. We are quite clear on that, but it
will not be easy and we need to basically think
hard on how we do this transition in the best
possible and most economical way.
Q:
There appears to be some resistance as to
the environmental credentials of biomass
power. Would you share those concerns,
and do you think biomass can be important
in the transition to cleaner energy?
A:
Basically we think that biomass is part of the
solution, provided it lives up to fundamental
sustainability criteria. It is very clear that if
you just burn a lot of forests that will add
emissions to the atmosphere. This wont help
the transition. If you add it in a sustainable way,
biomass can be part of the solution.
A question we are studying is how many
countries can take the biomass conversion
road to decarbonization I know they are
doing it in Denmark and its interesting to see
6 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_6 6
We are going to
need elements of the
existing electricity
system for a long time
to come
how they reduce emissions by switching, but
will this be a viable solution for baseload in
Poland and Germany? I have doubts that it
would work on a global level.
Q:
Is there an issue about biomass regulations
in different jurisdictions? On the face of it the
switch to biomass appears a positive move,
but what about the ethical regulations in
how the feedstock is sourced?
A:
There are certainly challenges with biomass
in some countries, and that is why I stress the
need for clear sustainability criteria with the
use of biomass.
Q:
Do you anticipate the transition to cleaner
energy taking longer than expected given
the work that needs to be done across
the bloc in terms of grid development in
facilitating renewable power?
A:
We are firmly in favour of more grid and a
more robust grid. We see electricity as the
key energy carrier of the energy transition,
so anything that can be done to support
the increased use of electricity as the way to
advance the transition is positive in our view.
We also support the target set by the EU on
advancing interconnectivity.
Q:
There is a lot of conversation among
policymakers about regional
interconnection even though some
countries are lagging behind target-wise.
A:
Yes. There are a lot of quick wins there that
would pave the way for us in getting better
interconnected, more integrated and better
functioning markets, and also better use of
existing power generation capacity.
Q:
Germany, arguably, phased out nuclear too
soon, therefore its emissions went up again
in 2016, and household energy prices are
getting more expensive all the time. Do you
think Germany may be forced to reconsider
its energy policy and have a more
pragmatic approach without compromising
its clean energy goal?
A:
In terms of assessing Germany reconsidering
its strategy, BDEW might be better placed to
answer that. It basically underlines my point
about the energy transition not being a walk
in the park. We are going to need baseload
capacity and significant amounts of that
power over the next decade, and we wont be
able to produce all that from renewables. We
have to be quite frank about that.
We are seeing 30 per cent of EU power
from renewables today going to 50 per cent
by 2030 it still leaves the question of what
about the other half, so we will need the other
energy wedges for a long time to come.
There are no easy solutions in this game.
We have to support the introduction of the
new components to the energy system, but
we are going to need the existing elements of
the current electricity system for a long time
to come.
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
for more information
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2/14/17 10:40 AM
 doosan koda power
is a major player
in retrofits and upgrades
doosan koda power, a member of the doosan Group, is a manufacturer and supplier of steam turbines,
with specialist expertise and a rich history spanning over 110 years. koda steam turbines have been
installed in more than 60 countries around the world.
In addition to the production of new turbines, Do-
osan koda Power, a member of the Doosan Group,
is a manufacturer and supplier of steam turbines,
with specialist expertise and a rich history spanning
over 110 years. koda steam turbines have been in-
stalled in more than 60 countries around the world.
In addition to the production of new turbines, Do-
osan koda Power, like other global producers, fo-
cuses on retrofitting and upgrading both our own
machines and equipment from other manufactu-
Turbine generator unit after the refurbishment
rers with the aim of extending the lifetime of equip-
ment and improving its efficiency, or in order to me-
et other requirements, e.g. a request for an additi-
onal steam outlet for co-generation purposes, etc.
Doosan koda Power performed its first retrofits in
the 1970s on the company's own 55 MW turbines,
followed by 110 MW, 200 MW and 500 MW turbines.
In the 1990s, Doosan koda Power retrofitted a 165
MW Parsons turbine in the Vaasa power plant, Fin-
land, followed by the low-pressure parts of LMZ tur-
bines, type 13K 215, with an output of 210 MW in the
Czech Republic.
Current refurbishment projeCts
At present, retrofitted equipment is subject to vir-
tually the same requirements as newly constructed
sources. This is mainly due to the pressure for a ra-
pid return on investment and intense competition
between different suppliers of retrofitted and refur-
bished products.
In order to be competitive in this market, Doosan
koda Power has set up a dedicated in-house Re-
trofit & Modernisation department for this sector.
As a result, the company can tender for projects
which include not only upgrading the steam tur-
bine itself, but also its accessories, including the
1702pei_7 7
generator, condensing and regenerative system
and repairs to the turbogenerator substructure,
etc., i.e. a refurbishment of the turbine island as well
as the whole machine hall.
Gardanne 170 mW, franCe
plant Conversion to biomass
Doosan koda Power, together with other com-
panies within the Doosan Group, was awarded
a contract for refurbishing the machine hall in
the Gardanne power plant. This is an interesting
project which involves converting the original 250
MW coal-fired power plant for use with biomass.
Following the conversion, the maximum power of
the steam turbine is reduced to 170 MW by adjus-
ting the maximum flow rate of the steam turbine
and replacing the entire flow path installed in the
original external equipment. Doosan also modi-
fied the boiler so that it could be converted for
use with biogas.
The project was implemented using reverse en-
gineering with 3D scanning. The customer was
unable to provide sufficient documentation rela-
ting to the original turbine, which was produced
in 1967 (by manufacturer Rateau-Schneider), as
the equipment underwent modifications and up-
grades to its components over the course of more
than 40 years. Reverse engineering provided the
required information about the actual condition
of the equipment.
In addition to a new flow part for the turbine, Do-
osan koda Power also supplied a new air-cooled
generator to replace the original hydrogen-coo-
led one, and a new flow part for the boiler feed
water steam turbine. The condensing and rege-
nerative system included the new condenser
For more information, enter 3 at pei.hotims.com
tubing and high-pressure and low-pressure rege-
nerative heaters, and we reviewed almost all re-
lated equipment in the steam turbine hall.
The project met the requirement for adapting the
steam turbine to lower levels of input steam, opti-
mising the specific heat consumption and ensuring
reliable operation over the next 20 years.
naantali 125 mW, finland
retrofit of turbine hp and ip seCtion
Unlike the aforementioned Gardanne project,
this project did not include refurbishing the entire
machine hall. It was focused on extending the life-
time of the turbine, while maintaining as many of
the original components as possible. The project
was planned as an overhaul of the turbine, inclu-
ding replacing the obsolete components. The cli-
ent accepted this scope of services on the basis of
a Doosan koda Power tender to improve efficien-
cy by replacing rotors and blades in HP and IP sec-
tions. The project was therefore conceived as a re-
trofit of HP and IP sections of the turbine by repla-
cing their flow parts and damaged components,
e.g. IP external body, including the front part of the
welded-on valve chambers.
This is a typical non-OEM retrofit as the original
steam turbine was manufactured by AEG/KWU. In this
case, Doosan koda Power used reverse engineering
again to verify the data of the original design.
The project resulted in increased efficiency of
the relevant parts of the steam turbine. For the
HP section, the efficiency increased from the ini-
tial value of 76% to 86.4% after the retrofit, and the
efficiency of the IP section rose from 88.5% at the
outset to 94.4%. The retrofit also extended the life-
time of the turbine in the heat plant, which supp-
lies heat to the town of Naantali, and ensures reli-
able operation .
Retrofits and modernisation of steam turbines
are a standard product from Doosan koda Power.
With the many upgrades performed, Doosan
koda Power acquired valuable references for
a number of applications, including nuclear ener-
gy, biomass combustion, co-generation and com-
bined-cycle gas-fired or coal-fired power plants.
All these projects benefited our clients by provi-
ding them with a rapid return on their investment,
a significant increase in efficiency and improved
technical parameters, including a longer service
life and increased operational reliability.
stanislav nejdar
service director,
koda power
2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Clean energy strategy

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Credit: IRENA

Renewables and
hydrocarbons
enjoy a truly symbiotic relationship
With the theme practical

A
bu Dhabi Sustainability ADSW was opened by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al
steps towards a Week was the first global Jaber, the UAEs Minister of State and Special
gathering dedicated to Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and
sustainable future, Abu
sustainability since the also chairman of Abu Dhabi clean energy
Dhabi Sustainability COP22 climate change company Masdar. He said that for the first
Week examined how to conference in Morocco last time in the industrial age, carbon emissions
deliver the Paris Climate November. are levelling off and even starting to drop. In
Agreement and also The event last month welcomed six this new era, renewables and hydrocarbons
heads of state and 73 government ministers enjoy a truly symbiotic relationship that is
debated the role of fossil
and overall the weeks events attracted reshaping the economics of energy.
fuels in a clean energy 38,000 visitors from 175 countries. And he added that while for decades the
roadmap. Kelvin Ross Its the third time I have attended ADSW in Gulf region had led the oil and gas industry,
spent a week at the event the United Arab Emirates and it is noticeable now we are extending our reach to become
and highlights the hot how, over recent years, its discussions the centre of gravity for all forms of energy.
have shifted from broad calls for action
topics and talking points
on renewables deployment to post-Paris
Agreement delivery of specific roadmaps
and initiatives to deliver on the agreements
made at COP21.
This years ADSW was notable because for
the first time it welcomed a major delegation
from Saudi Arabia. The kingdom used the
event to unveil plans to invest up to $50 billion
in renewable projects mainly wind and solar
by 2023 to generate 9.5 GW.
And a key speaker at several conferences
was Shri Piyush Goyal, Indias Minister of State
for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy
and Mines. He outlined Indias target to have
an installed capacity of 100 GW of solar
energy, 60 GW of wind and 15 GW from other Adnan Z. Amin
Credit: IRENA
renewables by 2022.

8 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_8 8 2/14/17 10:40 AM


Shri Piyush Goyal outlines Indias renewable energy targets
Al Jaber said that the deployment of
renewables liberates hydrocarbons and
where solar excels at peak hours, natural gas
provides a necessary low-emission, low-cost,
baseload power foundation. Combining both
is a winning partnership that makes perfect
economic sense.
He said that while oil and gas will remain
critical drivers of the global economy
for decades to come, we recognize the
immediate and long-term advantages
of a fully diversified energy mix, and that
renewables and natural gas in tandem had
begun to reset the carbon clock.
Speaking the following day at the launch
of the World Future Energy Summit, Al Jaber
revealed that Masdar had invested $2.7bn in
clean energy projects since it was formed in
2006.
But he stressed that we will not deploy a
single dollar if we do not think that this dollar
is secure.
He outlined how the renewables finance
landscape has changed in the last half
decade.
Of course each investment has its own
risks, but in the past five years everything has
changed.
He said that it was a fact that in the past,
renewables were costly and because of that,
Masdar had to swim against the tide. But now
renewables can compete on a standalone
basis.
Also speaking at the opening of ADSW
was the executive director of the International
Energy Agency, who said that the global
power sector needs to double its investment
in renewables if it is to meet the Paris climate
goals.
Fatih Birol said that last year the entire
budget of the global power sector was
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_9 9
Credit:IRENA
$1.8 trillion and added, Im afraid only 16 per
cent of that went on renewables and energy
efficiency.
The rest goes mainly on oil and gas
and other energy sources. In order to reach
the targets that we agreed in Paris we need
renewables.
He said the business case for renewables
was more solid than ever. Renewable energy
is becoming cheaper. Our numbers at the IEA
give us a lot of hope.
He highlighted that last year, more than
50 per cent of global new power generation
capacity added was renewable. The others,
coal, plus oil, plus gas, plus nuclear all put
together were less than renewables.This shows
us that renewables is not a romantic story any
more, its a business.
But he stressed that renewables alone
cannot bring us to our two-degrees target.
We need energy efficiency policies they will
deliver.
And he said that we need other energy
Statoil signed a floating wind turbine deal with Masdar at ADSW
Clean energy strategy
Renewables and
natural gas have
begun to reset the
carbon clock
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Masdar
sources, highlighting that nuclear and
natural gas both have a role to play alongside
renewables.
It would be wrong to tell the world about
just one single fuel. We need to provide a
package according to the need.
He stressed that the challenge for all of us
is how do we find an optimal energy policy
that covers climate change, energy security
and energy efficiency.
Trump and clean energy
The topic of Donald Trump entering the Oval
Office and the effect this would have on the
climate change agenda was debated several
times.
The boss of the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA) is taking a wait-and-
see approach on Trumps actions on climate
change, but has stressed that the clean
energy sector in the US is a business case too
powerful to ignore.
Adnan Z Amin said that from a business
perspective, renewable energy is a good
investment.
At a press briefing, he said that globally
there were 9.4 million people working in
the renewables industry, with the greatest
proportion in China, and in the US there were
Credit: IRENA
Power Engineering International February 2017 9
2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Clean energy strategy
It makes good
economic sense
to invest in energy
efficiency and clean
energy
Shri Piyush Goyal, India Minister
400,000 employed in the sector, compared
with 85,000 in the coal industry.
And he added that a lot of US states with
Republican leadership are making a lot of
money from renewable energy.
Indian minister Goyal vowed that his
country will not deviate from its renewable
energy targets if Trump puts the brakes on
Americas commitment to tackling climate
change.
He was responding to concerns that
an American withdrawal from the climate
change table would prompt India to row back
on its sustainability goals.
Speaking on the first day of ADSW, he said:
I can use this sustainability platform to let the
world know that India is absolutely committed
to renewable energy targets and clean energy
growth and nothing will stop that.
He said that India doesnt interfere in other
countries political processes if the people
have elected a leader then we respect that.
So, irrespective of what other countries do
or do not do, India stands committed to being
part of green energy.
India signed up to the Paris climate
The first carbon capture and utilization project in the Middle East
10 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_10 10
agreement and at the end of last year
published a 10-year energy blueprint which
predicted that 57 per cent of Indias total
electricity capacity will come from clean
energy sources by 2027.
And Goyal stressed that he believed India
would have no difficulty in finding the private
investors for its huge solar, hydropower and
wind plans.
Frankly, I dont see any strength of
challenge to getting finance for
programmes. Gone are the days when
governments had to grapple with subsidies.
You dont need to convince investors anymore
it is really in their own interests. It makes good
economic sense to invest in energy efficiency
and clean energy.
He said that since India announced its
ambitious renewable energy plans, we have
only seen the interest grow.
Credit: Kelvin Ross
Masdars solar-powered desalination project in Abu Dhabi
Credit: Kelvin Ross
Yet he was keen to add a dose of realism
to the renewables drive. He said that India
wanted to engage with renewable energy,
but we are also grappling with affordability
and the baseload issue. And while it was
tackling the baseload dilemma, he said India
would continue to have to rely on coal. But
he stressed that we can do it smarter and
explained that India would be looking to
employ the latest supercritical technology on
these its oldest coal plants as well as utilize coal-to-
gas technology.
The Saudi perspective
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabias energy minister
told ADSW that although the kingdom was
planning an initial 10 GW of renewables, oil
and gas would be needed for decades.
Saudi Arabias first round of renewable
energy tenders are expected to deliver up
to $50 billion by 2032 to bankroll the 10 GW
of clean energy. However, Khaled Al-Falih
used the stage to stress that oil and gas had
a role to play in the global clean energy
narrative.
And he was adamant that without oil and
gas being utilized alongside renewables, we
will have a shock to the global economy.
Afterwards, some in the audience felt his
speech was decidedly off-message for a
sustainability conference. But others believed
he had added a dose of realism to the clean
energy debate.
Al-Falih, who is also the chairman of Saudi
Aramco, said: Sustainability needs to take
advantage of all energy sources. Technology
is a clear enabler for sustainability and there
is substantial room still to be made to make oil
and gas more sustainable.
He told the audience: I am a realist. As
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 10:40 AM

Solar panels top the traditional Arabic facade of apartments in Masdar City
Renewable energy
is not a romantic
story any more, its a
business
Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency
much as we hope for renewables, they will not
penetrate fast enough they will not bring the
standards of living that people aspire to fast
enough.
And he maintained that we are going
to need cleaner oil and gas for decades to
come.
If the oil and gas industry stops investing
[in the power sector], we are going to have
a shock to the global economy and people
will then revert to less sustainable sources of
energy.
By constraining fossil fuels we are going
to be a less sustainable global economy.
He said that many people believe that
bad news for fossil fuels is good news
for renewables, but we have found the
opposite.
Al-Falih said that Saudi was investing in
several emissions-reduction technologies,
including carbon capture and utilization.
He also outlined plans to establish
interconnections with Jordan, Egypt, Yemen
and even parts of Africa, which he said
would allow Saudi to exchange renewable
electricity.
The $50 billion renewables programme
will be launched for tenders in the next few
weeks and will comprise projects for solar,
wind, geothermal and waste-to-energy.
And Al-Falih stressed that 10 GW is only the
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_11 11
Credit: Kelvin Ross
beginning I can almost guarantee that we
will be bigger [in renewables] than the UAE,
because our scale is much bigger.
Reacting to news of the Saudi renewables
initiative, Martin Haupts, chief executive of
Dubai-based international solar developer
and investment manager Phanes Group, said:
Its a very encouraging development that
carries significance not only for the Kingdom,
but to the entire renewable energy industry
across the region and the world.
Saudi Arabia is vast, with enormous
renewable energy potential. Their plan to
deploy almost 10 GW from a standing start
in six years represents an unprecedented
commitment to renewables and a roadmap
to not only a more balanced power portfolio,
but also a more active investment climate.
Haupts said that Phanes Group believes
the Saudi renewable energy market may
present attractive opportunities for firms of all
sizes and specialties to invest and develop
projects.
However, with so much of their legal and
regulatory infrastructure in flux, what is key to
them achieving their short- and medium-term
ambitions is their ability to offer predictability
and certainty to investors.
Commercial carbon capture
Away from the conferences of ADSW, I visited
several key clean energy projects in the UAE,
including the MENA regions first commercial-
scale carbon capture, utilization and storage
facility.
The chief executive of the Al Reyadah
project in Abu Dhabi told me that he believes
the facility can act as a springboard for the
technology globally.
The only way to do carbon capture and
Power Engineering International February 2017
Clean energy strategy
storage is to make commercial use of what
you capture, maintained Arafat Al Yafei.
Doing CCS is a noble cause which we badly
want to do, but to do it without a revenue
stream is very difficult.
Al Yafei explained that when we started
planning this project we realized that other
CCS projects had not lasted because the
revenue streams had dried up.
The $122 million Al Reyadah project is a
joint venture between Abu Dhabi National
Oil Company (ADNOC) and Masdar. It aims
to sequester up to 800,000 metric tonnes of
carbon dioxide per year.
It harnesses the CO2 emitted by major Abu
Dhabi steel producer Emirates Steel Industries
and injects it as a substitute for rich gas into
the emirates oil reservoirs to help enhance
their output.
CO2 is one of the best agents to inject into
the oil, said Al Yafei, because it changes the
viscosity.
Construction on the plant started in July
2013 and the project is one of only 22 large-
scale CCUS ventures either in operation or
under construction worldwide, and is believed
to be the first to capture CO2 from an iron and
steel works.
Al Reyadah, which means leadership in
Arabic, is the first company in the MENA region
focused on developing commercial-scale
CCUS projects.
The technology works in three stages.
Carbon dioxide is first captured on site at
the Emirates Steel manufacturing complex
before being compressed and dehydrated.
The third step involves conveying the CO2 via
a 42-km underground pipeline for enhanced
oil recovery injection into two ADNOC onshore
oilfields.
This is a new concept in the region that we
are trying to make commercially viable, said
Al Yafei. We know that CCUS will expand not
just in this region but around the world.
He said there was huge potential for the
technology in all oil-and-gas-rich countries.
The plant started commercial operations
in November last year and Al Yafei said it is a
practical solution to ensure that CO2 emissions
are reduced. We cannot have clean fossil fuels
without CCUS.
And he added: The dream is big, and we
are going step by step.
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
for more information
11
2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Valves & actuators

Valves and
actuators:
the risks and the
opportunities
Modern power plant requirements have given rise to innovation
Credit: Auma

To keep up with a rapidly changing energy landscape, valve and actuator

manufacturers have seen their technology become more complex, incorporating
new materials and processes within the context of an ever-growing demand to
reduce costs. Tildy Bayar finds out how theyre responding

A
s more renewable power
sources continue to be
added to the worlds grids,
the increasing need for
flexibility in fossil-fuelled
power plants is creating
more demands on operational processes and
greater stress on critical components. To keep
up with this rapidly changing environment,
valve and actuator manufacturers have seen
their technology become more complex,
incorporating new materials and processes
within the context of an ever-growing demand
to reduce costs.
We spoke with key manufacturers about
their technologies, the risks and what they
are doing in response to the new energy
landscape.
The risks for valves
At its heart, valve and actuator technology
is simple. The valve opens and closes, either
allowing water or steam to pass through
or stopping it from passing. The valve can
control the degree of flow, the flow direction,
and the pressure. The actuator directs the
valves operation. This basic technology has
remained unchanged for many decades,
but there are still a number of issues that can
cause failure.
Arvo Eilau, Marketing Manager Gas Power
at Pentair Valves & Controls, says the number
one failure mechanism for valves is simply
time: The valve will eventually wear out.
How quickly this happens, he says, depends
partly on the medium that flows through it: for
example, steam is abrasive and can damage
the valve, while seawater intake valves wear
out over time due to corrosion. There is a
limited lifetime to critical-duty valves, he
says.
In addition to normal wear and tear,
though, the increasing temperatures and
pressures that come with flexible operation are
causing unprecedented stress on power plant
components. Twenty years ago, when plants
ran at lower pressures and temperatures, a
valve could easily last for 30+ years, Eilau
says. But with todays requirements for higher
efficiency and lower emissions, were running
right on the edge of our material technology
and the material will fail much faster.
One such materials issue is so-called hard
facing failures. The hard facing is a layer of
material applied to the internal area of the
valve which is in contact with steam or water.
It is designed to prevent erosion, corrosion and
mechanical wear. Because the hard facing is
welded to the valve, its critical that we put it
on correctly, Eilau says. The proper welding,
heat treating and testing is required to avoid
potential failures and it does require
additional work when applied properly.
Damage to power plants could become
exacerbated in the future due to fast ramping,
he says. Valves could potentially have issues
in the coming years. But we know these
components are going to fail, so were going
to extreme engineering efforts to identify how
to weld, manufacture and maintain them, and
to use the right materials.
For Pentair, the right materials means two
steel alloys known as P91 and P92. These
materials can cope with todays higher
pressures and temperatures, but Eilau says
their manufacture is critical: If you get several
molecules wrong in the material, its quality
can be affected. And it is crucial that welding

12 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_12 12 2/14/17 10:40 AM


and heat treating are done correctly: If youre
off by a fraction of a percentage it could affect
the strength of the material.
Quality control is key, Eilau says.
Manufacturing the same valve as 10 years
ago, with todays materials, takes an additional
four to five steps in the factory. Engineers have
to provide a process to welders to know what
temperature to heat the material to, and how
to cool it down properly. If the processes are
done correctly and the engineering data
sheets are correct, it will be ok. Miss one step,
or be off by a small percentage, and the part
will fail much sooner.
The water in desuperheaters (DSH), which
control the steam temperature inside the heat
recovery steam generator (HRSG), can also
cause damage to equipment, Eilau notes.
Water damage to downstream equipment is
one of the major failure mechanisms power
plant operators must deal with.
Because were running power plants up
to 600700oC, and the equipment is designed
to run at the design condition, temperature
control elements have to be very consistent
and make sure they hold the temperature
where its supposed to be, he explains. Fifty
years ago we made steam in a boiler, sent
it to the turbine, the turbine spun and made
electricity, and steam temperature control
was much simpler. Now that were running
at such high temperatures and pressures,
adding water in to cool down the steam has
to be done perfectly so it mixes properly. Water
droplets can transfer through the steam and
are very erosive to the steam turbine and
piping if they dont evaporate right away.
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1702pei_13 13
Electric valve actuators
Credit: Auma
We dont have the wide allowable variances
that we had a long time ago, so that the
critical temperature is maintained and water
evaporates immediately to prevent damage
to the equipment.
Avoiding the risks is a plant-by-plant process,
Eilau says, as each plant will have different
requirements: steam flow, temperature,
pressure, where the pipe is located, how
long it is. While manufacturers continually
evaluate their designs to meet increasingly
stringent operational requirements, power
plant developers need to be aware too:
Companies building power plants need to
be much more vigilant that what they buy is
meeting the needs of today.
Another issue is the ongoing debate
between cast and forged materials for high-
pressure steam valves (see PEi, volume 24,
issue 9, pp XXXX). Cast valves have been in
wide use for many years, but Eilau says that
up to a certain point and I dont think any
company knows exactly what that point
is in todays extreme high pressures and
temperatures, a forged product is much more
suitable.
However, cast valves are more cost-
effective to manufacture, and the industry
does not currently have a standard to define
the operational pressure and temperature
at which a switch to a forged product would
be recommended. Eilau says Pentair offers
both cast and forged valves, recommending
different products depending on plant age,
fuel type or different customer priorities, such
as bottom-line cost vs performance and long-
term reliability.
Valves & actuators
Regional energy mixes will also have an
effect, so a cast valve might last for 30 years
in the Chinese market due to Chinas greater
reliance on fossil fuel power and lessened
need for cycling, but the same valve may not
last as long in the North American market
given its larger share of variable renewables
and thus a greater need for flexible fossil fuel-
fired plant operation. However, the same valve
could last longer than 30 years in Germany
because of its even higher renewables
penetration, with reduced use of fossil fuels as
renewables provide more of the day-to-day
power.
Francis Bouziden, sales and marketing
manager at large-frame gas turbine valve
and actuator manufacturer Young & Franklin
(Y&F), points to a turbine-specific issue: he
says the hydraulic system is the number one
risk to any valve or actuator, and its care and
maintenance represent an ongoing source
of many owners headaches.
One leaky fitting or one stuck servo
can cause a turbine trip or failed start, he
explains, and for a plant that needs to ramp
up quickly, both of these issues can be
extremely costly. Even worse, hydraulic leaks
cause environmental issues and there have
been reported fires as a result of hydraulic oil
spraying on the turbine.
Bouziden notes that turbine technicians
have traditionally focused on managing
and treating the effects of hydraulic system
issues such as deposits on the valve caused
by lubricant degradation, called varnish and
sludge. Steps such as filtration, flushing and
specialized oils are all trying to address one
part of a system that has many opportunities
for failure, he says. Instead,the primary cause
of the issue is that lube oil is being tasked with
double duty: both lubrication and control.
While this may have been an acceptable
solution for early turbine designs, it is clearly
not acceptable for the modern gas turbine.
The risks for actuators
Felix Metzenthin, sales manager at actuator
manufacturer AUMA, agrees that a
components lifetime is affected by operating
temperatures, but also by other issues such
as vibration and corrosive atmospheres.
Most problems, he says, arise when actuators
operate under conditions they were not
specified for. It is crucial that a plant designer
sufficiently accounts for ambient conditions
when choosing actuators, he warns, offering
Power Engineering International February 2017 13
2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Valves & actuators
an example: In a corrosive environment,
actuators with an advanced powder coating
that meets the highest requirements for
protection (such as category C5-I or C5-M
from EN ISO 12944-2) will normally last longer
than actuators with traditional wet painting.
Where actuators are exposed to high
temperatures or strong vibration, or both,
Metzenthin says it can also help to choose
a modular design that allows the actuator
controls, with their sensitive electronics, to be
installed at some distance from the actuator.
In plants where actuator controls for steam
valves are installed in a cooler location
away from the steam lines, he says, we
have a strongly reduced fault probability.
So engineering is really what makes the
difference. If an actuator is selected according
to the specifications, normally nothing can go
wrong, so it can last for 20 or even 30 years.
And he points out that other issues can
arise due to human error. For example, if
installation and commissioning are performed
by personnel with insufficient training,
problems can occur due to incorrect electrical
connections or erroneous parameter settings
within the actuator.
Opportunities: the digital future
Thanks to advances in electronics, actuators
now do much more than just open and
close valves. Modern intelligent actuators
include comprehensive datalogging and
autodiagnostics functions, Metzenthin
Electric guide vane actuator
Credit: Young & Franklin
14 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_14 14
explains, allowing them to monitor operating
parameters such as torque profiles,
temperatures, vibrations and number of
starts. This allows maintenance engineers to
check that an actuator is not operating out
of specification. Actuators can also be set to
automatically issue warnings or alarms when
limit values are exceeded.
As access to, and exchange of, an
increasing amount of data becomes more
and more important for the power sector,
Metzenthin says AUMA is working on a move
to cloud-based solutions, including an app for
mobile phones. With this app you can scan a
QR code on your actuator and get the right
information directly on your smartphone, get
the connection plan, get the user manuals,
get information on how old the actuator is,
what values for torque, speed, etc were set at
delivery, and so on, he says.
Y&Fs Bouziden is also enthusiastic about
developments in digital communication
which allow actuators to collect a vast
amount of performance and health data that
can aid in predictive maintenance activities
and transmit it to the control system. This data
is useful for maintenance purposes and,
according to Bouziden, will further increase
the precision and repeatability of valves and
actuators.
Eilau is also excited about the possibilities
presented by increasing connectivity,
although he notes that there is still a ways
to go. Actuators and sensors are starting to
have the ability to inform the operator about
the condition of the valve.This can include the
number of cycles, the force required to operate
the valve and the life of the valve, he says.
There are great things that can happen, but
I dont think the industry is 100 per cent there
yet. This kind of monitoring is definitely done
for gas turbines in the power industry, but were
talking a $100 million piece of equipment;
the rest of the power plant parts companies
havent spent the money yet. This is because
the cost to implement some of these features
is pretty expensive, and customers arent
buying it yet. But as the price comes down for
sensors, there is a huge future.
But as actuators are required to transmit
growing amounts of operational data, could
cybersecurity risks arise? Our manufacturers
say probably not, although the industry is
aware of the issue.
The actuator itself has proprietary
firmware, says AUMAs Metzenthin.This makes
access impossible except through a defined
and authorized programming interface.
He points out that devices within power
plants communicate through either point-
to-point signaling or an industrial fieldbus
controlled by a distributed control system
(DCS). A typical DCS can handle up to 1000
actuators, all of which are connected to a
central computer which controls the complete
plan and initiates up to 80,000 operations per
second.
Normally we have only one line from an
actuator to the control room, Metzenthin says.
This line is protected, so there should be no
possibility of cyberattack. And while service
personnel can connect to the actuator
directly, normally via Bluetooth or with a USB
cable, Metzenthin says access is password-
protected and the actuator is programmed to
only accept reasonable data when anyone
tries to change its parameters.
For the future, he says, his company is
working on a solution to protect actuators
firmware against industrial espionage, so that
their designs cannot be transmitted or copied.
For the present, he believes actuators are not
vulnerable because no cyberattacker knows
how the data inside the actuator is handled,
and thus cannot disturb the system.
Pentairs Eilau says cyber protection is
something the sector is working on, but that
actuators are safe for the moment because
their data is not typically on the public web, it is
internal only. However, he says cybersecurity is
Electric stop ratio valve
Credit: Young & Franklin
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2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Valves & actuators

reduce costs is necessarily balanced by between the control system and the valve,
environmental concerns.On the environmental he says. An actuator manufacturer has to
side, Bouziden says electric actuators have ensure smooth integration with any kind
eliminated the need for hydraulic oil systems of commonly used DCS, using any kind of
that can cause environmental hazards. To communication type, be it parallel or fieldbus,
further aid in emissions reduction, turbine hard-wired or wireless. We are constantly
operators can look to precision gas valves expanding the number of interfaces available
and electric, rather than hydraulic (oil-fuelled) for our actuators. At the moment these include
guide vane actuators. Profibus DP, Modbus RTU, Foundation Fieldbus,
On the cost side, Bouziden says electric DeviceNet, and HART, as well as the Industrial
actuators eliminate all maintenance activities Ethernet standards Profinet and Modbus TCP/
Valve and actuator associated with hydraulic systems and are IP.
combination
Credit: Pentair extremely reliable. An average site typically He describes AUMAs current actuator
recovers the initial investment after a few years. range as future-proof. Of course we will
And he adds that electric actuators can have new models in the future, he says,
something that should increase the maintenance interval but innovation can also lie in the method
be addressed in the to 96,000 run-hours, which of production, not just in the product itself.
industry. at most sites eliminates a full This includes new generations of electronics
hydraulic overhaul cycle. components and machining technologies.
Flexibility, costs, Another kind of cost saving is Like Y&F and Pentair, AUMA recognizes that
innovation produced with an upgrade to an electric customer requirements will differ depending
With the growing need for system, he says, as this can eliminate on the application. The company offers a
flexible plant operation comes almost 50 components within a turbines trip range of actuator models in line with differing
a corresponding need for flexibility oil system, hydraulic supply system, gas fuel priorities: a lowest-cost model, a more-options
in component design, operation and system and inlet guide vane system. model and a model designed for continuous
configurability. Y&Fs Bouziden says valve Many end-users spend upwards of modulation.
response and control system communications $100,000 a year maintaining their hydraulic Normally with a standard-duty actuator,
are areas where components can be easily system. This doesnt even account for lost there are times when it has to stand still to
configured to meet a wide range of potential revenue due to one bad servo in the system cool down, Metzenthin says.For example, the
demands.Among his examples of this flexibility causing a trip or a failed start. The cost of specification may say that it is only allowed to
are: downtime during repairs, and any fines or loss run for 15 minutes of each hour. Continuous
l
A flexible interface to the turbine control of capacity payments can quickly add up. modulation, on the other hand, can mean
system that allows for various control In terms of innovation in the the actuator makes 3600 starts and stops per
logic paradigms; actuator space, Bouziden says most hour its effectively moving all the time. For a
l Ingress protection rated valves, will come from the introduction of properly-designed modulating actuator thats
actuators and electronics that microprocessor-based digital no problem.
allow for indoor or outdoor electronics, which allow for in- In addition to modifying the technology,
installation; situ monitoring of key valve he says AUMAs subsidiary SIPOS has worked
l Custom stroke lengths and performance parameters. to address what it sees as the biggest risk
speeds/responsiveness of This ability will minimize for actuators human error by redesigning
valves and actuators; trips and forced shutdowns the human-machine interface (HMI). Its
l Monitoring tools that can and allow maintenance new model includes a larger display and
perform health assessments to be performed during graphical service guides, which make it
of the valves and actuators scheduled outages, he nearly impossible to do something wrong.
without uninstalling the actuator; says. In addition, distributed But despite the sectors moves to meet
and control protocols allow for evolving power plant requirements, Metzenthin
l A wide range of both analog increased flexibility and data does not see the basic design of valves and
and digital feedback for feedback not available with actuators changing in future, or at least in the
performance and health hydraulic systems. next five years.
monitoring. AUMAs Metzenthin I think the valve and actuator business is
However, the says his firms innovations very traditional, he says, and if something is
constant drive to are also largely IT- working well and reliably, most power plant
increase flexibility and based rather than business people say lets keep it this way.
mechanical. Actuators
Low pressure gate valve
Credit: Pentair play a crucial role in Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
the communication for more information

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1702pei_15 15 2/14/17 10:40 AM


Coal plant wastewater
Carrier gas extraction
for FGD wastewater treatment
With the treatment of flue gas desulphurization wastewater becoming mandatory
in coal-fired plants, Prakash Govindan and Zhifeng Fan make the case for carrier
gas extraction as a cost-effective and performance-boosting solution
F
lue gas desulphurization (FGD)
wastewaters are produced at coal-
fired power plants in increasing
quantities as the regulation on air
emissions is tightened worldwide.
Low cost and environmentally
favourable reuse of this wastewater stream
has become an important topic with the
respective national and local regulatory
bodies stipulating minimum treatment levels
and standards.
Traditional technologies, which are
otherwise used for concentration of saline
streams, fail the economic and performance
benchmark that needs to be met.
Carrier gas extraction (CGE) technology,
which was specifically developed to handle
high levels of contamination and variability
in feed waters, is optimal for this application
and offers the lowest cost solution within the
required performance.
16 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_16 16
Cost-effective treatment of FGD wastewater is becoming mandatory in all coal plants
Source and constituents
Coal-based power plants generate over a
third of the planets electricity. The combustion
of coal in these facilities produces a flue gas
that is emitted to the atmosphere.
Many power plants are required to remove
SOx emissions from the flue gas using FGD
systems. The leading FGD technology used
globally is wet scrubbing (85 per cent of the
installations in the US and 90 per cent of the
installations in China).
Commonly, three kinds of scrubbers are
used for wet scrubbing venturi, packed,
and spray scrubbers and entail injection of
alkaline scrubbing agents into the scrubber.
Typically, the agent is limestone (i.e.,
calcium carbonate), quick lime and caustic
soda.
For example, when limestone reacts with
SOx in the reducing conditions of the absorber,
sulphur dioxide (the major component of
Credit: Gradiant
SOx) is converted into sulfite, and a slurry rich in
calcium sulfite is produced. In forced oxidation
FGD systems, an oxidation reactor is used to
convert calcium sulfite slurry to calcium sulfate
(gypsum).
From the blowdown and dewatering
processes of the slurry, the FGD wastewater
stream is created.The composition of coal and
limestone primarily affects the composition
of the wastewater. Other parameters which
have a smaller effect are the type of scrubber
and the dewatering system used. Coal
contributes chlorides, fluorides and sulfate to
the wastewater. Because of the metallurgy
used in the scrubbers it is typical to purge
the wastewater before the chlorides exceed
12,000 mg/L. The level to which chlorides are
tolerated by the metallurgy of the scrubber
determines the amount of wastewater
generated. Use of better metallurgy can
help reduce the amount of wastewater by
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 2:35 PM
 Coal plant wastewater

not purging until a chlorides level of up to

35,000 mg/L is reached. Carrier Gas
Coal also adds trace metals, including (Dehumidified)

arsenic, mercury, selenium, boron, cadmium

and zinc. Limestone could contribute iron and
aluminium to the FGD wastewater.

Varying water quality

Defining a standard composition of FGD
wastewater across different power plants
is tricky because there is no consensus in
the industry on where (in the process train)
the sample for measuring the composition
has to be collected, and the design of the
process train downstream of the scrubber
itself changes from one facility to another.
For example, some facilities may employ
primary and secondary hydro cyclones to
maximize the capture of solids before gypsum
dewatering.
It is also common for a plant to change
coal and limestone suppliers so the
wastewater constituents will change over time
during operation of the FGD system. Unlike
other industrial wastewater treatment fields,
FGD wastewater samples for a specific plant
are likely not available for testing before the
plant is designed, built and commissioned.
Additionally, during the operation of the coal-
fired power plant, there might be periods
when the plant is not run at full capacity and
the SOx levels and FGD water quality and
volumes can vary.
Complicating matters further, the plants
wastewater treatment system must be flexible
to handle these varying inputs yet produce
a treated stream that meets the plants
wastewater discharge permit requirements. All
traditional treatment technologies fail because
they cannot handle these requirements as
they were developed for sea water or other
35
30
25
20
15
10
5 diluted with feed wastewater, is preheated with
Carrier Gas Humidifier
Reject
Feed
Wastewater
Carrier Gas
Figure 1. Schematic of carrier gas extraction demonstrating
the production of fresh water and heat recovery within the system
applications where the feed water quality and
volumes remain fairly constant.
CGE technology
Invented at Massachusetts Institute
Technology, CGE is a novel method of
desalinating high salinity water streams using
a carrier gas. The technique was specifically
developed to handle high contamination
wastewaters at varying volumetric rates and
quality. Over 50 patent families cover various
innovations which make CGE an economical
technology for treating FGD wastewaters to
high recovery rates and with high levels of
influent water variability.
Dehumidifier
Heater
Fresh Water
Heat Recovery Device
Saline Water Fresh Water
CGE is a desalination process that
mimics the rain cycle. It uses a carrier gas
as a medium to desalinate saline streams
by using a humidification-dehumidification
of configuration. CGE consists of two main unit
operations: humidifier and dehumidifier (see
Figure 1).
Both the humidifier and the dehumidifier
are direct contact heat and mass exchange
devices.The humidifier is a packed bed device
wherein a heated water stream (<90C) is
introduced in the form of droplets and the
carrier gas (which is typically ambient air) is
introduced at the bottom of the device in a
counter-current configuration.
The carrier gas comes in direct contact with
the saline droplets and there is evaporation
from the surface of the droplet into the carrier
gas stream. Hence, as the carrier gas rises
through the device, it accumulates increasing
amounts of pure water vapour from the saline
stream. The concentrate, which retains all
of the dissolved salts, exits the humidifier, is

0 heat from the dehumidifier, is heated using a

Pure Vapor
source of energy (like solar heaters) and is
HDH systems CGE with BC CGE with
dehumidifier crossflow BC system like recirculated back into the humidifier.
dehumidifier MVC The dehumidifier is a multi-stage bubble
Figure 2. Relative condenser sizes. New CGE BC devices have 40 per cent lower surface area column device. In this device, the air-vapour
requirement than vapour condensers
mixture from the humidifier is sparged

www.PowerEngineeringInt.com Power Engineering International February 2017 17

1702pei_17 17 2/14/17 10:40 AM

 Coal plant wastewater
CGE was developed to handle high levels of contamination
through several shallow layers of fresh water
in successively cooler stages. As a result,
small bubbles are formed and the vapour
condenses from the surface of the bubbles
into these shallow pools. As this fresh water
is generated it also picks up the heat of
condensation, which is transferred back
to the feed water in the preheating heat
exchanger.
The ratio of the energy input in this
preheating process to that in the heater
that follows it (energy recovery ratio) has
been maximized over a decade of research
and development. Currently, CGEs energy
recovery ratio is up to 4.5 which implies
600
500
400
300
200
100
0 systems.
CGE humidifier
Figure 3. Relative scaling levels. CGE can take orders of magnitude high thickness of scale because
of the separation of the heat exchange surface from the phase change surface
18 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_18 18
Credit: Gradiant
that only ~22 per cent of the total heat
needed to distil the water is provided by the
heat source and contributes to the energy
cost. Additionally, a relatively low top brine
temperature of <90C combined with a low
temperature increase required in the heater
(and no steam requirement) makes the CGE
optimal for using simple solar thermal energy
(like evacuated tube solar heaters) as heat
input, or using hot water from power plant
heat recovery steam generators.
In addition to treating wastewater at
full scale and in the lab to purity levels, the
performance of CGE has also been tested with
more than 100 different high contamination
MVC evaporator bundle
FGD wastewater samples provided by various
industrial customers, including power plants.
The recovery of the system depends on
the feed concentration as saturated brine
solution is the waste/product stream leaving
the system. With feed water streams of less
than 120,000 ppm TDS, recovery rates are
consistently greater than 95 per cent.
Treatment of industrial wastewaters is limited
due to the prohibitive capital investment and
operating costs associated with distillation-
based techniques like mechanical vapour
compression (MVC). These treatment options
are expensive because:
1) These technologies were not developed to
handle variability in feed water quality;
2) FGD wastewater is corrosive, requiring
expensive corrosion-resistant metal for
evaporation and condensation surfaces;
3) The conventional treatment technology,
i.e., MVC is not energy efficient at high
salinity and the corresponding high
boiling point elevation (as high as 13C
at saturation concentration of sodium
chloride); and
4) Pretreatment requirements are much
higher with high hardness levels because
the evaporation and condensation
surfaces are sacrosanct and cannot
accumulate porous scale layers (if they
do the performance of the system drops
precipitously).
Since its commercialization, CGE has
demonstrated a significant shift in the cost
of treatment of hypersaline waters based on
three main innovations.
Bubble column (BC) heat exchangers
(see Figure 1) have extremely high heat and
mass transfer rates as they employ direct
contact condensation of the vapour-gas
mixture in a column of shallow liquid unlike
traditional techniques, which condense on a
cold surface.
New physical understanding of heat
transfer in BCs has led to low pressure-drop
designs. The concept of multi-staging the
uniform temperature column in several
temperature steps has led to highly effective
designs (about 90 per cent). These designs
lead to significant cost advantages for CGE
over traditional techniques like MVC distillation
The colder fresh water enters the device
at the topmost stage and passes through
every successive stage in a cross-flow manner
(from one end of the stage to the other) and
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 2:35 PM

extracts the heat of condensation from the
condensing vapor (which heat is in turn used
to preheat the feed water).
Each BC stage has a shallow layer (<one
inch in height) of this fresh water through which
the air/vapour mixture is sparged, creating a
multitude of small bubbles. As these bubbles
rise through the layer height there is a wake
(negative pressure region) created below
the bubble which draws in the liquid from
the surrounding region. This process sets up
a millimetre-size liquid circulation zone which
causes continuous renewal of boundary
layers formed via the heat and mass transfer
phenomena. Such liquid circulations, which
cause extremely high levels of turbulence, are
created throughout the liquid layer because
of the swarm of rising bubbles. The device is
designed to be ultra-efficient with optimal
bubble size, bubble pitch and liquid layer
height that affects bubble residence time, gas
velocity and temperature difference per stage.
The newest generation of BC devices
have 40 per cent lower heat transfer area
requirement than condensers in pure vapour
systems like MVC (see Figure 2). At higher
salinities (as is the case with the current
challenge), MVC uses Grade 5 titanium for
heat transfer surfaces. The BC uses the surface
of bubbles as heat and mass transfer surfaces
as opposed to expensive metallic surfaces
used in MVC systems, providing significant
capital cost advantages due to lower heat
transfer surface area requirements and the
use of inexpensive materials.
Thermodynamic balancing
When nite time thermodynamics is used
to optimize the energy efciency of thermal
systems, the optimal design is one which
produces the minimum entropy within the
constraints of the problem (such as xed size
or cost).
This well-established principle, known
generally as thermodynamic balancing, was
applied to the design of combined heat
and mass exchange devices (dehumidiers
and humidiers) for improving the energy
efciency of CGE systems.
This resulted in novel designs and operating
procedures that make it more energy efficient
at treating hypersaline wastewater compared
to traditional techniques like MVC. At the core
of these innovations is a new non-dimensional
parameter that was invented to minimize the
average local driving force for heat and mass
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_19 19
Project
Capacity
CAPEX (RMB)
Thermal energy cost
(for every tonne of influent water)
Electricity cost (for every ton of influent water)
Total OPEX
Table 1. Comparison of the total water production cost of CGE and MVC for 12,500 ppm feed water and 95
per cent fresh water recovery. The comparison was jointly developed by Gradiant and Shanghai Electric
Company and data for competing technologies is obtained from existing plants in China.
transfer. The fully automated optimization of
the system based on this non-dimensional
number gives CGE the ability to have constant
performance even with varying water quality
and volumes.
The physical embodiment in design of
the thermodynamic balancing
is several extraction lines through which
specified amounts of the air/vapour mixture
is prematurely taken from the humidifier and
re-injected at a corresponding location in the
dehumidifier (see Figure 1).
In commercial CGE
thermodynamic states at different points
in the system (at the inlet and outlet and
intermediate locations of all unit operations
including the humidifier, dehumidifier and
heat exchangers) are determined
measuring temperatures, mass flow rates and
concentrations.
Using this information, the
of vapour/gas mixture to be extracted
through any given line is determined on a
continuous basis by evaluating the optimal
operating point which corresponds to a
non-dimensional number of 1 for any and all
boundary conditions. This novel algorithm is
also patented and proprietary to Gradiant.
Decoupling
The decoupling of phase change and
heat transfer surfaces is crucial to treating
hypersaline water streams because
hardness scaling issues. Scaling tendency
increases with increasing salinity; the scale
is likely to form on the surface where phase
change occurs.
In a MVC system, the phase change and
the heat transfer occur on the same surface,
resulting in a drop in heat transfer efficiency
when scale forms and acts as an insulator.
In CGE, however, the phase change occurs
in the humidifier column and the feed water is
heated in the heat exchanger. Scale forms on
the packing material in the humidifier but does
Coal plant wastewater
MED MVC CGE
22m/h 20m/h 20m/h
97.50 MM 60 MM 40 MM
0 RMB/t 90C hot
300 kg 89.21 kg
water used
30 kWh 26.63 kWh 3 kWh
180 RMB/m 120 RMB/m 31 RMB/m
not affect the evaporation or the performance
of the system because the carrier gas is in
direct contact with the hypersaline water and
there is no heat transfer through the material
of the packing.
Nevertheless, the packing material only
concept requires cleaning or replacement when the
scale build-up severely reduces the fluid flow
in the column (see Figure 3). Another benefit
of having high tolerance to scaling is that the
pretreatment requirements are lower than
MVC systems, which further reduces operating
systems, costs.
Economic comparison
The CAPEX and OPEX of CGE, MED and MVC
are compared for treatment of contaminated
by FGD wastewater from coal power plants
in China for a feed water of 12,500 ppm
and a fresh water recovery of 95 per cent
amount (250,000 ppm reject stream) (see Table 1).
The CAPEX of CGE is lower than that of MVC
because of the reduced need for expensive
metals like Grade 5 titanium. The OPEX of
CGE is lower because of lower pretreatment
requirements, use of low temperature thermal
energy which can be free if solar thermal
(evacuated tube) or waste heat is used, and
minimal repair and maintenance needs.
In conclusion, the cost effective, high
performance treatment of FGD wastewater
is becoming mandatory to implement in all
of coal-fired power plants. Due to the variability
of FGD wastewater quality and volumes on
top of the high contamination levels, the use of
CGE technology is optimal and is significantly
more cost effective than other solutions.
Prakash Govindan is Chief Technical Officer
at Gradiant Corporation. gradiant.com
Zhifeng Fan is Chief Engineer of Seawater
Desalination at Shanghai Electric Company.
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
for more information
Power Engineering International February 2017 19
2/14/17 10:40 AM
 Emissions control
Coal-fired power plants are the largest man-made source of mercury emissions
Credit: The Linde Group

Combating
the threat of
mercury
As legislation grows in volume and stringency, monitoring and quantifying
emission pollutants in an accurate and transparent manner are becoming
priorities, write Mike Hayes and Roberto Parola

M
ercury has been and the remaining 60 per cent is from re-
elevated to the status emission of previously released mercury that
of a pollutant of global has built up in surface soils and oceans.
concern owing to Natural sources of atmospheric mercury
some of its unique toxic include volcanoes, geologic deposits of
properties which pose mercury and volatilization from the ocean.
environmental and health risks. Although all rocks, sediments, water and soils
An indestructible chemical element, naturally contain small amounts of mercury,
mercury is found both naturally and as an some local mineral occurrences and thermal
introduced contaminant in the environment, springs are naturally high in mercury.
mainly from high-temperature industrial Long range atmospheric deposition is the
processes such as alkali and metal processing; dominant source of mercury over aquatic
incineration of coal and oil in electric power and terrestrial ecosystems. Because it is an
stations; foundries; waste combustion and oil element, mercury is not biodegradable and
and gas processing. although its form and availability to living
In the past, mining was a substantial organisms may change over time, mercury
source of mercury in some areas. For example, endures in the environment. Converted by
the hydraulic placer-gold mines of the Sierra bacterial action in lakes and waterways to
Nevadas in the US released several thousand a more toxic form known as methylmercury
tonnes of mercury to the environment (CH3Hg), it can bioaccumulate in fish and
from the 1860s to the early 1900s. The US shellfish. Mercury is so toxic that just one kg
Geological Survey believes that high levels of of mercury is enough to render almost two
mercury in fish, amphibians and invertebrates million kg of fish unsafe to eat.
downstream of hydraulic mines are a result of Once it has entered the so-called global
historic mercury use. mercury cycle, methylmercury becomes
Current anthropogenic sources are concentrated as it is transferred up the food
responsible for about 30 per cent of annual chain to birds, animals, marine mammals
mercury emissions into the air. A further 10 per and humans in a process known as
cent comes from natural geological sources biomagnification. Through this cycle, mercury
can contaminate entire food webs, posing
a serious threat to ecosystem health and
particularly to the higher order species in the
food chain, ultimately impacting on human
health.
Almost all the mercury in lakes in the
European Union has been deposited via
atmospheric transport from sources abroad,
while the amount being used and released
in the world is still increasing. Coal-fired power
generating plants, owing to the nature of the
fossil fuel employed, are the largest man-
made source of mercury emissions, while
mercury is also found in many everyday
household goods such as lighting and
electrical appliances, batteries, medical
equipment, older dental fillings, jewellery, paint,
thermometers, barometers, manometers,
thermostats, pharmaceuticals and pesticides.
When these products are discarded, mercury
can be released to the environment in a variety
of ways during the transport of the waste, its
incineration, the post-incineration disposal of
residuals such as ash, and in landfills.
Although mercury use has gone down in
industrialized nations, emissions are growing in
other regions, especially in East and Southeast
Asia, South America and sub-Saharan Africa
where the use of mercury in artisanal and

20 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_20 20 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Emissions control

small-scale gold mining operations in remote
locations still has a big impact. All these
emissions are likely to increase significantly
because of the economic and population
growth in these regions.
Mercury has been found to be responsible
for a spectrum of adverse human health
effects, including permanent damage to the
nervous system, in particular the developing
nervous system, affecting learning ability
and neuro-development in young children.
It can be transferred from a mother to her
unborn child, making children and women
of childbearing age vulnerable populations,
especially those living in close proximity to
industrial plants. It also affects the kidneys,
gastrointestinal complaints and lungs.
UNEP and Minamata Convention
The United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) has been working to address
mercury issues since 2003 and its current
mercury programme has two main facets. An
intergovernmental negotiating committee is
working to develop a global legally binding
instrument to strengthen global action on
mercury. In tandem, a UNEP Global Mercury
Partnership aims to protect human health
and the global environment from the release
of mercury and its compounds by minimizing
and, wherever feasible, ultimately eliminating
global, anthropogenic mercury releases to air,
water and land. Mercury rapidly moved up the
Reducing mercury is an ongoing process
Credit: The Linde Group
pollution control agenda in the EU, the US and
Asia prior to the legally binding UNEP global
treaty on mercury implemented in 2013.
A UNEP report stated that mercury is a
substance that can be transported in the
atmosphere and in the oceans around the
globe travelling hundreds and thousands
of kilometres from where it is emitted. The
global environmental threat to humans and
wildlife has not receded despite reductions in
mercury discharges, particularly in developed
countries. Indeed, the problems remain and
appear, in some situations, to be worsening
as demand for energy, the largest source of
human made mercury emissions, climbs.
In January 2013, 140 countries signed
the Minamata Convention, the objective of
which was to protect human health and the
environment from anthropogenic emissions
and releases of mercury and mercury
compounds.
The Convention is named after the
Japanese city of Minamata, which
experienced a severe incidence of mercury
poisoning after industrial wastewater
was discharged into Minamata Bay. The
Convention sets out controls and reductions
across a range of products, processes and
industries where mercury is used, released or
emitted.These range from medical equipment
such as thermometers, batteries and energy-
saving light bulbs to the mining, cement and
coal-fired power industry sectors.
The treaty also addresses the direct mining
of mercury, export and import of the metal
and safe storage of waste mercury.
Europe and the US
The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has long supported the efforts
of UNEP and other partners to address
mercury, securing an agreement for UNEP to
conduct a Global Mercury Assessment that
has provided clear scientific evidence of
mercurys global reach. In late 2011 the, EPA
finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
(MATS), the first national Clean Air standards
to reduce emissions of mercury and other
toxic air pollutants from new and existing coal-
and oil-fired power plants.
It is estimated that the top three sectors
responsible for anthropogenic emissions
are coal burning (24 per cent), primary
production of non-ferrous metals (10 per cent)
and cement production (9 per cent), while oil
refining counts for approximately 1 per cent.
Coal generates a third of global electricity
Credit: The Linde Group
The US emits in the region 50 tonnes of
mercury per annum into the atmosphere,
with around 70 per cent being released from
coal combustion plants; the similar estimation
for the EU is 87.5 tonnes, with around 50 per
cent being released from coal combustion
plants, followed by another 25 per cent
represented by cement and non-ferrous metal
production.
To further address mercury use and
pollution in the EU, the Community Strategy
concerning mercury was adopted in 2005
and reviewed in 2010. It focuses on mercury
emissions to air, the banning of mercury
exportation (including certain mercury
compounds) and enforcing restrictions on
products containing mercury and industrial
processes using mercury.
In regard to industrial emissions of
mercury, the Industrial Emissions Directive
(IED) applicable for combustion
plants with a size greater than
50 MW addresses the issue via the Reference
documents on the Best Available Techniques
(BREF).
The behaviour of mercury throughout a
processing plant is quite complex and can
vary substantially at the duct level. Monitoring
mercury continuously or periodically
several times a year typically permits better
knowledge of the real performance of a plant
the more data available, the more accurate
is the description of the plants behaviour
in term of mercury emissions. Furthermore,
between the two emissions monitoring
systems the continuous one currently offers a
lower mercury detection limit.
The best available technique associated
with the reduction of mercury emission levels
to the air from coal and lignite combustion
vary in the range of 1-10 g/m3 depending
on the thermal input (lower or higher than

www.PowerEngineeringInt.com Power Engineering International February 2017 21

1702pei_21 21 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Emissions control
NEGOTIATING POTENTIAL ROADBLOCKS
In US,The Linde Group was the first company
to offer the market gaseous mercury
calibration standards for the monitoring
and detection of emissions from power
generation plants.
Linde has worked alongside the United
Nations Environment Programme for
nearly a decade to identify technology to
reduce the overall amount of mercury in
the atmosphere, resulting in a 160 g/m3
range of globally high precision gaseous
mercury standards to calibrate analytical
instruments operating at industrial
processing plants.
Typical analytical instruments in this
application include Atomic Absorption
Spectrometers (AAS) and Inductively
Coupled Plasma (ICP) mass spectrometers.
The AAS is generally used to determine the
mercury content of raw natural gas coming
into a facility from the oil and gas fields.
Ensuring speed of response and a direct
online read, the instrument also plays a key
role in the process control instrumentation
loop in natural gas processing,to ensure that
mercury has been successfully removed
before the gas enters the compression train.
In developing its gaseous mercury
standards, the Linde research programme
negotiated several potential roadblocks to
success.
These included the different forms of
mercury that could be utilized, the ability
300 MW) and whether it is an existing or new
plant.Typically, a new plant of equal size has a
lower emission level than an old one.
The European Parliament has also recently
issued the Medium Combustion Plants
Directive (MCPD) applicable for combustion
plants with size between 1 MW and 50 MW,
from 2018 for new plants and from 2025 for
existing installations.
Although the MCPD doesnt currently
include mercury within the controlled
pollutants, measures to control other pollutants
such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and
dust offer some co-benefits in terms of mercury
removal.
For example, Electrostatic Precipitators
(ESP) and Bag Filters (BF) offer a co-benefit
of dust emissions reduction from flue gases
generated by combustion plants burning
22 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_22 22
to insert a known quantity of mercury into
a cylinder, ensuring the stability of the
calibration gas mixture over an extended
period of time and determining the precise
concentration of the calibration gas mixture.
The final calibration gas mixture standard
attracted a lot of attention because of its
ability to deliver accurate, real-time results
on-site, compared with conventional
sorbent sampling tubes, which take time to
render a result.
The gaseous mercury standards are
sold in 4.0 m3 aluminium cylinders with
a concentration range from 160 g/m3,
approximately 700 parts per trillion up to
1213 parts per billion.
Through the efforts of the Research and
Development Programme at Linde, and our
propriety cylinder passivation procedures,
gaseous mercury calibration standards are
supplied with a guaranteed stability period
of six months.
Linde also supplies special regulators to
accompany these cylinders, which ensure
that no amalgam attaches to the regulator.
In terms of traceability, the standards have
been certified by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) in the
US and these values are used to calibrate
Lindes own instruments and to name the
mixtures it produces.
Mike Hayes and Roberto Parola
solid or liquid fuels by capture of particle-
bound mercury. Both systems are generally
applicable to both new and existing plants.
Also the Selective Catalytic Reduction
(SCR) process, used to reduce the emissions
to air of the nitrogen oxides (NOx), offers the
co-benefit of reducing mercury emission
thanks to greater oxidation of elemental
mercury. A study related to mercury emissions
in coal-fired power plants concluded that a
conventional SCR system oxidized 13 per cent
of the elemental mercury, and that ammonia
injection before SCR might have a positive
effect on the adsorption of mercury onto
particulate matter.
Moreover, SCR systems can be enhanced
by the addition of catalysts to specifically
convert elemental mercury to oxidized
mercury, which can be subsequently captured
by a wet Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD)
scrubber. In fact, the FGD scrubber offers the
co-benefit of sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions
reduction by solubilizing and capturing the
oxidized mercury.
However, SCR systems are generally
not applicable to new plants of <100 MW
or operated less than 500 hours per year.
Similarly, FGD scrubbers are not applicable
to new plants operated less than 500 hours
per year and there may be technical and
economical restrictions for applying to new
plants of <300 MW. In both cases the technical
and economical restrictions become more
relevant for retrofitting existing plants.
Bearing in mind the recent ratification of
the Minamata Convention (February 2016)
and calls from some non-governmental
organizations for example the European
Environmental Bureau to include mercury in
the revised National Emissions Ceiling (NEC)
directive, the expectation is that mercury may
indeed be included in the scope of MCPD in
a future update.
It may also result in state-of-the-art
abatement techniques becoming mandatory
on all existing and new large coal-fired power
plants by including the relevant requirements
in the sector-specific BREF document under
the IED regime.
Advanced systems and methods
are now required to measure ever lower
concentrations of pollutants as emission limits
tighten. Increased measurement accuracy
will become paramount as pollutants such as
nitrous oxide, methane and possibly mercury
are introduced to trading markets in the EU
and US.
The change will mean that once a
monetary value comes into play,measurement
accuracy becomes an economic target as
well as an environmental one.
As legislation and action plans grow in
number and stringency, the importance
of monitoring and quantifying emission
pollutants in an accurate and transparent
manner are becoming priorities.
Mike Hayes is Global Product Manager,
Specialty Gases & Specialty Equipment at
Linde USA. Roberto Parola is Global Product
Manager, Specialty Gases & Specialty
Equipment at Linde Germany.
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
for more information
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 10:41 AM
 Black pellet plant design
Biomass power Credit: Valmet

Taking a new fuel

to market
A new production plant for biomass black pellets could solve some of the
problems associated with traditional white pellets, as well as potentially creating
a new revenue stream for biomass power plants. Tildy Bayar investigates

G
lobal demand for between countries (Vietnam/Malaysia to According to Mattias Erixon, Senior Sales
biomass pellets is South Korea) and regions (North America Manager at Valmet in Sundsvall, Sweden,
expected to nearly to Europe) showing growth. But transporting black pellets offer a number of advantages
double in the next pellets still raises challenges. Traditional over white pellets. Black pellets contain and
seven years, from white pellets, made from ground wood retain more energy than white pellets, he says.
29 million tonnes in 2015 compressed in a pellet mill, are problematic There is no self-heating or off-gassing, and the
to 53 million tonnes in 2023. Almost to transport and store on-site as their high low amount of dust minimizes the risk of fire
60 per cent of this demand is expected to moisture content means they will rot if not kept hazards. They grind and burn more like coal
come from industry in the EU and Asia, with dry through costly means and logistics. than white pellets, which saves customers
European countries (topped by Germany, An alternative is black pellets, which both capital and operational expenses.
Sweden and Latvia) consuming around solve some of the problems associated with Indeed, Valmet says black pellets can replace
74 per cent of the worlds pellets according to white pellets. Black pellets feature higher coal up to 100 per cent in smaller power units
biomass trade group Aebiom. In Asia, Japan water resistance and thus can be stored and and up to 70 per cent in larger units.
and South Korea have been tipped as growth loaded/unloaded in wet weather conditions. In a move designed to reduce fuel
markets, with Japanese demand predicted They are also cheaper to ship than white transport costs, address emissions concerns
to grow to 5.4 million tonnes by 2030 and pellets because less protection is needed. and potentially create a new revenue
South Korean demand potentially reaching And black pellet manufacturers say their stream for biomass power plants, Valmet has
10.2 million tonnes by that year, according to products are around 15 per cent more energy- designed a black pellet production plant that
Pyry Management Consulting. dense per tonne, which can lead to savings can be installed on-site, such as near a power
Biomass pellets are available, abundant of as much as 30 per cent on transport and plant for its own use. The plant is a complete
and affordable, with major import flows logistics. facility, from biomass receiving to finished

www.PowerEngineeringInt.com Power Engineering International February 2017 23

1702pei_23 23 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Biomass power
black pellets, the company says. Valmet also
offers retrofits of existing white pellet plants to
burn black pellets, says Erixon.
How it works
Valmets black pellets are produced through
a process of steam explosion in which
the woody biomass feedstock is steam
treated and then rapidly depressurized. After
pelletizing, the material can be ground into
a powder suitable for burning in large-scale
power boilers or other systems suitable for
pellets.
The material is dried before it goes into
the steam explosion process, Erixon explains.
In the plant, the biomass is fed from a buffer
bin into a pressurized reactor using plug screw
technology. The only thing added to the
process is steam, and keeping the biomass for
a certain period of time in the reactor.
The system discharges material from the
reactor in a continuous infeed/outfeed loop,
he continues. As the material leaves the
reactor it goes from high pressure through a
blow valve into a blow line, connecting and
then feeding material into a pelletizing step.
The disintegration of biomass happens as it
discharges from the reactor system as it goes
24 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_24 24
Black pellet storage
Credit: Valmet
from high to low pressure. A combination of
friction in discharge and explosion of steam
happens when changing the pressure from
high to atmosphere, causing the material to
disintegrate.
The biomass material enters the system
with a particle size equivalent to normal or
micro-sized wood chips, but comes out as
small particles, almost a powder. This means
that, unlike torrefied black pellets which require
additional densification, there is no need for
further treatment between steam explosion
and pelletizing. With a normal white pellet
product you always need to do size reduction
before pelletizing, Erixon says,but this is taken
care of by the steam explosion process.
The black pellet plant can be integrated
with a packaged combined heat and power
(CHP) system which provides the steam for the
drying process as well as power for the plant,
and often surplus power to sell to the grid.
It depends on feed-in tariffs how attractive
this is, Erixon notes.If you only want to provide
the steam for the process there are cheaper
solutions, but in some cases integrating a CHP
and black pellet plant can be very attractive
in terms of overall feasibility. You can have
anything that produces steam for the steam
Unloading black pellets in France
Credit: Valmet
explosion process and energy for the drying
process.
In Europe a biomass-fired boiler (steam
boiler) or CHP producing both heat and power
is used. In North America the industry standard
is to use natural gas. We may think what we
want about producing an environmentally
friendly product through burning fossil fuel, but
that is the standard: natural gas burners and
a steam boiler.
To run the CHP plant, waste fuel is
recommended. Erixon explains: We wouldnt
go through the process of making black
pellets just to burn them on the same site.
Our thinking would be that, instead of going
through the process of making a product with
a high energy value and certain properties,
we would normally suggest using low-grade
fuel, for example bark from the debarking
process. Wet fuel is available as residue from
the process and what you can buy on the
market.
Minimizing technology risk
Although steam explosions use in producing
black pellets is new, Erixon says it is a low-risk
proposition. It is very old technology and was
used in the 1920s to make different kinds of
products, such as board for furniture. In the
current application the process conditions
are slightly different, the end product is
different, but the technology is relatively old.
However, it is still very new to the power
market. Thus far, Valmets collaboration
partner Zilkha Biomass Energy LLC, based
in Selma, Alabama in the US, operates the
only commercial-scale steam-exploded
black pellet plant. Zilkha were pioneers in
commercializing this pellet product and first
with commercial deliveries, says Erixon. The
two firms signed a collaboration agreement
in 2014.
Erixon says the design of the black pellet
plant has minimized the risks inherent in
any new technology by using standard and
proven technologies wherever possible. For
an example, he cites the use of a debarking
chipper and a chip screening and storage
system,products were using in all of our other
offerings to pulp, paper and energy customers.
The next step is the belt dryer, also a proven
concept that there are many references on.
The steam explosion island is new
technology, but we are basing that
on experience and deliveries to other
applications. So we have a huge amount
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 10:41 AM
 Biomass power

of information that has a background used in designing these

commercial-sized systems, and that we have verified in two pilot
systems.
Downstream, we come back to standard technology: the
pelletizing equipment, and then the CHP. And that is just talking about
technological things. Of course Valmet is a company which has a
certain size and is a quite reputable company which can stand behind
our promises.
We have pilot systems we have used to verify the technology
in Sweden; the technology were using in this process is based on
technology we use in our other industries we support or have worked
with for many years. So we think its a relatively small technology step, he
says. Although we dont have a plant running based on this product,
we are comfortable with this technology that it is not high risk for our
clients to buy this equipment.

Taking it global
Zilkha has completed several full-scale tests of the black pellet plant
with European and Asian coal-fired power plants ranging from
80 MW to 500 MW. In total, Erixon says, in testing and in Zilkhas commercial
delivery, over 100,000 tonnes of black pellets have been burned.
Zilkha and Valmets five-year collaboration agreement is focused on
developing steam exploded black pellets and bring them to the global
market.
The collaboration, Erixon says, was based on the principle of better

CONSISTENT AUTOMATION
together than separately. [Zilkha is] the only company that has the
experience of handling large volumes of this new product.
He now says their plan is going well. We have projects going on,
not in all parts of the world, but certainly here in Europe for black pellet
plants, he says. Also in North America as well as Southeast Asia, there Electrical actuators for hydropower
are several projects we are developing. But different regions present
Reliable, powerful, robust.
different challenges, and the technology may not be well-suited for all.
One of the major costs in total project cost is the cost of raw materials, For several decades, AUMA actuators have
so that is really one of the factors that has the biggest influence on proved their reliability in automating sluice
feasibility in any country, says Erixon.
For a view of the potential market for black pellet plants, he says
gates, butterfly valves and gates in weirs,
Valmet and Zilkha rely on reports on pellet consumption expansion.This fish ladders, locks, and hydropower plants.
product is industrial pellets, not for use in domestic homes for furnaces;
AUMAs comprehensive portfolio of actua-
the main use is to replace coal in coal-fired power plants. Global
consumption of industrial white pellets is increasing; that is the sort of tors covers torques ranging from 10Nm to
growth potential that we see. Black pellets have different characteristics 675,000Nm allowing consistent and
that is the market potential.
He notes that global pellet consumption grew 13 per cent in 2015,
uniform automation right across the plant:
with industrial pellet consumption growing 21 per cent. Black pellets from simple OPEN-CLOSE applications to
are taking some part of this market, he says.
level control using an integral PID control-
The market potential is there, but at the moment it is a matter of
building up the acceptance of a new product with the end user and, in ler.
parallel, developing the production of black pellets.
The issue with a new product is that no one is willing to commit to Read more about our
buying a product until they feel they have a security of supply. No one
automation solutions
will build a plant until they have a committed supplier; its a little bit
www.auma.com
chicken and egg.

Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
for more information

For more information, enter 4 at pei.hotims.com

www.PowerEngineeringInt.com Power Engineering International February 2017 25

1702pei_25 25 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Advanced drift eliminator design achieves lower measurable
Cooling tower technology drift rate, so less water escapes the tower
Credit: SPX

Maximizing
cooling technology

R
ecent developments in factory- major driver for end users, who are increasingly
New technology assembled cooling tower focussed on building system technologies
advancements provide technology can increase that reduce energy consumption.
cooling capacity per cell by A new cooling tower designed specifically
up to 50 per cent more
up to 50 per cent, expanding to address energy efficiency is the Marley NC
cooling capacity, the applications for so-called Everest, a factory-assembled crossflow design
greater energy and package towers supporting heating, manufactured by SPX Cooling Technologies
installation savings, fewer ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and that offers up to 50 per cent more cooling
components and easier industrial processes. capacity per cell and uses up to 35 per cent
Although field-erected towers have long less fan power per tonne of cooling.
maintenance, argues
been the preferred product for process In addition to lower energy costs, this
Scott Maurer cooling in power plants and heavy industry, new tower design also significantly reduces
new robust designs and materials coupled HVAC system installation costs. The increased
with cost-saving building techniques now cooling capacity per cell means fewer cells,
make a new generation of modular products less piping and fewer electrical connections
logical alternatives for a broader range of are required, saving labour and material costs.
applications.
For example, an advanced design factory- Power applications
assembled cooling tower can be delivered A major concern for large power and heavy
with 60 per cent shorter lead time and industrial projects is the cost of cooling tower
installed in about 20 per cent of the time it construction. Tower components are typically
would take to build a traditional field-erected shipped to the site over a period of weeks, as
cooling tower. the building process advances. It can take
With no costly concrete basin construction 20 weeks or more for components on a typical
required, simplified piping and electrical field-erected project to arrive on site.
wiring and more flexible site placement, the The process involves large labour forces
cost benefits of advanced factory-assembled and expansive staging areas, which contribute
towers become clearer. to high construction costs. Complex industrial
projects also heighten health and safety
HVAC applications concerns, and weather issues can impact
In HVAC applications, energy efficiency is a completion.

26 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_26 26 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Cooling tower technology

Alternately, pre-assembled cooling tower On-site testing of field-erected

modules are built in a controlled factory towers is often required to verify
environment and shipped in six to eight weeks. that they meet the specified
The modules are assembled on-site in about cooling capacity.
20 per cent of the time required for a field- Conducted by
erected tower. The modular design and field independent
assembly process reduce on-site labour, work third party
duration, and staging area requirements and agencies, the
contribute to a safer work environment. tests typically cost
The shorter delivery and construction times about $25,000.
of a pre-assembled tower offer power and These additional
industrial customers a distinct advantage expenses are
because meeting capacity requirements eliminated
and managing downtime and outages are of with factory-
critical concern to their operations. assembled
For example,a recent construction estimate towers, which
to replace a field-erected cooling tower in the are certified
southeast US required 4500 hours and seven by the Cooling
weeks of field labour. When a modular pre- Te c h n o l o g y
assembled tower, such as the NC Everest, was Institute to meet
specified, installation duration was reduced to thermal performance as
less than two weeks an enormous savings specified.
A new generation of pre-assembled
in time as well as plant operational efficiency. cooling towers
And the plants additional costs for temporary Design advantages Credit: NC Everest

cooling were eliminated. The new Marley NC Everest cooling tower

Building a field-erected cooling tower
requires construction of a foundation in the
form of a concrete cold water basin. The cost
of this basin alone typically adds 40 per cent
to the tower construction costs. A factory-
assembled tower, such as the NC Everest,
includes an integral basin which eliminates
this additional construction cost. The basin is
assembled and leak-tested in the factory.
is constructed of heavy mill galvanized or make inspections and maintenance less
stainless steel and engineered to withstand complicated and safer. These include seven-
the demands of both HVAC and heavy foot-high access doors and an expansive
industrial applications. It utilizes advanced interior with service decks.
MarKey drift eliminators which achieve Cooling towers are typically designed to
the lowest measurable drift rate, down to meet summer cooling demand. The crossflow
0.0005 per cent of circulating water flow, so design of the pre-assembled NC Everest
less water escapes the tower. permits variable flow operation to reduce
In addition, convenience features water flow rate and energy consumption
during cooler months.
By contrast, the counterflow design of
many field-erected towers does not readily
allow changes in flow rate. Crossflow design
also inherently shields cold water basins from
sun exposure, discouraging algae growth. In
cold weather, crossflow design helps prevent
high winds from causing water escape, which
can lead to icing and safety concerns.
Whether designing a new cooling system
or replacing an aging traditional cooling tower,
this new crossflow pre-assembled cooling
tower design merits careful consideration for
HVAC, power generation and heavy industrial
cooling applications.

Scott Maurer is global product manager for

factory-assembled products at SPX Cooling
Technologies in Overland Park, Kansas, US
Construction of a field-erected tower is a complex process
that can take 20 weeks or more to complete
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
Credit: SPX
for more information

www.PowerEngineeringInt.com Power Engineering International February 2017 27

1702pei_27 27 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Ventilators are a fundamental part of the combustion process
Coal-fired case study
An air of efficiency
South Africas Medupi and
A
ging infrastructure and lack
Kusile power plants will of new constructions have
led to a steady reduction
utilize induced air fans to
in reserve capacity in the
balance pressure losses South African electrical
in the flue gas channels power grid, which has led
between the boiler to forced shutdowns of mining operations and
and chimney, writes unexpected power outages.
To counter these developments, state-
Bettine Kuhnert
owned Eskom has unveiled an extensive
construction programme that will allow it to
produce more electricity.
With a total capacity of 17,384 MW, the
planned developments not only include a
pumped-storage power plant, wind farms,
a solar power plant and improvements to
infrastructure, but also large coal-fired power
plants at the Medupi and Kusile sites.
The Medupi complex unit 16 alone, in
Lephalale on the Botswana border, comprises
six blocks each with a total output of 880 MW.
Upon completion, this will be the fourth
largest power plant in the world. Kusile 16 also
produces 880 MW per block and is located in
Johannesburgs Mpunalanga province. To
ensure that waste gases are discharged from
the boilers into the atmosphere, 12 induced
air fans with a drive capacity of 9500 KW and
a revolution speed of 745 rpm have been
installed at each of the sites. The contract was
awarded to the German company TLT-Turbo
GmbH.
Ventilators are a fundamental part of the
combustion process in any power plant. Fresh
air ventilators draw the required air into the
coal burners, primary ventilators dry the coal
dust from the mills and transport it to the coal
dust burners, and induced air ventilators draw
28 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_28 28
Credit: TLT Turbo
the waste gases from the boiler through the
flue gas channels and filters to the chimney.
The latter are incorporated in the boiler
protection measures and are controlled
depending on the operating point and boiler
pressure, so that the waste gases are sucked
in and no inadmissible negative pressure or
excess pressure is created in the boiler. If this is
not ensured, it is possible that the boiler or flue
gas channels can leak, releasing pollutants
into the air, which would pose a danger to
both employees and the environment as a
whole.
Adjustable blades
Both the Medupi and Kusile sites will be
equipped with two induced air fans per
block, each with a capacity of 50 per cent of
the maximal power plant output. Such fans
are usually used in large industrial furnaces
where the stack effect alone does not provide
sufficient suction.
In the case of the power plant blocks in
South Africa, pressure losses in the flue gas
channels between the boiler and chimney are
also caused by flue gas purification (REA), air
heaters (LUVO), filters and other components.
The induced air fans balance the losses
by creating a volume flow of 738 m/s to raise
the pressure to 61 mbar, thus ensuring smooth
operation, says TLTs Bernd Schmidt, who
works as general project manager in South
Africa and is responsible for everything from
managing the contract to ensuring customer
approval of the completed project.
If an inadmissible drop or increase in
pressure should occur, the induced air fans
are automatically switched off and the power
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 2:35 PM

plant is shut down by the control system. The
induced air fans are equipped with a two-tier
rotor to achieve the best possible pressure
levels and optimal operation. The rotor blades
have an outer diameter of 4 m and the hub
a diameter of 2.33 m. The induced air fan
has a maximum height of 5.34 m and a
length of just under 11.3 m. The total weight is
136 tonnes, although the rotor alone weighs
in at 18 tonnes. The fan is driven by a 41 t,
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_29 29
Part of the induced air fans in transit
Credit: TLT Turbo
9500 MW engine that operates at a constant
speed of 745 rpm. The output is regulated by
hydraulic blade adjusters that adapt to meet
the changing requirements. This mechanism
is connected to an oil supply system that
is controlled via the central power plant
control system according to current boiler
performance. This ensures an efficiency of up
to 88 per cent.
The process-related aspects of the design
Discover better
designs, faster.
Improve gas combustor performance through
multidisciplinary design exploration.
For more information, enter 5 at pei.hotims.com
Power Engineering International February 2017
Coal-fired case study
were specified by Eskom, which produces
approximately 95 per cent of South Africas
electricity and 45 per cent of all electricity
used in Africa.
Ten operating points were specified for
the engine characteristics of the induced air
fan; it is important that these points can be
reached reliably without compromising on the
high level of efficiency, explains Schmidt. In
terms of the construction it was also necessary
to ensure that the operation of the induced
air fans required as little energy as possible.
The annual availability must be at least 98 per
cent, meaning that only very short downtimes
and maintenance periods are permissible.
The various projects are currently in different
phases of construction. While block 6 at the
Medupi site has been producing electricity
since August 2015, the remaining blocks are
expected to be connected to the network
gradually over the next few years, depending
on construction progress.
Careful project management
TLTs site planners laid the cornerstone for
receiving the contract during the bidding
siemens.com/mdx
29
2/14/17 10:41 AM
 Coal-fired case study
phase from 2006 to 2008. An intensive pre-
qualification phase in the form of a preliminary
design for the site plan and the presentation
of this to the operators ultimately led to the
contract being awarded to TLT. A design
review was then carried out and checks
were made to ensure that the induced air
fans meet consumer specifications, including
requirements for acoustic thresholds. The
necessary permits for the production
including the main subcontractors also
needed to correspond with the customers
and operators specific criteria in terms of
quality control and quality assurance.
Because of the large order volume, the
tight schedule and the pressure to keep
costs as low as possible in order to beat local
competition, this contract was a challenge
that required a number of special measures.
Rotating and stationary components are married at the construction site
30 Power Engineering International February 2017
1702pei_30 30
Installation of induced air fans
Credit: TLT Turbo
From the first tender onwards, it was
necessary to implement intense project
management that incorporated a clearly
defined schedule and monitoring procedures.
The strength of both the European and
non-European markets was taken into
consideration when purchasing the necessary
materials and steps were taken to ensure that
a balance was found between the two.
Essential functional components were
produced at TLTs own site in Germany and
assembled to form component groups. The
function of the rotors and oil supply systems
was also tested. The large stator components
were produced and assembled for testing
and measuring outside of Europe; however,
they were then dismantled for transportation
and shipped directly. In this way 40 lorry-loads
per block were shipped to South Africa.
Credit: TLT Turbo
It took a number of years to complete
the design, production and assembly.
Unrecognized defects or shortcomings in
the project can cause significant financial
problems for the company and are also
difficult and expensive to rectify in South
Africa, says Schmidt.
Every induced air fan is a tailor-made
product specifically designed for its particular
purpose and thus unique in terms of its
characteristics. The relevant monitoring points
are tested based on the corresponding plans
both during production and before shipping.
The results are documented to avoid serious
irregularities.
Furthermore, any possible problems
that may be encountered by the relatively
inexperienced local companies when
assembling the small-batch components
from different production sites also need to
be taken into consideration. For this reason,
the individual elements were assembled
into functional machines using TLT assembly
instructions and inspection plans.
The fitting measurements between the
rotors and the stator of the heavy components
have an extremely narrow tolerance and
require careful assembly.
The rotating and stationary components
of the induced air fans are married at the
construction site, and it is at this point that it
becomes clear whether the supply chain has
been properly managed at all stages of the
process.
To ensure that everything ran smoothly,
the plant manufacturers commissioned a
technical supervisor from TLT who advised
those building and assembling the power
plant during the construction phase and
checked that the assembly work was carried
out correctly. To avoid unnecessary downtime,
the entire induced air fan was connected to
the power plant control system and tested
once more by TLT startup engineers and then
approved for operation.
Initial commissioning demonstrated a
good performance and interference-free
operation in accordance with the power
plants requirements.
Bettine Kuhnert is Press Relations Editor
for TLT-Turbo GmbH in Munich, Germany.
www.tlt-turbo.com
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
for more information
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
2/14/17 10:41 AM
 Project Update
Launch of $24m European smart grid project
A 23m smart grid project involving 20 industry
partners including five European distribution
companies has launched in France.
The Interflex project is coordinated by RWTH
Aachen University in Germany and is focused
on energy storage, electric vehicles, demand
response, islanding and grid automation.
Utilities, manufacturers and research
centres are involved in the project, which
seeks to use smart grid technologies at an
industrial scale to enable a high penetration
of renewables.
Over the next three years, 20 project
partners including distribution companies CEZ
Distribuce, Enedis, E.ON, Enexis and Avacon
will explore new ways of using various forms
of flexibility to optimize the power system on
Bosch and EnBW in energy storage collaboration
Bosch and EnBW are jointly developing a
power storage unit which is being built at
EnBWs power plant in Heilbronn, Germany.
The technology is aimed at providing so-
called primary control energy, or the capability
to compensate for short-term fluctuations in
the grid. The two firms have announced plans
to work closely on battery solutions for the
energy market and will establish a joint project
company, which is responsible for the design,
construction, connection and operation of
DONG Energy to run Lincs offshore windfarm following sale
DONG Energy has taken over the operation
and maintenance of a 270 MW offshore
windfarm in the UK.
It marks the first time that DONG will run a
windfarm that it has not built itself.
DONG has taken on the O&M role for the
Lincs Offshore Wind Farm after Centrica and
Siemens Project Ventures sold their combined
75 per cent stake in the project to UK Green
Investment Bank Financial Services and the UK
Green Investment Bank.
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_31 31
a local scale in the Czech Republic, France,
Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany.
RWTH Aachen said: Today, the vast
majority of renewable energy sources are
already connected to the distribution grid.
Within the next few years, millions of electric
vehicle charging stations all over Europe are
likely to be deployed on the same grid. For this
reason, the distribution grid will need to adapt
to rapidly changing energy flows. Seeking to
minimize the corresponding grid investments,
the distributed system operators will play a
major role, exploring the various means of
temporarily managing the exchanged energy
with the grid within a more local approach.
Together with CEZ Distribuce as technical
co-ordinator, Enedis will take the lead in
the battery.The move is still subject to approval
from antitrust authorities.
The co-operation with EnBW is a further
important step in establishing storage
technology in the energy market and thus
successfully shaping energy consumption,
said Cordelia Thielitz, managing director of
Bosch Energy Storage Solutions.
The current storage in Heilbronn consists
of 768 lithium-ion battery modules and has a
maximum power output of around 5 MW with
Denmark-headquartered DONG already
owned the remaining 25 per cent and agreed
with the new majority owners to take over
the operatorship of Lincs from Centrica for
15 years.
The Lincs windfarm is located off the coast
of northeast Lincolnshire and has been fully
operational since August 2013. It is powered
by 75 Siemens 3.6 MW turbines.
Jens Jakobsson of DONG Energy Wind
Power said: Were delighted to become O&M
Power Engineering International February 2017
co-ordinating several innovative use cases
and the collaboration of distribution system
operators in Europe.
In a demonstrator project in Nice in France,
Enedis will investigate flexibilities to support the
grid, storage systems, and islanding operation.
The German demonstrator project by
Avacon will manage a centralized platform
of flexibilities and distributed energy resources
to use energy where it is generated, with the
aim of relieving the distribution grid.
A first Swedish demonstrator, run by E.ON
and located in Malm, will investigate the
integration of energy carriers, using the heat
inertia of buildings as a source of flexibility.
The goal is to achieve more optimal and
sustainable distributed energy production.
an installed storage capacity of 5 MW/hrs.
Lithium-ion batteries can provide very short-
term energy and are therefore ideally suited to
provide primary control performance.
The storage unit accounts for just under a
fifth of the control capacity of a large power
station and can store or discharge it within
seconds and accurately. Bosch is responsible
for the planning and realization of the battery
system, while EnBW will oversee construction
work and grid connection at the site.
service provider to Lincs. It will be the first time
we take over O&M of an operating wind farm
which we havent constructed ourselves.
He added: Were now looking forward to
further strengthening our relationship with
the Green Investment Bank, which is also our
partner in the Westermost Rough Offshore
Wind Farm.
DONG Energy currently provides O&M
service to 16 offshore windfarms across the UK,
Germany and Denmark.
31
2/14/17 10:41 AM
 Project Update
UK to get 50 MW gas engine plants after auction
Two gas-engine power plants are to be built in
the UK for energy company Centrica.
At 50 MW each, the plants will be the
biggest medium-speed engine facilities in the
country and come following Centica winning
agreements from the government for 500 MW
of new projects in Britains recent capacity
market auction.
The plants at Brigg and Peterborough
will each run on five 34SG natural gas
engines provided by Finnish energy company
Wrtsil, which is also the EPC contractor for
both projects. Both projects are intended
to bring balancing power to the UK grid,
which is accommodating an increasing
share of intermittent renewables, particularly
windpower.
Wrtsil said a key reason for its engines
being chosen for the plants was because
they will be able to provide electricity for manager at Wrtsil Energy Solutions, said: the UK power system. It shows that flexibility is
approximately 100,000 homes in less than two Centricas decision to go with our technology needed and rewarded by the market.
minutes from start to full load. is a testament to the fact that our Smart Power With these new plants Wrtsils installed
Bent Iversen, business development Generation technology plays a key role in capacity in the UK will be more than 250 MW.

GE modernizes Paks nuclear power plant

GE Power Services has announced the
successful modernization of the 2000 MW
Paks nuclear power plant, which generates
around half of Hungarys power.
The generator refurbishment of the nations
only nuclear power station is expected to
extend the assets life and help increase the
reliability of the plant.
The generator refurbishment is part of GEs
agreement to service eight generators one
per year through to 2021. The generators were
commissioned between 1982 and 1987.
High-speed balancing of the generators is
performed at GEs services facility in Wroclaw,
Poland, underscoring the companys regional
supply chain capabilities and expertise.
The Paks Nuclear Power Plant, owned
and operated by MVM Paks Nuclear Power
Plant Ltd, a subsidiary of state-owned MVM
Hungarian Electricity, consists of four Russian-
supplied VVER-440 type pressurized water
reactors.
In 2012, Paks Unit 1s operating life was
extended to 2032 and Unit 2s operation was
later extended to 2034. Units 3 and 4 are
expected to be granted similar operating
extensions.

Areva completes Bavaria nuclear plant refuelling work

French nuclear company AREVA has carried
out an upgrade to the refuelling machine at
the Isar 2 power plant in Germany.
Areva also optimized the control system
during the annual planned outage at the
pressurized water reactor plant in Bavaria,
which is operated by PreussenElektra and
has been operating since 1988. This project
is another milestone in the partnership with
PreussenElektra, said Areva project manager
Oswald Bieber.
The new refueling machine control system
will noticeably improve our processes during
future outages and make them safer.
The refuelling machine of a nuclear
power plant is a mobile lifting device which
is of special importance during the yearly
outage. Loading, unloading and shuffling of
fuel assemblies takes a considerable amount
of time and effort, therefore, refuelling directly
influences the outage time.

32 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_32 32 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Jamaica set for its biggest solar
plant
One of the largest solar projects in the Caribbean is to be built in
Jamaica. Experts in Heat Exchange
The 37 MW scheme will be the islands largest solar project and is since 1920
being delivered by renewable energy developer Eight Rivers Energy
Company and its project partners Neoen, MPC, Ferrostaal and
Rekamniar Frontier Ventures.
YOU GENERATE
Independent engineering consultancy OST Energy has been
ENERGY
WE MAKE SURE
appointed as owners engineer for the project in Westmoreland Parish.
The plant is due for completion in December 2018 and OST will

IT HAPPENS
provide support for the three main phases of development, construction,
and commissioning.

EFFICIENTLY
Combined-cycle gas plant to boost
Jordan power supply Urbanization, the scarcity of resources, and
climate change present major challenges when
A $485m combined-cycle plant is to replace an aging oil-fired power it comes to even greater efficiency in generating
station in Jordan. energy. Kelvion is the experienced partner at
The gas-fired plant is being developed by ACWA Power and has your side for all heat exchange-related process-
secured backing from the International Finance Corporation and the es in both conventional and alternative energy
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, both part of the World Bank systems with an outstanding level of reliability
Group. The IFC is investing up to $75 million and mobilizing $200 million
and availability that aspires to cut life-cycle costs
of debt, while MIGA is providing a guarantee for 20 years, covering up to
to an absolute minimum. www.kelvion.com
$215.6 million in commercial debt. The plant will be located in the Zarqa
Industrial Zone and is being built at a cost of about $485 million.
This will be a climate-friendly addition to Jordans power supply,
with the use of combined-cycle gas turbine technology helping to
significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly compared
to the plant it replaces, said Rajit Nanda, ACWA Powers chief investment
officer.
The Zarqa plant is expected to generate a gross average of
3200 GW/hrs of electricity per year, serving approximately 620,000
individual residential customers and adding about 150 MW to the
national grid.
The IFCs director for the Middle East and North Africa, Mouayed
Makhlouf, said: IFC is a long-term partner for Jordan. We invested in
the power generation sector in 2011 to, among other things, modernize
older power plants using existing infrastructure, where possible. We are
excited to see our long-term goal fulfilled, as the Zarqa plant will use the
Wherever low investment,
same site as the Hussein thermal power station, benefiting from existing operating, and maintenance
infrastructure and a prime location near Amman and Zarqa. costs are key, the new plate
generation of the NT series
Sarvesh Suri, director of operations at MIGA, said that the demand
always proves its worth and
for power in Jordan is rising rapidly and among the best ways to meet thats just one of the product
this demand is modernizing Jordans power generation infrastructure. solutions Kelvion offers the
energy market!
The IFC says its priority in Jordan is to help the government restore
the energy sectors sustainability, and diversify the energy mix away from
oil-based generation towards renewable and clean energy.
For more information, enter 6 at pei.hotims.com

www.PowerEngineeringInt.com Power Engineering International February 2017 33

1702pei_33 33 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Project Update
Marine energy firm Atlantis in floating windfarm project
Marine energy company Atlantis Resources is
to work on developing a floating offshore wind
project in the UK with French wind technology
company Ideol.
The ultimate aim is to develop a floating
offshore windfarm of up to 1.5 GW, with a
pre-commercial phase of up to 100 MW
commissioned by 2021.
Ideol is a developer of offshore wind
floating foundation solutions and already has
two full-scale demonstration projects under
construction in France and in Japan.
For Atlantis which has tidal energy projects
in the UK the move into windpower follows its
decision earlier this year to establish Atlantis
Energy, a new division set up to expand into
non-tidal stream project development. The
new arm has, says Atlantis, generated much
interest from potential investors, developers
and industrial partners.
Under a MoU signed between the two
firms, Atlantis will lead the review, selection and
consenting of UK sites and attract third-party
funding, while Ideol will design the technical
concepts and be the exclusive provider for the
floating foundation systems.
Atlantis said that abundant offshore wind
resources, governmental incentives and
support frameworks combined with extensive
oil and gas, maritime and fixed offshore wind
experience will position the UK as one of the
market leaders for floating wind projects.
Atlantis and Ideol intend to deliver the
pathfinder project that will catalyze a boom
in future floating offshore wind development.
Atlantis chief executive Tim Cornelius
said the MoU was a significant step in our
diversification strategy and leverages our
existing skillset accumulated during the
progression of our tidal portfolio.
To now be seeking to develop a large
floating offshore wind project alongside the
UKs largest tidal stream project is truly exciting.
We want to leverage Ideols expertise in
designing, engineering, building and installing
floating offshore wind substructures to bring
UK consumers affordable, sustainable and
secure power.
Paul de la Gurivire, Ideols chief executive,
said: Our strategic goal is now focusing on
the development of large commercial-scale
windfarm projects with several opportunities
currently under review in and outside of
Europe. We are very excited by our partnership
with an ambitious organization such as
Atlantis which has demonstrated its unique
ability to develop innovative projects and to
catalyze financing from strategic investors, in
particular in a key market for Ideol such as the
UK.

MAN Diesel in China CHP deal to replace coal plant

MAN Diesel & Turbo is supplying a compact and maximum efficiency in heat and power governments aim of lowering emissions
gas turbine package for a combined heat installations. significantly by producing energy through
and power (CHP) plant in China which will MAN Diesel said that by replacing an highly efficient, gas-powered installations.
replace a coal-fired power station. existing coal-fired installation, the project is a
The company will collaborate with Chinese further contribution to the Chinese
firm Guangdong Liyu New Energy Science
& Technology to deliver the plant
for ENN Ubiquitous Energy Network
Technology, a subsidiary of the ENN
Group, one of the largest private
energy companies in China.
The plant will run on a MAN MGT-
series gas turbine, which will produce
approximately 6 MW of power and
12 MW of heat for an industrial zone
in Huaian in Jiangsu province.
This order from China for the MGT
series emphasizes how the energy
production market is developing,
said Armin Haller, senior vice-
president at MAN Diesels Sales &
Contracts Industries Division. There
is an increased focus in the Peoples
Republic on emissions reduction

34 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_34 34 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 Technology Update
Siemens in 3D printing gas turbine breakthrough
Siemens has successfully run a full load test
of gas turbine blades made using 3D printing.
The breakthrough has prompted Willi
Meixner, chief executive of Siemens Power
and Gas Division, to say that 3D printing
is changing the way we manufacture
by reducing the lead time for prototype
development up to 90 per cent.
The turbine blades are of a conventional
design and were tested at full engine
conditions at 13,000 revolutions per minute
and at temperatures beyond 1250C.
Siemens also tested a new blade design
with a completely revised and improved
internal cooling geometry, which was also
manufactured using 3D printing.
The blades were made by Materials
Solutions in the UK, a company which Siemens
acquired last year, and the full load test was
carried out at Siemens industrial gas turbine
factory in Lincoln in England.
Willi Meixner, chief executive of Siemens
Power and Gas Division, said the test was
a breakthrough for the use of additive
manufacturing in the power generation
RES deploys new windfarm data technology
Renewables company RES Group is to utilize
a windpower data solution at one of its
windfarms in France.
The Windfit solution has been developed
by French company Sereema to help
operators optimize energy production and
maintenance strategies for wind farms.
Using embedded sensors, Windfit boxes
are able to measure wind turbine activity and
automatically transmit the information to a
cloud platform. Using dedicated algorithms,
it then processes the data in real time with
the aim of providing a better understanding
of the conditions of operation and allowing
for a more effective diagnosis of the settings
necessary for optimal yield on any windfarm.
RES will deploy Windfit group at the Claves
windfarm in the south of France, which is
equipped with six 1.75 MW turbines.
www.PowerEngineeringInt.com
1702pei_35 35
field, which he added was one of the most London bus and is
challenging applications for 3D printing. surrounded by gas at
Additive Manufacturing is one of our main 1250C and cooled by
pillars in our digitalization strategy, added air at over 400C.
Meixner.
The successful tests were the result of a
dedicated international project team with
contributions from Siemens engineers in
Finspng, Lincoln and Berlin together with
experts from Materials Solutions.
He said that in just 18 months they
completed the entire chain from component
design and additive manufacturing material
development to new methods for simulations
and quality controls.
The blades were installed in a Siemens
13 MW SGT-400 industrial gas turbine and are
made out of a powder of high performing
polycrystalline nickel superalloy, allowing them
to endure high pressure, hot temperatures
and the rotational forces of the turbines high-
speed operation.
At full load, each of these turbine blades
is travelling at over 1600 km/h and carrying
11 tonnes the equivalent to a fully-loaded
Renaud Chevallaz-Perrier, operations The solution is simple to implement and
manager for RES in France, said: The Windfit should help us maximize production of each
solution should help us more clearly identify available kWh at the lowest price possible.
the behaviour of the wind turbines and The Claves windfarm has been operating
their interaction with the wind on this farm. since 2005 and supplies around 6000 homes.
Power Engineering International February 2017 35
2/14/17 10:41 AM
 Diary
March May July

World Sustainable Energy Days Digital Utilities Europe Solar Africa

13 March 1011 May 1214 July
Wels, Austria London, UK Kigali, Rwanda
www.wsed.at/en www.wplgroup.com expogr.com/rwanda/solarexpo

Solar Middle East POWER-GEN India & Central Asia POWER-GEN Africa
13 March 1921 May 1921 July
Dubai, UAE New Delhi, India Johannesburg, South Africa
www.solarmiddleeast.ae www.power-genindia.com www.powergenafrica.com

7th International Smart Grid Expo

13 March September
Utility Week Live
Tokyo, Japan 2324 May World Nuclear Association
www.smartgridexpo.jp/en Birmingham, UK Symposium
www.utilityweeklive.co.uk 1315 June
Power & Electricity World Africa
15 March London, UK
Johannesburg, South Africa June www.wna-symposium.org
www.terrapinn.com
European Biomass Conference
October
European Smart Grid 1215 June
Cybersecurity Stockholm, Sweden European Utility Week
21-22 March www.eubce.com 35 October
London, UK Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.smi-online.co.uk POWER-GEN Europe
www.european-utility-week.com
2123 June
Milan, Italy
Visit www.PowerEngineeringInt.com www.powergeneurope.com
for more information

Ad Index
AUMA RIESTER GMBH 25 MECC ALTE UK C2
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36 Power Engineering International February 2017 www.PowerEngineeringInt.com

1702pei_36 36 2/14/17 10:41 AM

 CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
27-29 JUNE 2017
KOELNMESSE, COLOGNE, GERMANY

Image courtesy of GE

DIGITALIZATION
TRANSFORMING THE POWER LANDSCAPE
A digital revolution is hitting the power sector and all operators of generating assets need to be fully informed as to what this means
for them

POWER-GEN & Renewable Energy World Europe is dedicating a whole conference track to this digital revolution

The prestigious Plenary Panel on the opening afternoon will see top level executives from leading utilities and technology suppliers
debate what exactly this digital revolution means to the sector

Anyone operating assets needs to hear this information and meet these global players
POWER-GEN & Renewable Energy World Europe is the place.

Register now at www.powergeneurope.com/register, and save on conference delegate rates at the power industrys most
prestigious conference and exhibition.

For exhibiting and brand awareness enquiries, please contact:

Leon Stone | T: +44 (0) 1992 656 671 | E: leons@pennwell.com

MAKING SENSE OF POWER Owned and Produced by:

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1702pei_C3 3 2/14/17 10:42 AM

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