June 2006

PF 06-03 Profiles
‘BFBC has less scope for
major technological
innovations while
refinements are continuing’
FBC has good fuel flexibility and
lower emissions compared to
conventional combustion systems. It is
capable of utilising a wide variety of
fuels and waste, either singly or in
conjunction with coal. During the last
decades, FBC technology has
undergone considerable developments
towards improved performance and
Developments in fluidised bed
combustion technology
‘CFBC will increasingly be
used for power
generation’
lower costs. This report reviews
advances in FBC designs, assesses the
current technological status, identifies
future technological developments, and
predicts future market trends.
Technological status
BFBC has been mainly used for
small units up to 300 MWth. As lower
‘Future development of
PFBC is uncertain’
steam conditions are generally used,
plant efficiencies are typically around
30%. However, plant availabilities are
high, typically exceeding 90%. With
the lower combustion temperatures and
air staging, NOx emissions are
generally less than 400 mg/m3. SO2
emissions are comparable to those
achieved with wet FGD but the sorbent

Overview of FBC technologies

BFBC CFBC PBFBC PCFBC*

well established,
Development stage well proved, commercial proved, commercial pilot test
commercial
primarily industrial
boilers, also small-scale
Application areas power generation, power generation power generation
power generation
industrial boilers
Technology status

Unit size (in operation) up to 300 MWth up to 300 MWe up to 360 MWe
all subcritical with one 7 subcritical and 1
Steam conditions all subcritical
supercritical being built supercritical
up to 44% with
typically 30% with 38–40% with subcritical
Plant efficiency (LHV) subcritical
industrial boilers‡ 43% with supercritical
44% with supercritical
Plant availability, % >90 90-98 not available
NOx emissions, mg/m3 <400 <400 <400

Sulphur retention lower than that of typically 90% at a Ca/S typically 90% at Ca/S
efficiency† CFBC/PBFBC ratio of 2 ratios of 1.8–2.0

Particulate emissions,
<50 with ESP/bag filter <50 with ESP/bag filter 3.5–76
mg/m3

Future technological continuous

major developments uncertain uncertain
developments improvements
Market potential favourable strong unfavourable unfavourable
* potential better technical and environmental performances than other forms of FBC
† comparable to that of PCC+wet FGD but with lower sorbent utilisation
‡ potential higher efficiencies with power plant applications
utilisation is lower. Particulate
emissions are below 50 mg/m3 with
ESP or bag filters.
CFBC has been increasingly used for
power generation and industrial boilers.
Units in operation have sizes up to
300 MWe; all are subcritical. Plant
efficiency has reached 38–40%. Plant
availabilities are typically 90–98%.
NOx and particulate emissions are
similar to those of BFBC, but sulphur
retention efficiencies are potentially
higher. The ·agisza plant in Poland will
be the world’s largest and first
supercritical CFBC boiler. This plant
will have a capacity of 460 MWe and
an efficiency of greater than 43%.
PBFBC is a relatively new
technology. To date, eight
demonstration plants have been built,
including seven subcritical plants of
70–250 MWe and one supercritical
plant of 360 MWe. Plant efficiencies of
up to 44% have been achieved. NOx
emissions are similar to those of BFBC
or CFBC, but sulphur retention
efficiencies are improved. Particulate
emissions are much lower with the
initial cleaning before the gas turbine
and the final cleaning before the stack.
However, hot gas cleanup remains a
key issue with PBFBC.
PCFBC has potential for providing
better performance than other forms of
FBC. All the tests to date have been
limited to pilot scale. There remains
considerable scope for future
developments.
Future technological
developments
BFBC is a long-established
technology, and not expected to have
major technological breakthroughs
within the foreseeable future. However,
there is scope for extending the range
of biomass and waste fired, improving
the control of heavy metals with
combustion of such fuels, and
improving materials of construction.
For CFBC, major R&D programmes
are continuing. Alstom and Foster
Wheeler both have designs available for
600 MWe supercritical boilers. Foster
Wheeler, under a partnership with
several European companies, is looking
further for 800 MWe with state-of-the-
art steam conditions of 300 bar and
600°C. China has also started a
programme on developing 800 MWe
supercritical CFBC boilers. Meanwhile,
development of advanced alloys,
particularly nickel-based alloys, for
boiler heat exchangers is continuing.
This holds out the prospect for adoption
of steam conditions up to 700°C and
375 bar or even higher. Technologies
for near-zero CO2 emissions, including
flue gas scrubbing, oxy-coal
combustion and chemical looping
combustion, are also under
investigation. Another potential
development area might be the use of
CFBC as part of advanced cycles based
on both combustion and partial
gasification of coal.
Market trends
BFBC will continue uses for
industrial boilers and small-scale power
generation in many part of the world. IEA Clean Coal Centre is a
However, China has established CFBC collaborative project of member
as the preferred technology and future countries of the International
installations of BFBC boilers there are Energy Agency (IEA) to provide
not expected. information about and analysis of
CFBC will be increasingly used for coal technology, supply and use.
power generation as well as for IEA Clean Coal Centre has
industrial boilers. Coal remains as the contracting parties and sponsors
dominant fuel for CFBC but biomass from: Australia, Austria, Brazil,
and waste are likely to be increasingly Canada, China, Denmark, the
used. There is predicted to be European Commission, Germany
significant CFBC capacity addition India, Italy, Japan, Republic of
within the next decade. China is Korea, the Netherlands, New
currently building a large number of Zealand, South Africa, Sweden,
CFBC units with sizes ranging from the UK and the USA.
50 to 300 MWe.
PBFBC has unfavourable market
potential and its future development
and deployment are uncertain.
If PBFBC is to be taken forward, it
is likely to be in the form of advanced
PBFBC/PCFBC.
Each issue of Profiles is based on a Gemini House
detailed study undertaken by IEA 10-18 Putney Hill
Clean Coal Centre, the full report of London SW15 6AA
which is available separately. This United Kingdom
particular issue of Profiles is based on
the report: Tel: +44 (0)20 8780 2111
Fax: +44 (0)20 8780 1746
Developments in fluidised bed e-mail: mail@iea-coal.org.uk
combustion technology > Internet: www.iea-coal.org.uk
Zhangfa Wu
CCC/110, ISBN 92-9029-426-4,
44 pp, May 2006, £255*/£85†/£42.50‡
* non-member countries
† member countries
‡ educational establishments within member
countries