Environmental Impact of Coal-

Fired Power Stations

by Rob Glaser
 Main Environmental Issues
1. Coal supply and storage and quality of
the coal
2. Internal transport systems
3. Coal fired boilers
4. Power generation
5. Emissions
 1. Coal supply, storage, and
quality of coal
Issues:

Mining activity dust control

Fires/ explosions during mining operation
Traffic
Rehabilitation / top soil preservation/
quarantines
Leaching and groundwater controls
 1. Coal supply, storage, and
quality of coal ...Continuation 1
Treatment of leachate
Monitoring obligations during mining
operations
Quality of the coal/ analyses
Intermediate storage on site of the mine
as well as at the power station
Self ignition and fires
Heating value losses
Transport systems
2. Internal transport systems

Issues:

Day bunkers and safety

Grinders
Dual burners
 3. Coal fired boilers
Issues:
Technology
Low NOx/SOx technology
Pre heating of burner air
On line operation of cleaning
Slag reception systems
Water treatment of slag quenching systems
Boiler feed water preparation
An/cat ion exchange system
Softening system
Hydrazine
 4. Power generation

Issues:
Thermal efficiency
Transformers PCBs
Noise
Cooling towers
Preservation and cleaning systems
Percentage blow-off and treatment
 5. Emissions

Air:
storage (dust ,VOCs.)
storage of waste from power plant
stack emissions
(NOx SOx dust , F , Hy metals, Cd,
Radioactive components
part sizedistribution/eff.)
monitoring data emissions
 5. Emissions ... continuation 1
Water:
slag water (Hg, Cd, pacs, CN, total Hy metals)
sluice water
storage leachate
groundwater (coal/wastes)
softening water sluice
spraywater on storage
rainwater
treatment plant
boiler feedwater treatment and sluice water
 5. Emissions ... continuation 2
Waste:
ESP waste composition
waste composition
cleaner technology
storage sites (disposal)
dust emissions from waste disposal site
rehabilitation of waste site
groundwater protection and monitoring system
maintenance waste (cleaning, workshop, boiler
cleaning, asbestos?)
PCBs from transformers
waste oils
monitoring and reporting
5. Emissions ... continuation 3

Noise:

powerplant
transformer stations
mills
6. General environmental issues
Ambient quality standards
Monitoring obligations
Future developments
Cleaner technology
Alternative fuels
Waste utilization
Energy optimization
Low NOx and Low SOX technology