Canadian Clean Power Coalition Phase IV Workplan

The CCPC's mandate is to research technologies with the goal of developing and advancing commercially viable solutions that lower coal power plant emissions. Our objective is to find ways to generate electricity from coal that effectively and economically address environmental issues including CO2 emissions - and move us forward to a cleaner energy future.

Phase IV is underway and is expected to be completed in 2014. The focus will on finding ways to reduce the CO2 emissions from coal plants.

The choice of studies and projects will be based on consistency with the criteria identified below. The Technical Committee will rank efforts and suggest how funds should be allocated in budgets. In some cases the decision whether to do work may be predicated on the results of early stage studies. The Phase IV study plan will consist of studies supported by the CCPC, in-kind work provided by CanmetENERGY and other projects jointly pursued with other entities.

 

1)  Criteria to be Used to Choose Technologies

Phase IV will have two technology study themes: 1) Retrofit and greenfield technologies which are expected to be commercially available within 10 years, and 2) Technologies which might be available for the new greenfield coal fleet in 10 to 15 years.

     A)  Near Term Technologies Criteria:

  • Low capital cost technologies given GHG regulatory uncertainty and that plants are old
  • Relatively low cost options to meet or help meet expected Canadian regulatory GHG emission reductions requirements;
  • Has low incremental impact on power cost
  • Broad application to coal fleet
  • Technologies we don't know well
  • Increasing confidence that they will perform as proposed - due diligence
  • Currently in demonstration phase at 1 MW+ (EPRI technology readiness level 5-7?)
  • Maintains plant reliability

     B)  New Coal Fleet Technologies Criteria:

  • Game changing - significantly lower capture and electricity costs compared to current CCS options - competes with NGCC
  • Rethink energy conversion processes using coal - electricity must be main product while producing other by-products
  • Technology is in early stage of development (lab scale)
  • Meet significant CCS requirements
  • Reduces all emissions and environmental impacts
  • Baseload applications
  • Keep track of what is being developed elsewhere

2)  Criteria to be Used to Choose Projects/Studies

  • Should be strategic to the members
  • Provides numerous economic and technical outputs and analysis
  • The report must provide enough information to do an economic analysis if desired
  • Credible and capable partners involved
  • Look for ways to join others to cost share
  • Where funding is available
  • Should advance the technology
  • Enough information provided to consider cycle integration and implications on the rest of plant
  • Don't duplicate current member studies
  • If there is a physical project, technology is on the path to commercialization by a large company (Researchers, utilities and engineers/constructors)
  • Less emphasis on IGCC or post combustion capture unless there is a significant breakthrough expected

3)  Near Term Phase IV Study Priorities

The top three highest priorities for near term technologies are:

       i.    Coal beneficiation
      ii.    Biomass cofiring   
     iii.    Low Pressure Oxyfuel

Insitu gasification may also be considered. There may be a few other lower priority technologies identified. The CCPC may complete some or all of the following work on coal beneficiation, co-firing, lower pressure oxyfuel or others studies.

i) Coal Beneficiation:

  • A screening study on various ash and moisture reduction technologies has been commissioned with Sherritt/EPRI (Complete by end of 2010 in Phase III)
  • Beneficiated Coal Testing

Phase I:  Finalize Technology Selection

Phase I will include the following activities to finalize the flow sheet and select the most appropriate technology option(s) from the short list:

  • Obtain detailed vendor information on specific technologies suitable for the beneficiation of selected coal(s);
  • Finalize logistics for the collection and physical testing of coal at the mine site or at the technology vendors test facilities;
  • Recalculate project capital costs and economics for the Project; and
  • Re-confirm GHG emission reductions.

Phase II:  PHYSICAL TESTWORK - PROCESS Demonstration Unit

In order to minimize the overall technical risk, test work using run of mine coal will be conducted with the chosen technology vendors using their process demonstration units (PDU). The main objective of Phase II is to quantify the effectiveness of coal beneficiation on selected coals. Furthermore, detailed engineering design information will be produced from the demonstration scale test work and a preliminary assessment of the impact of the coal beneficiation on the existing power plant operation will be conducted.

The specific activities for Phase II would include:

  • Pre-testing activities including program development, feed and site preparation and transport of the PDU to site (or ROM feed to the test facility).
  • Physical testing of ROM coal using the PDU at the mine site whenever possible.
  • Collect performance data and conduct further analytical testing of the beneficiated coal. Float/sink or washability tests and particle size distributions will be required to assess the impacts the beneficiation would have on the final coal product quality.
  • Conduct a series of computer simulation runs with EPRI to re-confirm the benefits of beneficiated coal using the physical test data, including the observed changes in the ash chemistry from the test work.

Once all the physical test work has been completed, data analysis and report preparation will be conducted. The report will be a compendium of physical test data showing the extent of beneficiation of selected coals with selected beneficiation technologies. This report would support future investment decisions to implement selected technologies at specific sites.

  • A feasibility study to review design, risks, benefits and costs of a few moisture and ash reduction technologies on a few coals at specific sites could be completed later in Phase IV
    • GHG reductions
    • GHG reduction cost expressed as $/t of CO2 avoided
    • Plant design, flowsheets, performance characteristics, etc.
    • O&M benefits
    • Reliability - higher on stream times (fouling)
    • Capex
    • Increase in btu value per tonne
    • Incremental cost in $/btu and $/tonne of fuel
    • Yearly economic benefit
    • Other benefits - sodium removal, consistent fuel quality, benefits to IGCC
    • Effect on boiler performance - could loose steam temp, NOx
    • Efficiency impacts
    • Waste stream identification and management
    • Sweet spot on % removal
    • Sensitivity over a range of % removal
    • Impact on the removal of other pollutants
    • What is required to advance this technology

ii) Biomass Cofiring:

  • Review NS Power and OPG reports (Fall 2010)
  • Technology review of biomass fuels - look at state of the art, economics, fuel supply (biomass, coal/biomass briquettes, wood pellets, torrifaction, etc.) (2010 - Phase III) - Commissioned with KEMA
  • Study to review design, benefits and costs of a few feedstock and cofiring configurations on a few coals at specific sites to show:
    • GHG reductions
    • GHG reduction costs in $/t avoided
    • Plant design, flowsheets, performance characteristics, etc.
    • Costs to source feedstock volumes for specific locations
    • O&M implications
    • Reliability
    • Fouling issues
    • Capex to provide feedstock and to cofire
    • Incremental cost in $/MWh
    • Effect on boiler performance
    • Efficiency impacts
    • Impact on other emissions
    • What is required to advance this technology
  • Burn torrified material: (2011)
    • Want to understand its combustion properties
    • Show impact on pulverisers
    • Determine equipment modifications required to use it
    • Work with Canadian Wood Pellet Association or NS Power on their projects?
    • (Consider getting grant, if necessary, to build pilot facility to torrify wood for testing volumes - Alberta Innovates, CCPC, licensors, Canmet, EPRI modular facility)
  • Consider participation in Nova Scotia Power/Canmet work on (2010/2011)
    • Characterization of a variety of fuels - (other fuels to compare to woods)
    • 50/50 mix at burner zone fouling characteristics
    • Kinetics for CFD model to predict burn out time, emissions, etc.

iii) Low Pressure Oxyfuel:

The CCPC has an interest in obtaining updated costs for current low pressure oxyfuel technologies which could be available for adoption by 2020. These costs should be completed on a retrofit and greenfield basis. If EPRI proceeds with its multiplant oxyfuel study, this may meet our need to obtain retrofit costs. EPRI is in the process of completing design and costing for a greenfield oxyfuel plant with three CO2 purities with B&W. One option would be to commission EPRI to do a separate study for the CCPC based on this work. It would include other negotiated content and would translate the costs to Canadian dollars for several Canadian locations. It may make sense to adjust the plant design to run on different fuels. It may also make sense to true up the costs for the base SCPC plant to match expected costs to build the plant in Canada. We might be able to complete this work after EPRI completes it costs study.

iv) Other Studies

Depending upon the results of the earlier studies, the CCPC may engage in more detailed studies. For instance if the testing of a particular coal beneficiation technology looks promising, then a feasibility study may be pursued. If cofiring of a particular feedstock looks promising further testing or feasibility work may be carried out.


4) Priorities for New Coal Fleet

The top two priorities for the new coal fleet studies are:  i) Game changing technologies, and ii) advanced oxyfuel.  CCPC may study the Hatch IGCC technology as well.

i.   Game Changing Technologies: 

It is expected that early in Phase IV a list of 10 to 20 technologies will be identified. These may include various chemical looping combustion ideas, advances in post combustion capture being studied by the DOE, membranes, UCG, etc. A study would be commissioned to contrast them at a high level as follows:

  • Review of their purported benefits (cost, CO2 reduction, etc.)
  • Describe how it works
  • Their stage of development
  • Barriers to overcome to commercialize
  • What is required to further advance the technology
  • High level thermodynamics
  • Complexity - equipment count
  • How they fit with our criteria
  • Ease of implementation - materials, operability, production capability
  • Recommend a few to do further work on and what work the CCPC should complete
  • Gasification is partially covered by phase III work

This study would be used to determine what if any additional work should be completed on these technologies later in Phase IV.

ii.   Advanced Oxyfuel:

The CCPC is interested in studying new advances in oxyfuel including high pressure designs, cryogenic separation techniques, oxyfuel turbines, etc. EPRI will complete a study by end of year to look at various high pressure technologies including Enel/ITEA, Pratt and Whitney-Rocketdyne, and the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). This study may partially meet our objectives of learning about new oxyfuel advances. The CCPC has an interest in looking at these technologies and other technologies such as Babcock's ZEBB, SARGAS, flameless oxyfuel, cyclone combustors, Doosan's work, CES oxyfuel turbines and other cryogenic CO2 separation advances, etc. The CCPC may commission EPRI to complete a separate study to look at these technologies. In addition to what EPRI is doing for its current study, the CCPC may want to know:

  • Information describing the proposed design of the technology
  • Competitive advantages of the technology
  • Issues and technology risks related to the technology
  • Status of development and what is needed to commercialize the technology
  • Show high level cost differences compared to IGCC or current low pressure oxyfuel options, comments on reported costs or show performance characteristics and cost characteristics for major components from flow sheets
  • Impact of the technology on efficiency and output of the plant, etc.
  • An assessment of which technologies should be studied further

iii.   Other Studies:

Other studies may be pursued depending upon the results of the earlier studies.  For instance if a particular new capture technology looks promising then a feasibility study may be carried out.

 

5)  What other activities should the CCPC complete to move us forward to a cleaner energy future?

  • Possibly create a database on status of various technologies
  • Buy reports/studies for group to share
  • Look for groups doing similar work to cost share
  • Look for new members
  • Maintain website
  • Consider joining other organizations, like the Lignite Energy Council, to cooperate on projects or studies
  • Consider joining EPRI if they would be willing to complete study work for us in exchange for our membership fees.

6)  CanmetENERGY In-Kind Work:

Canmet is proposing to offer a substantial in-kind work program over the next 3 years. There will be three areas of study.

      a) R&D activities to support a comprehensive evaluation of potential beneficiation
      technologies.
      b) Provide the scientific and engineering basis for advancing calcium looping cycle technology
      from pilot scale to demonstration scale.c) Perform experimental and modeling activities to
      support the development of short residence time gasification and hot gas desulphurization.

      d) Perform experimental activities to support the development of oxy-fuel circulating fluidized
      bed combustion.

      e) Perform R&D activities to develop, integrate, and evaluate pressurized carbon capture
      technologies for power generation, oil sands and industry including oxy-fuel and
      pre-combustion technology pathways.

      f) Perform R&D activities to develop emerging processes and next generation near-zero
      emission technologies for low-cost and efficient capture of CO2 from fossil fuel energy
      conversion systems that operate at near atmospheric pressures.