DOE/NETL's phase II mercury control technology field testing program: preliminary economic analysis of activated carbon injection.
Based on results of field testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE/NETL), this article provides preliminary costs for mercury control via conventional activated carbon injection (ACI), brominated ACI, and conventional ACI coupled with the application of a sorbent enhancement additive (SEA) to coal prior to combustion. The economic analyses are reported on a plant-specific basis in terms of the cost required to achieve low (50%), mid (70%), and high (90%) levels of mercury removal "above and beyond" the baseline mercury removal achieved by existing emission control equipment. In other words, the levels of mercury control are directly attributable to ACI. Mercury control costs via ACI have been amortized on a current dollar basis. Using a 20-year book life, levelized costs for the incremental increase in cost of electricity (COE), expressed in mills per kilowatt-hour (mills/kWh), and the incremental cost of mercury control, expressed in dollars per pound of mercury removed ($/lb Hg removed), have been calculated for each level of ACI mercury control. For this analysis, the increase in COE varied from 0.14 mills/kWh to 3.92 mills/kWh. Meanwhile, the incremental cost of mercury control ranged from $3810/lb Hg removed to $166000/lb Hg removed.
Jones
Andrew P
AP
National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236, USA. Andrew.Jones@netl.doe.gov
Hoffmann
Jeffrey W
JW
Smith
Dennis N
DN
Feeley
Thomas J
TJ
Murphy
James T
JT
D000327:Adsorption; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000191:economics; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003031:Coal; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006077:Government Agencies; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000191:economics; D011210:Power Plants / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D018505:Waste Management / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods
D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D002244:Carbon; D008628:Mercury