Evaluation of regenerable flue gas desulfurization processes. Volume I. Final report

Abstract

Eleven regenerable flue gas desulfurization (FGD) processes have been evaluated on a common design and cost basis to assess their future potential and make recommendations regarding the level of additional developmental activities. One throwaway FGD process, lime/limestone wet scrubbing, was also considered to provide a base-line for process comparisons. Because of the preliminary development status of many of the processes, capital investment costs were not estimated in this study. Additional topics considered in the study were reducing gas production, lime/limestone sludge regeneration, and sulfur versus sulfuric acid production. Four major conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, although capital costs were not estimated during this study, it is clear that they will represent a major factor in the total annualized cost of these processes and will become the key to selecting one process over another. Second, designs and operating data currently available for most second-generation FGD processes do not appear adequate for scale-up to commercial sized (100 MW) units. Third, the choice of sulfur or sulfuric acid production is a criterion which will have a major impact on the cost of an FGD system and will have to be evaluated on a site-specific basis. Finally, the use of reducingmore » gas produced from coal or heavy fuel oil results in technical and economic penalties when compared to the use of methane as a reductant.« less