Abstract
This paper examines past experience in controlling emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from coal-fired electric power plants. In particular, we focus on US and worldwide experience with two major environmental control technologies: flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems for SO2 control and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for NOx control. We quantitatively characterise historical trends in the deployment and costs of these technologies over the past 30 years, and use these data to develop quantitative ‘experience curves’ to characterise the rates of cost reduction as a function of cumulative installed capacity of each technology. We explore the key factors responsible for the observed trends, especially the development of regulatory policies for SO2 and NOx control and their implications for environmental control technology innovation. We further discuss some of the key technical innovations that have contributed to cost reductions over time. Finally, we discuss the relevance of these findings to other environmental issues of current interest, especially the outlook for technological progress in carbon capture and sequestration technologies applicable to fossil fuelled electric power plants.
Highlights
The availability and cost of technology to control emissions of harmful air pollutants from electric power plants have been key factors in the development of environmental regulations and standards over the past several decades
Systematic studies of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) cost were performed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) during the 1970s and 1980s when FGD systems were first being installed at US coal-fired power plants [15,16]
Beginning in the mid-1980s, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducted a similar series of studies for a variety of FGD processes [17,18,19,20]. Both the TVA and EPRI studies reflected contemporaneous designs and costs of FGD systems being installed at US power plants, and both organisations were highly regarded as authoritative sources in the SO2 control industry [21]
Summary
The availability and cost of technology to control emissions of harmful air pollutants from electric power plants have been key factors in the development of environmental regulations and standards over the past several decades. We examine the historical development of two widely used emission control technologies required on all new coal-fired power plants in the US and elsewhere These technologies are flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems used to control SO2 emissions, and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems used to control NOx emissions. In contrast to other environmental control technologies that are applied either prior to or during combustion, FGD and SCR systems represent technologies having the highest pollutant removal efficiencies currently available for coal-burning plants. They are the most expensive technologies for emission control, and for this reason, requirements for their use have been highly controversial
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