A Planner's Guide for Selecting Clean-Coal Technologies for Power Plants

This report has been prepared as a technology selection guide for the use of power system planners and engineers to facilitate the selection of cost-effective, environmentally friendly technologies for coal-based power generation in countries grappling with impending power and capital shortages in the face of stricter environmental regulations. The report focuses on plants greater than 100 MWe (Megawatt electric) in India and China. Technical, economic, and environmental information is provided on technologies for 1) coal quality/coal cleaning, 2) combustion, 3) SO2 (sulfur dioxide) emission control, 4) NOx (nitrogen oxide) emission control, 5) particulate emission control, and 6) waste handling. This report also provides help to understanding power and associated pollution control technologies, their cost and performance. The report contains a technology selection model--the Fast Track Model--and two realistic case studies. The model gives a working procedure for the technology selection phase of a prefeasibility study. Also included in the strategy guide are descriptions of low cost refurbishment options that can be carried out to increase efficiency, increase availability, and reduce operating and maintenance costs in an existing power plant.