Integrated coal gasification combined cycles (IGCC) an emerging commercial option for the power industry

The very successful initial operation of the 100 MWe Cool Water Coal Gasification Combined Cycle Power Plant during 1985 has stimulated a great deal of interest in IGCC technology within the U.S. and foreign electric power industries. The Cool Water plant has clearly shown that IGCC plants, based on Texaco Partial Oxidation technology, can greatly reduce environmental emissions from coal utilization facilities and simultaneously meet normal electric utility load following requirements. In addition, inspections of Cool Water components, after nearly 7000 hours of operation, have shown that critical units are withstanding the service conditions very well. As a consequence, electric utilities are now developing confidence that such systems can be operated and maintained with little change in normal utility practice. In parallel, electric load growth in the U.S. has been spurred by economic recovery and electric end use substitution; therefore, electric utilities are again beginning to plan unit additions for the early- to mid-1990's. Since many electric utilities have excess baseload capacity, initial generation additions are likely to be combustion turbines or combustion turbine combined cycle power plants. It is likely that these systems will first be used for peaking and mid-range duty and be fired with premium fuels suchmore » as natural gas and distillate. However, in the longer term, they are likely to be phased into baseload operation utilizing coal gasification technology. It is this planning flexibility which adds another important benefit and ''degree of freedom'' to IGCC power plants.« less