Coal gasification - flexibility for an uncertain future

During the past decade, the electric utility industry has experienced an unprecedented period of dramatic change and uncertainty that has changed the industry and its needs. There is now a need for small, low-cost, fuel-flexible, clean, and reliable plants for both new capacity and emissions retrofit situations. Coal gasification has demonstrated its flexibility to meet this challenge. Reduced economies of scale make smaller new units more feasible, and inherent design features enable lower emissions than for conventional coal-fired units. This emissions-reduction capability also makes gasification a candidate for retrofit applications, requiring the highest levels of emission control. The retrofit capabilities of gasification have been proven at the Cool Water plant and also at the KILnGAS demonstration project. Both projects retrofitted existing, corner-fired boilers for firing coal-derived fuel gas. The Cool Water plant successfully tested the normally natural gas-fired boiler at full load on 100% fuel gas with no boiler derating. The work at KILnGAS was equally successful and showed stable operation as low as 15 to 25% of rated load. Experience at the Cool Water plant provides an excellent example of the low emissions that are possible with gasification.