BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE GLOBAL GENERATION INDUSTRYSeptember 2009 Vol. 153 No. 9Vol. 153 No. 9 September 2009 www.powermag.comTop Plants: Six Innovative Gas-Fired Plants10 Water Treatment Mistakes to AvoidGas Power Projects ThrivingCapturing Carbon: Options and Costs, Part ISpecial: Map of North AmericanGas-Fired PlantsCIRCLE 1 ON READER SERVICE CARDSeptember 2009 | POWER www.powermag.com 1 Established 1882 Vol. 153 No. 9 September 2009 www.powermag.com TK TK TKValve InventoryLarge (800) 255-9527www.petrovalve.comsales@petrovalve.comON THE COVERIn Italyfamous for Ferrari cars, Armani suits, and other symbols of sophisticated styleits no surprise that the Livorno Ferraris power plant building is an example of attractive, yet functional architectural design. Behind the sleek exterior is a brawny 800-MW combined-cycle plant. Courtesy: E.ON COVER STORY: GAS-FIRED TOP PLANTS26 Edward W. Clark Generating Station, Clark County, NevadaThis NV Energy plant has generated power since 1955, the year the Las Vegas Strip got its first high-rise, and has grown and evolved with the desert destination. The areas recent growth spurt and increasing renewable generation on the grid prompted the addition of peaking power capacity that promises to keep the lights hot and the rooms cool.30 Goodman Energy Center, Hays, KansasWith 16% wind capacity, Midwest Energy blows away the competition among Kansas utilities. Both to back up that renewable generation and avoid the price penalty of pur-chasing peak power, this cooperative determined that the best way to face the future was with a gas-fired peaking plant. Nine Wrtsil engines give Midwest the ultimate in flexibility with next to no performance penalties.34 Livorno Ferraris Power Plant, Vercelli Province, ItalyA new 800-MW Siemens combined-cycle plant, the first plant built by a non-Italian operator, promises to keep Italys industrial north humming. Livorno Ferraris incorpo-rates not only the latest technologies for generation and environmental performance, but it also illustrates that Italians value design in all aspects of their culture. The facil-itys low visual impact and clean lines prove that power plants dont have to be purely utilitarian. 38 Portlands Energy Centre, Ontario, CanadaYoud think a power project located at the edge of a major metropolitan area would take ages to build, but in this case youd be wrong. This 550-MW combined-cycle plant fed power to the grid less than two years after the EPC contract was signed. Of course, it helped that Portlands was developed on land with existing access to transmission and gas lines, demonstrating that recycling works for power plants as well as for people.40 Riverside Repowering Project, Minneapolis, MinnesotaXcel Energys Riverside Repowering Project is the last of three projects designed to significantly decrease power plant emissions in the Twin Cities area and lower costs for customers. Given the plants urban setting, a carefully orchestrated phased con-struction approach, reusing as much of the existing equipment and systems as pos-sible, and greater-than-usual utility involvement were the keys to success.46 Royal Pride Holland Commercial Greenhouse Cogeneration Plant, Middenmeer, North Holland Province, NetherlandsOne of the Netherlands largest commercial tomato greenhouses is the site of the worlds first installation of GE Energys new commercial 24-cylinder gas engine tech-nology from Jenbacher. The two 4-MW J624 units provide heat, power, and fertilizer from exhaust gas CO2. 34CIRCLE 3 ON READER SERVICE CARD TK www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 2 INDUSTRY TRENDS50 Map of Natural GasFired Generation in North America SPECIAL REPORT CARBON CAPTURE TECHNOLOGIES52 Combined-Cycle Carbon Capture: Options and Costs, Part IEuropean regulators are considering the possibility of regulating CO2 emissions from gas-fired plants as well as coal-fired ones, and other parts of the world may follow. But making CO2 capture choices in a nascent technology area is dangerous. A wiser approach is to consider accommodations available today that require little plant modification. Part I looks at the performance implications of the most promis-ing options. FEATURES FUELS56 New Natural GasFired Projects on an UpswingIndustrial Info Resources summarizes the status of gas-fired power plant projects that are in the pipeline and considers what the future may hold for gas-fired genera-tion in the U.S. INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL59 Pressure-Sensing Line Problems and SolutionsSensing lines in power plants may encounter a number of problems that can affect the accuracy and response time of the pressure-sensing system. Learn about a noise analysis technique for online detection of these problems that could make your job a little easier. HUMAN RESOURCES64 Optimizing the Life-Cycle Cost of Human CapitalA Fluor executive director discusses an approach that can help power plants deter-mine which job functions are best handled by staff and which are best to outsource. DEPARTMENTS6 SPEAKING OF POWER Dead Mans Hand GLOBAL MONITOR8 Operation of Worlds First Supercritical CFB Steam Generator Begins in Poland10 Report: Costs for First-Generation Carbon Capture Plants Will Soar12 Nuclear Developments in Europe13 Swiss Solar Plane Prototype Designed to Fly Day and Night13 Scotland Officially Opens 100-MW Glendoe Hydro Plant15 Biomass Electricity More Efficient than Ethanol, Researchers Say15 DOE Funds Electrification of Transportation Sector15 POWER Digest FOCUS ON O&M18 Avoid These 10 Mistakes When Selecting Your New Water Treatment System20 Accurate Online Silica Analyzers Ensure Boiler Performance, Add Boiler Life24 LEGAL & REGULATORY SWEPCOs Construction Conundrum68 NEW PRODUCTS76 COMMENTARY To Modernize the Grid, Think Smaller By Kurt Yeager, executive director of the Galvin Electricity InitiativeVisit www.powermag.com/powerconnect to update or add your informationIf you have any questions or are interested in upgrading your listing, please contact Diane Hammes at dianeh@powermag.com or at 713-343-1885ITS TIMEto renew or add your companys listing in theMake the most of your listing and invest in upgrade options:Want to stand out from the other companies?DIncreased exposure year-round online and in the POWER magazine December Buyers Guide issueDAdd your company logoDInclude additional categoriesDGain priority listing and jump to the top of selected categories5025 E. BUSINESS 20 ABILENE, TEXAS 79601 325.672.3400 SALES@RENTECHBOILERS.COMBOILERS FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND CARESourdough biscuits anchored chuck wagon meals, because biscuits keptthe cowboys fed and on the job. Just as biscuits kept things going on thefrontier, Rentech boilers can be depended upon today. Whatever trail yourcompany is riding, our boilers can fit. Your inspection of our engineeringand manufacturing facilities will show you why our boilers have earneda reputation for dependability from Dallas to Dubai. In a wide range ofapplications, our boilers improve efficiency, reduce shutdowns and addressenvironmental issues. Biscuits or boilers, reliability is paramount. Ours willleave a good taste in your mouth.Fired Package Boilers / Wasteheat Boilers / Heat Recovery Steam GeneratorsMaintenance & Service Strategies / Boiler Repair Services / SCR and CO SystemsSOURDOUGH BISCUITS WERE A STAPLE ON THE FRONTIER...Boilers & BISCUITS?www.rentechboilers.comCIRCLE 4 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 4 Now incorporating and EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Robert Peltier, PE 480-820-7855, editor@powermag.com Managing Editor: Gail Reitenbach, PhD Senior Editor: Angela Neville, JD Contributing Editors: Mark Axford; David Daniels; Bill Ellison, PE; Steven F. 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Single copy price: $25. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any order. Allow four to twelve weeks for shipment of the first issue on subscriptions. Missing issues must be claimed within three months for the U.S. or within six months outside U.S.For customer service and address changes, call 847-763-9509 or fax 832-242-1971 or e-mail powermag@halldata.com or write to POWER, P.O. Box 2182, Skokie, IL 60076. Please include account number, which appears above name on magazine mailing label or send entire label.Photocopy Permission: Where necessary, permission is granted by the copyright owner for those registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, www.copyright.com, to photocopy any article herein, for commercial use for the flat fee of $2.50 per copy of each article, or for classroom use for the flat fee of $1.00 per copy of each article. Send payment to the CCC. Copying for other than personal or internal reference use without the express permission of TradeFair Group Publications is prohibited. Requests for special permission or bulk orders should be addressed to the publisher at 11000 Richmond Avenue, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77042. ISSN 0032-5929.Executive Offices of TradeFair Group Publications: 11000 Richmond Avenue, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77042. Copyright 2009 by TradeFair Group Publications. All rights reserved.www.rolls-royce.comStaying ahead of the pack.Reliable and affordable performance puts the Rolls-Royce Trent 60 at the head of the pack when it comes to deliveringindustrial power. With its class-leading 64MW output in powergeneration or mechanical drive applications, the Trent 60 is themost efficient and powerful aeroderivative gas turbine in theworld. And, built upon the extensive lineage and global gasturbine experience of Rolls-Royce, it comes complete withunparalleled customer services. For high reliability, coupledwith industry-leading value and performance, the Trent 60 isclearly at the head of the pack. Trusted to deliver excellenceCIRCLE 5 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 6SPEAKING OF POWERDead Mans HandThe stage is being set for negotiating a successor agree-ment to the Kyoto Protocol. The U.S. is trying to exert some leadership in the international climate change debate by attempting to build consensus for binding carbon emission reductions prior to the upcoming Copenhagen meeting. Mean-while, carbon legislation is, thankfully, stalled in the Senate, and developing countries are rejecting our entreaties. You cant win if other countries dont want to play.Trouble Begins at HomeThe Copenhagen meeting scheduled for early December begins the formal negotiations of a follow-on agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement dedicated to reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Developing nations, such as China and India, were not included in any nu-merical emissions limitations in the original Kyoto agreement.The Obama administration has signaled that it supports devel-oping a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol but will sign a new agreement only if China commits to making significant, robust reductions of carbon dioxide. However, President Barack Obama can strut his moral authority for demanding international reductions in carbon emissions at Copenhagen only if the Senate passes and he signs the bloated Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) or some variant.However, ACES is a bad hand for one specific reason: It prom-ises to achieve only the slightest reduction in global ambient temperatures0.05C to 0.2C through 2050, depending on which source you believeat the cost of trillions of dollar to the U.S. economy. John McCain, coauthor of the Lieberman-McCain Cli-mate Stewardship and Innovation Act that failed a 2007 Senate vote, is quoted in the August 1 issue of The Wall Street Journal as saying, [The Waxman-Markey] 1,400-page bill is a farce. They bought every industry offsteel mills, agriculture, utilities.I would not only not vote for it, he continued, I am op-posed to it entirely because it does damage to those of us who believe that we need to act in a rational fashion about climate change.Even climate scientist James Hansen states in an editorial published by Columbia University on July 13 titled Strategies to Address Global Warming that The truth is, the climate course set by Waxman-Markey is a disaster course. It is an exceedingly inefficient way to get a small reduction of emissions. It is less than worthless.India Points to Crisis of Credibility China and India do not get a pass in the upcoming negotiations as they did with Kyoto. U.S. carbon emissions have stabilized, yet the Center for Global Development estimates that China sur-passed the U.S. in carbon emissions from power generation fa-cilities in August 2008, and that country now emits a fifth of the worlds carbon. India, in third place behind the U.S., is rapidly closing the gap.There are widely disparate views about which countries should share the economic pain that would follow from the binding re-ductions in carbon emissions sought in Copenhagen. The July 20 Washington Post reported on Secretary of State Hillary Clintons three-day tour of India, during which she tried to arm-twist Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh into agreeing to a binding limit on carbon emissions. First to speak to the reporters was Clin-ton during the post-meeting photo op. She described the meet-ings as very fruitful and so on. Next, as dozens of cameras rolled and Clinton looked on, Ramesh played his trump card: Indias position, let me be clear, is that we are simply not in the position to take legally binding emissions targets. Ramesh characterized his statement as Indias official position on the subject and as not a debating strategy. China Says, You Buy, You PayChinas position on capping carbon emissions is similar to In-dias, with a slight twist. China released a position paper on May 20 that describes its views on any future climate change agree-ment. The paper called on the richest countries in the world to reduce GHGs by 40% below 1990 by 2020, give up to 1% of their GDP to help poorer countries implement climate change mitiga-tion measures, and announced their opposition to any binding limits on its emissions. The paper also adds a new twist to the discussion: Countries that buy goods from China should be held responsible for the carbon dioxide emitted by the factories that make them. Rock and a Hard PlaceSo where does that leave the U.S. going into the Copenhagen negotiations? If the negotiations were poker, then the U.S. is all-in, and China and India are calling our bluff. It looks to me as if were likely to draw a pair of eights to go with ACES. Dr. Robert Peltier, PE, Editor-in-ChiefAt American Society of Business Publication Editors banquets in Washington, D.C., in mid-July, POWER won the following awards: Managing Editor Gail Reitenbach and Senior Designer Leslie Claire won a national bronze for the July 2008 Table of Contents. Senior Writer Sonal Patel won the gold for feature stories in the Southeast Regional division for Whistling in the dark: Inside South Africas power crisis (Nov. 2008). Managing Editor Gail Reitenbach won the silver for feature sto-ries in the Southeast Regional division for Workforce manage-ment lessons from women in power generation (Nov. 2008).POWER Wins ASBPE AwardsGE EnergyI promise David Chapin, Lead Product Manager, Filtration TechnologiesBoiler cleaning outages whether planned or not are costly and disruptive. Now you can do something about it. The Powerwave+ impulse cleaning system helps reduce your annual outage time by keeping your boiler operating longer and more efciently. Which means you spend less time in scheduled outages, and maybe even eliminate unplanned outages due to buildup or tube leaks. And thats not just a promise. Its the promise of something better. Find out how Powerwave+ technology is already hard at work for your peers at ge-energy.com/powerwave.CIRCLE 6 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 8GLOBAL MONITORGLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOR GLOBAL MONI TOROperation of Worlds First Supercritical CFB Steam Generator Begins in PolandThe worlds first supercritical circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) steam generator be-gan successful operation at the Lagisza power plant in Poland early this July, according to power equipment and en-gineering firm Foster Wheeler. The new CFBbelieved to be the worlds largestreplaced 1960s-era pulverized coal units at the power plant owned by Polish util-ity Poludniowy Koncern Energetyczny SA (PKE) (Figure 1). Foster Wheeler provided turnkey supply of the boiler island, including engineering and design, erection, civil work, start-up, and commissioning. Many existing plant systems, including those for coal handling and water treatment, were renovated for use with the new 460-MW CFB unit. The unit incorporates a number of ad-vanced design features, such as compact solid separators, INTREX superheaters, and low-temperature flue gas heat re-covery that captures valuable heat that would otherwise be lost. It also em-ploysfor the first time ever in a CFBBenson vertical-tube supercritical steam technology. Specifically, in relation to the older, de-commissioned boilers, the new CFB burns less fuel and produces significantly lower levels of carbon dioxide and other emissions for each megawatt generated, said Pertti Kinnunen, executive vice presi-dent of engineering and technology for the Finnish subsidiary of Foster Wheelers Global Power Group. Kinnunen is said to have been responsible for conceptual de-sign of the boiler in 2003. CFB technology is a cleaner-coal plat-form with a unique low-temperature com-bustion process that efficiently burns both traditional fuels and carbon-neutral fuels. Unlike conventional steam generators that burn the fuel in a large, high-temperature flame, CFB technology does not have burn-ers or a flame within its furnace. Instead, it uses fluidization technology to mix and circulate fuel particles with limestone as they burn in a lower-temperature combus-tion process. The limestone captures the sulfur oxides as they are formed, while the lower burning temperature minimizes the formation of thermal-nitrogen oxides. The fuel and limestone particles are re-cycled over and over back to the process, which results in high efficiency for burn-ing the fuel by extending the combustion residence time, capturing pollutants, and transferring the fuels heat energy into high-quality steam to produce power.Successful operation of the first large-scale supercritical CFB marks a milestone in the technologys history. The first com-mercial CFB was built by Foster Wheeler in 1979. The 5-MW boiler supplied to Suomen Kuitulevy in Pihlava, Finland, burned wood residues and peat. It was soon followed by a 20-MW plant in Kauttua, Finland. Over the years, CFB technology matured and its use expanded. In 2002, the first-genera-tion technology reached peak size, with two nominal 300-MW boilers being in-stalled at Jacksonville Energy Authoritys Northside Generating Station in Florida, POWERs 2002 Plant of the Year. The fluidized combustion technology options continue to evolve. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a major efficiency-enhancing measure for second-generation pressurized fluidized bed com-bustors is the integration of a coal gasifier (carbonizer) to produce a fuel gas. This fuel gas is combusted in a topping com-bustor and adds to the combustors flue gas energy entering the gas turbine, which is the more efficient portion of the com-bined cycle. The topping combustor must exhibit flame stability in combusting low-Btu gas and have low-NOx emission char-acteristics. To take maximum advantage of the increasingly efficient commercial gas turbines, the high-energy gas leaving the 1. Polish power. The worlds first supercritical circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) steam gen-erator began operating this July at Poludniowy Koncern Energetycznys Lagisza power plant in Poland. The project marks a milestone in the technologys history. Courtesy: Foster WheelerSubscribe now to get your free subscription to the electronic newsletter from POWER magazine. Just visit our web site www.powermag.comto subscribe.delivers headline news for power generators weeklyStart your free subscription today!WANT POWER INDUSTRY NEWS MORE OFTEN?Chemical and Phamaceutical GroupSolvay Chemicals, Inc.1.800.SOLVAY C (800.765.8292)www.solvair.usCopyright 2009, Solvay Chemicals, Inc. All Rights ReservedPRODUCTSFrom the earth to the sky Trona is the natural way to clean the air. SOLVAir Select 200 trona is a naturally occurring mineral mined in Green River, Wyoming by Solvay Chemicals, Inc. When used to treat acid pollutants occurring in fue gases, this underground mineral helps clean the air. Utilizing simple chemistry, Select 200 efciently and cost-efectively removes a variety of acid gases such as SO2, SO3 or HCl. Used in a low capital cost injection system, Select 200 has shown the ability to remove over 90% of the acid gases present. Power plants, both large and small, have turned to the SOLVAir Group and its line of products to fght for cleaner air. For more detailed information on SOLVAir Select 200 trona and how it cleans acid gas in the stacks, go to www.solvair.us, or e-mail michael.wood@solvay.com.CIRCLE 7 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 10GLOBAL MONITORtopping combustor must be nearly free of particulate matter and alkali/sulfur con-tent. Also, releases to the environment from the pressurized fluid bed combus-tion system must be essentially free of mercury, an air pollutant for which federal regulations are in limbo. CFB research and development also focus on reductions of both cost and carbon dioxide emissions, so new sorbents are being evaluated. Sor-bent utilization has a major influence on operating costs, and carbon dioxide emis-sions streams can be used in the produc-tion of alkali-based sorbents. Efforts are ongoing at the Power Sys-tems Development Facility (PSDF) in Wilsonville, Ala., to ensure that critical components and subsystems are ready for the demonstration of second-generation pressurized fluidized bed combustion. The PSDF is operated by Southern Company Services under a Department of Energy contract to conduct cooperative research and development with the industry.Report: Costs for First-Generation Carbon Capture Plants Will SoarCarbon capture and storage (CCS) has of late gained steam as the best way to mitigate emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuel power plants, despite evidence that the approach would require much energy and increase the fuel needs of a coal-fired plant by more than 25%. A new study from Harvard Universitys Belfer Center for Sci-ence and International Affairs now asserts that levelized costs for a precombustion capture plant with CO2 compressionex-cluding costs of transport and storage and any revenue from enhanced oil recovery (EOR)are going to be much more than most people realize.The July 3 report, Realistic Costs of Carbon Capture, finds that electricity pro-duced by the first coal power plants built to employ precombustion capture and compression technology could cost about 10/kWh more with capture than conven-tional plants (which the report said ranged from 8 to 12/kWh). Costs of abatement were found to be about $150 per metric ton of carbon dioxide (tCO2), with a range of $120 to $180/tCO2 avoided. But as the technology matures, signifi-cant cost reductions are expected because of increased scale, lessons learned, and technological innovations for plant inte-gration. The additional cost of electricity with CO2 capture could reportedly plunge to about 2 to 5/kWh, with costs in the range of $35 to $75/tCO2. All costs in the report were based on 2008 data, with costs of abatement calculated with reference to conventional supercritical pulverized coal plants for both emissions and electricity costs. The average total cost of electric-ity produced from coal plants in 2008 was 2.75/kWh, according to energy analytics firm Ventyx.The cost premium for generating low carbon electricity with CCS are found to be broadly similar to the cost premiums for generating low carbon electricity by other means, where midcase estimates for cost premiums over conventional power generation at present are mainly in the range of approximately 1025/kWh (except for onshore wind power at good sites where cost premiums are lower), the report says. These cost premiums are all expected to decline in [the] future as technologies continue to mature.This studys levelized costs for carbon capture and compression are significantly higher than those estimated in previous studies. According to a May 2009 survey by the U.S. nonprofit group Institute of Energy Research, the Energy Information Administrations Annual Energy Outlook 2009 puts levelized costs for an advanced coal-fired power plant with postcombus-tion capture and storage entering service in 2016 at $122.60/MWh (or 12/kWh). This compares with $103.50/MWh for an advanced coal plant of the same capacity factor, but without CCS (Figure 2).The Harvard study is one of several significant CCS cost studies to have been released recently from around the world. In November 2008, McKinsey & Co. found from its assessment of information gath-ered from industrial CCS stakeholders that costs from the first demonstration CCS projects built in 2015 could range be-tween 60 per tCO2 avoided. That cost can be reduced to 30 to 40 tCO2 by 2030 because of lessons learned from demon-2. CCS cost controversy. A July study from Harvards Belfer Center estimates that electricity produced by the first coal plants to employ precombustion carbon capture and se-questration technology could cost 10/kWh more than estimates for conventional plants, which range between 8 and 12/kWh. A survey of levelized costs in the Energy Information Admin-istrations Annual Energy Outlook 2009 by nonprofit group Institute of Energy Research finds that electricity from an advanced coal plant with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) using postcombustion capture and entering service in 2016 will cost 12/kWh. Levelized costs for an advanced coal plant without CCS at the same capacity factor are estimated at 10/kWh. Note: Capacity factors for each technology differ. Courtesy: Institute of Energy Research 2007 dollars per MWhNatural gas advancedcombined cycle (CC)Natural gasconventional CCConventional coalAdvanced coalAdvanced nuclearBiomassGeothermalHydroNatural gas advancedCC with CCSAdvanced coalwith CCSNatural gas advancedcombustion turbineNatural gas conventionalcombustion turbineWindOffshore windSolar thermalSolar PV450400350300250200150100500Transmission investment Variable O&M (including fuel) Fixed O&M Levelized capital costL I Q U I D L E V E L M E A S U R E M E N Tesigned for use in external chambers, the all-new Model 7xGCaged Guided Wave Radar Probe is a single rod probe thatcombines the unimpeded performance of a coaxial with theviscosity immunity of a single rod.Engineered exclusively for Eclipse level transmitters, the Model 7xGprobe is available in three different diameters to dimensionally match eitherexisting or new 2", 3", or 4" chambers. This creates a perfectly matchedimpedance along the entire length of the probe for error-free signals. Theprobe measures dielectric constants as low as 1.4 in temperatures of up to+400 F (+200 C) and provides the capability of an overfill probe with accu-rate measurement up to the full point of a chamber. Because of its matchedimpedance characteristics, the Model 7xG probe is also ideal for interfacelevel measurement.To learn more about the all-new Caged Guided Wave Radar probe, callus or visit magnetrol.com.D1-800-624-8765 magnetrol.com info@magnetrol.comIntroducing the all-newEclipse Caged GWR probeThe worlds only Guided Wave Radar Single Rodto combine all these features in one probe:SIL 2Worldwide Level and Flow Solutionssm The viscosity immunity of a Single Rod probe The unimpeded performance of a Coaxial probe Measurement to the very top of the chamber Measurement of dielectric constants as low as 1.4 Accurate measurement of liquid interface levelCIRCLE 8 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 12GLOBAL MONITORstration projects, finds the study, Carbon Capture & Storage: Assessing the Economics. Other studiesparticularly from companies that are conduct-ing demonstration CCS projectsput costs even higher than the Harvard study. Earlier this year, as an example, StatoilHydro con-cluded in a master plan for a CCS demonstration at Mongstad in Norway that CCS cost could up to 200 per tCO2. Nuclear Developments in Europe Recent months brought several developments in Europes much-touted nuclear renaissance. Spain Extends Life of Nations Oldest ReactorSpains government on July 2 granted a four-year extension to the operating permit of the 466-MW Santa Mara de Garoa nu-clear power plant (Figure 3). The decision follows a nonbinding recommendation by Spains nuclear regulator in June to issue a 10-year operating permit extension for the 38-year-old plant that was scheduled to be decommissioned in 2011on the condi-tion that it is modernized. That would cost operating companies Iberdrola and Endesa an estimated 50 million, but it is an in-vestment they are willing to make. The plant is by far the oldest remaining nuclear plant in Spain. Lobbyists in the country have been pushing to extend the plants operating life, saying that Spain needs nuclear power to support the nations rapidly growing renewable energy portfolio. Environ-mentalists, meanwhile, have demanded the plants total shut-down because they claim the reactor has suffered from severe cracking, and that corrosion has affected various components in the reactor vessel. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero defended the governments decision, saying that Spain needs the energy and the Garoa area needs the economic activityeven though the plant produces only about 1% of the countrys electricity, has aging technology, and produces 50% more high-level waste than Spains other five nuclear plants. Nuclear power produces 20% of Spains electricity, but permits for running most of the other plants will also expire by 2011or within the mandate of Zapateros government. A decision to pro-long the life of the Garoa plant on the Ebro River is a major reversal for Zapatero, who, during general elections in 2004 and 2008, pledged to gradually phase out nuclear power.German Nuclear Policy Depends on Upcoming ElectionNuclear power in Germany may see new life following the Sept. 27 general election. The countrys government in 2000, under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, agreed to phase out all of the countrys 17 reactors by 2021. But the looming power gap of around 21 GWnearly 25% of the countrys overall power pro-ductioncould strong-arm Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democrats and the Liberal party to postpone the closures. The Social Democrats continue to push for the phase-out, however, in favor of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The election in September could, therefore, decide whether or not the phase-out continues. Reports from the nations po-litical media say the race is too close to call but that opinion polls show Merkels Christian Democrats and Liberals are gaining public favor. Bulgaria Desperate for Investors to Save BeleneBulgarias center-right government said in late July that if it does not find private investors for its majority stake in the planned Belene nuclear power plant, it will be forced to abandon the project. Owing to tight global liquidity and the recession, the government said it cannot afford to take on loans to fund its 51% stake in the 2,000-MW plant. The previous Socialist-led administration wanted to build Be-lene the countrys second nuclear planton the Danube River to recover Bulgarias position as a major power exporter in the 3. A half life. Spains government in July granted a four-year exten-sion to the 466-MW Santa Mara de Garoa nuclear power plant, a 38-year-old plant that is by far the countrys oldest nuclear plant. Spains prime minister said the country needs the energy, even though the plant produces about 1% of the nations electricity. Courtesy: Foro NuclearCIRCLE 9 ON READER SERVICE CARDSeptember 2009 | POWER www.powermag.com 13GLOBAL MONITORBalkans. The country had contracted Russias Atomstroyexport, Frances Areva, and Germanys Siemens to build Belene. Then it picked, with much fanfare, German utility RWE for the remaining 49% in the 4 billion Belene plant. Since then, analysts estimate that project costs have surged to more than 6 billion. The previous administration had even ne-gotiated a 3.8 billion state loan with the Russian government, but the new government says it is not willing to provide any state guarantees for loans. Financial Crisis Impacts Russias Grand Nuclear PlansRussian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said in mid-July that the global economic slowdown has affected its extensive nuclear power plant construction program. According to the so-called Master layout plan for energy-producing capacities projected up to 2020, the current approved schedule in April 2007 (and then amended and re-endorsed in March 2008) calls for 36 new nuclear reactors to be built in the next decade. The program envisaged starting up one unit per year from 2009, two from 2012, three from 2015, and four from 2016. Nuclear capacity was expected to almost triple by 2020. Today, under crisis conditions, the time frame when we will need three to four [nuclear plant equipment] sets [per year] will be pushed back, but it will not be cancelled, just pushed back, taking into account the changing demand in energy. As we come out of the crisis, we will be needing all of this again, Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko reportedly told journalists in March this year. This July, he confirmed that in the face of the financial crisis and declining energy demand, the nation had decided to put off the peak of the program for several years. We had planned to construct two reactors per year, but we have now revised the program and now, in the coming years, we will build one reactor per year, he said. Swiss Solar Plane Prototype Designed to Fly Day and NightThe first aircraft designed to fly day and night propelled solely by solar energy was unveiled at Dbendorf airfield, Switzerland, in late June. The Solar Impulse has the wingspan of a Boeing 747-400 and the weight of an average family car (1,600 kg) (Fig-ure 4). More than 12,000 solar cells mounted onto the wings will power four electric motors with a maximum 10 horsepower each. During the day, the solar cells are designed to also charge lithium-polymer batteries (400 kg), which will allow the airplane to fly through the night. Adventurer Bertrand Piccard, who unveiled the Solar Impulse along with Solar Impulse CEO Andr Borschberg, retraced the his-tory of the project since it was launched in 2003. They said it took six years of calculations, simulations, and tests for the 70-person team to complete the aircraft prototypeHB-SIA. The prototypes mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of a com-plete day-night-day cycle, running on nothing but solar energy. This year and next year the plane will make its first test flightsincluding a complete night flight over Switzerland. Based on the results of those flights, the prototype will be improved. The Solar Impulses inventors hope that starting in 2012, a second experimental plane, HB-SIB, will circumnavigate the world in five stagesalbeit slowly. With only 40 horsepower, the aircraft takes off at 22 mph and then accelerates at altitude to an estimated speed of only 44 mphas fast as an average scooter. Scotland Officially Opens 100-MW Glendoe Hydro PlantIn late June, Scotland officially opened the Glendoe Hydro Scheme, a 100-MW project whose construction near Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands was the regions biggest civil engineer-ing project in recent times. Planning for the project began in 2001, and it took three years to build. Today, the project has the highest headthe drop from the reservoir to the turbineof 4. Soaring on solar. An aircraft prototype unveiled this June runs solely on solar energy via 12,000 solar cells mounted onto the wings. The plane, which features a wingspan of a Jumbo Jet and the weight of an average family car, has been designed to fly day and night. At 40 horsepower, it moves slowly however, accelerating to only 44 mph at altitude. Courtesy: Solar ImpulseCIRCLE 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 14GLOBAL MONITORany hydro station in the UK, allowing it to generate more energy from every cubic meter of water than any other facility in the country, says project owner Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE). The reservoir was formed by the con-struction of a 960-meter-long, 35-m-high dam on the River Taff (Figure 5). The projects more complex construction phase was marked by digging an exten-sive tunnel system, which measures 16 km in total. In order to carve the tunnels out of the underlying bedrock, a 200-m-long boring machine was used. SSE says that in one instance, the machine entered the hillside in summer 2006 and emerged about two years later, having created 8 km of tunnels. The actual power station is housed in a cavern 250 m below ground levelrough-ly 2 km from the banks of Loch Ness. This cavern stands adjacent to a smaller cavern that contains the main transformer. The project has been much publicized and well-receivedQueen Elizabeth her-self declared it openand SSE is already considering two new large pumped stor-age schemes in the Great Glen, plans that the company is expected to make public in 2011. For those reasonalong with con-sideration of the UKs frenzied preparation to meet stringent carbon goalsthe Scot-tish media are speculating that Glendoe may just be the beginning of a new era for hydropower in the Highlands. Some point to a list of 102 hydropower development 5. Highland hydropower. The 100-MW Glendoe Hydro Scheme near Loch Ness in Scot-land officially opened in late June. The projects owner, Scottish and Southern Energy, says it has the highest drop from the reservoir to the turbine of any hydro station in the UK, which allows it to generate more energy from every cubic meter of water than any other facility in the country. Courtesy: ScotaviaBiomass Handling EquipmentComplete Engineered SystemsPulverized Coal Boiler ConversionsCFB Boiler Feed SystemsUSA: CORPORATE HEADQUARTERSJeffrey Rader Corporation398 Willis RoadWoodruff, SC, USA 29388Phone: 864.476.7523Fax: 864.476.7510CANADA: Montreal, QuebecJeffrey Rader Canada2350 Place Trans-CanadienneDorval, Quebec H9P 2X5 CanadaPhone: 514.822.2660Fax: 514.822.2699CANADA: Vancouver, BCJeffrey Rader CanadaUnit 2, 62 Fawcett RoadCoquitlam, BC V3K 6V5 CanadaPhone: 604.299.0241Fax: 604.299.1491SWEDEN: StockholmJeffrey Rader ABDomnarvsgatan 11, 163 53 SPNGAStockholm, SwedenPhone: +46 8 56 47 57 47Fax: +46 8 56 47 57 48For information on how Jeffrey Rader Corporation can solve your Biomass Handling needs, visit us at www.jeffreyrader.com/powSilosWood HogsDisc ScreensOpen StorageClosed StorageTruck DumpersChain ConveyorsBucket ElevatorsScrew ConveyorsScrew ReclaimersPneumatic ConveyingMaterial Handling for Biomass Power GenerationUNI TED STATES CANADA SWEDEN UNITED STATES CANADA SWEDENSee our Biomass video at www.jeffreyrader.com/videoBCIRCLE 11 ON READER SERVICE CARDSeptember 2009 | POWER www.powermag.com 15GLOBAL MONITORprojects proposed by a 1946 regional hy-droelectric board. These ranged greatly in size, but they encompassed almost every water course in the region. Biomass Electricity More Efficient than Ethanol, Researchers SayBiomassplant matter thats grown to generate energyconverted into elec-tricity could result in 81% more trans-portation miles and 108% more emissions offsets than ethanol, according to U.S. researchers. In addition, the electricity option would be twice as effective at re-ducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study, published in the May 22 is-sue of the journal Science, was based on two criteria: square miles of cropland and GHG offsets per area (in square miles) of cropland. In both cases, scientists consid-ered a range of feedstock crops (corn and switchgrass) and vehicle types (small car, midsize car, small SUV, and large SUV).University of California Merced Assistant Professor Elliott Campbell, along with Chris-topher Field of the Carnegie Institutions Department of Global Ecology and David Lobell of Stanford University, first looked at how many miles a range of vehicles powered by ethanol could travel versus a range of electric vehicles fueled by electric-ity. Second, they examined offsets to GHG emissions for ethanol and bioelectricity.They also considered land use when evaluating each method, saying that globally, the amount of land available to grow biomass crops is limited. Using ex-isting croplands for biofuels could cause increases in food prices and clearing new land, or deforestation, can have a nega-tive impact on the environment, they said in a statement. The authors are careful to point out that their study did not examine the per-formance of electricity and ethanol or oth-er policy-relevant criteria. We also need to compare these options for other issues such as water consumption, air pollution, and economic costs, Campbell said. The results suggest that investment in an ethanol infrastructureeven if the ethanol is derived from a more-efficient cellulosic processmay be misguided. In addition, the study notes that it would be possible to capture and store carbon diox-ide emissions from biomass power plantsan option not available for ethanol. DOE Funds Electrification of Transportation Sector On August 5, President Barack Obama an-nounced that 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects will receive $2.4 billion in funding from the Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The announcement marks the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever made. DOE funds will be matched by another $2.4 bil-lion from the award winners.Four companies were selected in the advanced vehicle electrification catego-ry. The largest amount, $99.8 million, will go to Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality Inc., to undertake the largest deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging in-frastructure in U.S. history. In partnership with Nissan North Amer-ica, eTec will deploy EVs and the charging infrastructure to support them. The proj-ect, which will use the Nissan LEAFa ze-ro-emission electric vehicle, will develop, implement, and study techniques for opti-mizing the effectiveness of charging infra-structure that will support widespread EV deployment. The project will install elec-tric vehicle charging infrastructure and deploy up to 1,000 Nissan battery electric vehicles in strategic markets in five states: Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. To support the Nissan EV, the project will install approximately 12,500 Level 2 (220 V) charging systems and 250 Level 3 (fast-charge) systems.The project will collect and analyze data to characterize vehicle use in diverse top-ographic and climatic conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of charge infrastructure, and conduct trials of various revenue sys-tems for commercial and public charge in-frastructure. On August 2, Nissan introduced the LEAF (Figure 6), which the automaker calls the worlds first affordable, zero-emission car. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that seats five adults and has a range of 100 miles. The car will launch in the U.S. in late 2010. U.S. production will begin in 2012, at Nis-sans manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tenn. Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has said the LEAF will cost about the same as a gasoline-powered car.POWER DigestNews items of interest to power industry professionals.Hitachi Power Systems to Supply Boil-er Systems for Meigs County Project. American Municipal Power (AMP) on July 13 awarded a contract for the design and supply of two supercritical, coal-fired steam-electric generating power blocks to Hitachi Power Systems America for the American Municipal Power Generating Sta-tion (AMPGS) project under development in Meigs County, Ohio. Each power block consists of a pulverized coal boiler power-ing a steam turbine generator and the as-sociated nitrogen oxide emission control equipment. The boiler systems will also utilize Hitachis selective catalytic reduc-tion technology. The contract was award-ed following an extensive bid and analysis process that included AMP staff, Bechtel 6. The electric car, take two. When Nissan rolls out its all-electric LEAF in 2010, it will become part of the largest test project involving electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Courtesy: Nissan www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 16GLOBAL MONITORPower (the EPC contractor for the project), R.W. Beck (the proj-ects owners engineer), and Burns & Roe (an independent con-sultant reviewing the contract and bid evaluation). The AMPGS facility will also use Powerspans ECO-SO2 emis-sion control technology for the control of sulfur dioxide (SO2), with co-benefits for the control of mercury and particulate mat-ter. The project will be the first large-scale commercial deploy-ment of the technology, which, in addition to controlling SO2 at best available control technology standards, shows promise for the efficient capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the future. Powerspans CO2 control technology is currently being tested with a commercial pilot at FirstEnergys R.E. Burger plant in Shadyside, Ohio. GLE to Evaluate Laser-Based Uranium Enrichment Technol-ogy. Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) on July 30 announced the start-up of a test loop to evaluate the laser-based uranium en-richment technology that GLE is developing to increase the U.S. supply of enriched uranium for nuclear power plants worldwide. GLE, a business venture between GE Hitachi Ltd. and Canadian uranium producer Cameco, plans to use the test loops results to determine whether to commercialize laser-based enrichment technology at a full-scale enrichment facility in Wilmington, N.C. GLE anticipates gleaning sufficient data from the test loop by the end of 2009. Start-up of the test loop comes less than a month after GLE announced it had completed its license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build the full-scale facility. The NRCs estimated 30-month application review process officially begins once the agency formally dockets, or accepts, the GLE application. Acciona Inaugurates 50-MW Parabolic Cylinder Plant in Spain. Spanish energy firm Acciona in late July inaugurated a 50-MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Alvarado, Spain. The 236 million plant uses parabolic cylinder technologythe same as Accionas Nevadas Solar One CSP plant, which has been in operation since June 2007. The Alvarado I CSP plant covers more than 130 hectares. Solar energy is reflected by 184,320 mir-rors aligned in rows to 768 solar collectors with a total length of around 75 km. Construction of the plant began in February 2008 and involved shifting more than a million cubic meters of earth. An average of 350 people worked throughout the 18-month con-struction period. A team of 31 will make up the plants operation and maintenance team. Fluor Corp. to Conduct FEED Work for Scottish and South-ern Plant in England. Fluor Corp. on July 21 said it had been selected to conduct front-end engineering and design (FEED) work for a nitrogen oxide reduction program at the Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in Warrington, Cheshire, England. Fluor is currently performing preliminary engineering and construction planning services for selective catalytic reduction of emissions at Scottish and Southern Energys (SSE) four-unit coal-fired power plant as well as providing client technical support and project cost esti-mation. Fluor began a feasibility study in late 2008; FEED work is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2009. SSE is competitively bidding the EPC contract for this clean air initiative. Wrtsil Wins Power Plant Orders from Greece and Cyprus.Wrtsil on July 20 said it won 40 million in separate orders to supply power generation equipment to the island of Lesvos, Greece, and to Cyprus from the Greek state-owned Public Power Corp. The contracts, representing a total of 72 MW, are for an extension to an existing power plant, with the extra 22 MW ca-pacity needed to meet the huge increase in demand that occurs during the tourist season. In addition, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), a public utility, has ordered a power plant with three Wrtsil 18V46 engines, with a capacity of 50 MW. The new plant is located in Dhekelia, near the town of Larnaca, in Cyprus SCE&E Picks Shaw, Westinghouse for Nuclear Plant Main-tenance and Engineering. The South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G), the principal subsidiary of SCANA Corp., on July 28 awarded the Shaw Groups power group and Westinghouse Electric Co. a long-term alliance contract. The group will provide nuclear maintenance, modification, refueling outage, and design engineering services to SCANAs V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Unit 1, in Jenkinsville, S.C. The contract is an extension of the rela-tionship established by Shaw and Westinghouse to provide EPC services for two new AP1000 nuclear power unitsV.C. Summer Units 2 and 3, operated by SCE&G and the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper). UK Government Grants Vestas 6 Million for Wind Energy R&D. The UKs Department of Energy and Climate Change on July 27 said Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems would be granted over 6 million for research and development work on the Isle of Wight. The grant is made under the UK governments 1 billion program to set up onshore wind farms in the next three years. More than 3 million of Vestass total grant will come from the South East England Development Agency. The sum will be paid out to the unit Vestas Technology UK Ltd., which runs an R&D center on the Isle of Wight. The Danish company will receive the subsidy despite its decision to close its wind-blade factory on the small island, which generated large media attention and protests against more than 600 job losses there. By Sonal Patel, POWERs senior writer.ASHROSS RUMig-Rail CarLow prole, high speed railcar unloading system. In-ground system meant for stationary use.ASHROSS RUM-Rail CarRailcar unloading machine, train drives over the RUM, walks off the track by itself. Unloads anywhere, anytime with speed and efciency.ASHROSS RC-ReclaimerCoal reclaimer. Use with dozer or other equipment. Moves the entire pile of coal and reclaims the coal in a fast and efcient manner. ASHROSS 1260 C-TruckSelf-propelled, mobile, towable drive over unloading system for belly dump and end dump trailers. ASHROSS ST-TruckStationary drive over unloading system for belly dump and end dump trailers. 530 South 250 West Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062801-785-6464 Fax; 801-785-6486 www.ashross.com email: sales@ashross.comFinancing AvailableCOAL HANDLING EQUIPMENTUnload railcars fast and inexpensivelyCall today!801-785-6464CIRCLE 12 ON READER SERVICE CARDMAGENTA (MI) - ITALYvia Robecco, 20Tel. +39 02 972091 Fax +39 02 9794977e-mail: stf@stf.it www.stf.itBURMEISTER & WAIN ENERGY A/SDK - 2820 Gentofte.Denmarkjaegersborg Alle 164Tel. +45 39 45 20 00 Fax +45 39 45 20 05e-mail: info@bwe.dk www.bwe.dkCIRCLE 13 ON READER SERVICE CARD www.powermag.com POWER |September 2009 18FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&M FOCUS ON O&MFOCUS ON O&MWATER TREATMENTAvoid These 10 Mistakes When Selecting Your New Water Treatment SystemThere are a number of reasons why your plant might be looking at new water pre-treatment equipment in the near future. One common reason is the addition of new generating capacity. For many utili-ties, adding generation to an existing site has proven to be far simpler than obtain-ing the permits for a greenfield site. The added generation might be in the form of simple-cycle combustion turbines for peak power demands (see pp. 26 and 30 for examples) or a high-efficiency combined-cycle power plant. Regardless of the type of new generation, you can be sure that it will require additional high-purity water for processes ranging from direct steam generation to power augmentation, NOx control, and washing the blades of the combustion turbines.Another reason to consider new water pretreatment equipment is that plant staff are finding existing ion exchange units are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and expensive to operate. These problems may be compounded by a plant water supply that has changed since the water treatment equipment was originally specified. Typically, the current water sup-ply may have higher levels of suspended solids and dissolved solids than the equip-ment was originally designed to handle. Reverse osmosis (RO) systems have be-come a favorite in more and more installa-tions and are being successfully used with some very poor quality (high-turbidity, high-salt, high-organic) waters. The major equipment companies continue to improve RO and ultrafiltration (UF) systems, increas-ing the water production rates and reduc-ing the equipment footprint (Figure 1). If you are in the market for a water treatment system retrofit or upgrade, or perhaps are preparing specifications for a new water treatment plant, it pays to learn from others mistakes. Here is my Top 10 list of design mistakes made when new wa-ter treatment equipment is specified.1. Improperly specifying or characteriz-ing the makeup water to the equipmentparticularly the silt density index (SDI) on an RO. I cant overemphasize the im-portance of properly characterizing the incoming water supply before preparing equipment specifications. Take multiple samples, at different times of the year and under various operating conditions. Remember to measure the temperature of the water and total suspended solids (TSS), or, better yet, SDI on each sample.2. Failing to match the product water with the need. Not every piece of power plant equipment requires 18 M (0.56 S/cm) water with 10M (