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energy clean energy

Fuel Flexible CFB Technology in

Large Scale Power Generation

he use of Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) construction of fossil fuel-fired facilities. biomasses and waste fuels with heating
circulating fluidized bed (CFB) Coal will continue to be an important values ranging from 1,000 to 8,500 kcal/
Tcombustion technology has grown fuel for power generation in the future kg, ash and moisture levels as high as
from small-scale applications to large so low-carbon electrification becomes 60%, and volatilities down to 5%. Unlike
ultra-supercritical power plants in less the priority. However, conventional a conventional boiler, the CFB is also
than 20 years. The CFB is rapidly becoming pulverized coal boiler technologies are capable of burning combinations of solid
the technology of choice for solid fuel- limited in their ability to reduce emissions fuel and biomass-related fuels.
fired power generation applications, without augmentation of expensive post- The fuel flexibility of the SFW CFB can
particularly for locations with lower combustion treatment technologies such also provide an economical and low-risk
quality and biomass fuel supplies. The as Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) and approach to carbon reduction. Biomass
fuel flexible and innately lower carbon Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) that and waste fuels are considered carbon-
emissions of CFB technology also are unnecessary with SFW’s circulating neutral. By co-firing in a CFB, carbon
addresses the need for sustainable use of fluidized bed (CFB) technology. Over the emissions can be greatly reduced. A
domestic fuels in many countries, writes past decade, the CFB has consistently coal-fired CFB power plant co-firing 20%
Asif Hussain, SVP of Strategic Business demonstrated that CFB combustion biomass can reduce its carbon emission
technology inherently produces lower air to below the 750 g/kwh level set by the
and significantly less CO2 emissions than OECD standard for export credit financing
an equivalent-sized conventional power new power plants. Further, by combining
plant. more efficient ultra-supercritical steam
conditions with increasing shares of
Selecting the Right Technology biomass, carbon emissions for a coal
Many power companies have embraced power plant can be reduced by over 50%.
SFW’s CFB technology because of its
ability to efficiently burn many forms of The SFW CFB offers power generators
fuels. The fuel-flexible SFW CFB power the flexibility to find the right balance
plant is capable of consuming agricultural between power reliability, affordability
biomass and other unwanted by-
Asif Hussain and carbon emissions. The beauty of
products (e.g., waste bark, wood, plastic, the CFB solution is that this balance can
cardboard, and paper), low quality fuels
Development, Sumitomo SHI FW. (e.g., brown coals, lignites, and waste be continually adjusted over the life
The World Bank reports that almost coals), as well as, high-energy, hard-to- of the CFB plant taking advantage of
volatile coal prices and protection against
600 million people remain without burn fuels (e.g., anthracite and petcoke). declining coal quality and any future
electricity in Africa. The challenge for Conventional boilers typically require CAPEX from tightening emissions. Since
electricity producers is to meet growing fuel with a heating value above 5,500 fuel makes up 75%-85% of the operating
consumption by existing customers kcal/kg, ash and moisture levels below cost of a large power plant, the economic
while also electrifying rural regions 35%, and volatility above 20%. The SFW benefits of using locally-available low-
that represent 60% of the continent’s CFB, however, is capable of burning quality fuels are difficult to ignore.
population. Significant investment in new, both the worst and best coals, lignites,
environmentally acceptable,
and reliable power generation The 2,200 MWe Advanced Green Power CFB Plant in Samcheok, South Korea
facilities are required to meet the
UN’s Sustainable Development
Goal of electrifying the African
continent by 2030.

In sub-Saharan Africa,
approximately 80% of new power
plant investment goes to the

14 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol 28, Issue 29, 2019 Celebrating 10 years of excellence