Strategic Options For Sustainable Power Generation

Increasing energy demand combined with environmental and regulatory issues provide the power industry with new challenges. Utilities must increase power generation and reduce operational costs while maintaining sustainable practices.

The scope of the Strategic Options for Sustainable Power Generation Interest Group (SOIG) is to develop, evaluate and demonstrate sustainable power generation technologies that will result in an increase in power supply capacity and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

By conveying various features of fuel cleaning and distributed generation technologies to participating organizations, vital factors influencing present and upcoming applications are appropriately adressed. SOIG enables its participants to enhance their knowledge via information exchange as well as through co-funding opportunities that will lead to the development of practical innovations that can be readily applied to today’s problems.

Current Projects

• IEA Clean Coal Centre MembershipThe IEA Clean Coal Centre provides a source of unbiased information on sustainable use of coal world-wide. Services are delivered to governments and industry through direct advice, review reports, facilitation of R&D and provision of networks.
  
  SOIG offers its participants the opportunity to join the program.
• Electric Vehicle Public Fast Charging Planning FrameworkThe TIPS Lab public charging framework will define a process for effectively deploying public charging stations to enhance consumer confidence and make electric vehicle highway travel feasible.
• Update of Torrefaction Benchmark Study: The Economic Feasibility of Co-firing Torrefied BiomassDriven by renewable portfolio obligations, utilities are considering strategies to increase the percentage of biomass co-firing in their coal-fired units. This will require significant technical and financial investment in refurbishing the coal-fired units.
  Torrefaction is a thermal pretreatment technology that produces a solid biofuel product with superior handling, milling and co-firing capabilities when compared to other biofuels. Torrefaction could produce significant capital cost reductions for those utilities wanting to co-fire.
  Although the principle of torrefaction has been proven, availability of torrefied biomass at a commercial scale is limited at present, Several commercial-scale production facilities are being developed. However, uncertainties remain about production and processing of large volumes of torrefied material.
  CEATI, its contractor, and consortium members performed a benchmark study on torrefaction in 2010. The benchmark study provided information on the status and performance of torrefaction technologies, and provided commercial prospects and associated risks of torrefaction. The present report provides an update to the benchmark study and includes more specific information and evaluation of North American and European initiatives. Furthermore, the report discusses the economic feasibility of torrefaction from various feedstock on a high-level using the KEMA BioCase software.
• Biomass Torrefaction Evaluation ProgramThis program aims to identify and prioritize the most promising torrefaction/carbonization technologies and to determine the technical and economic viability of torrified/carbonized fuel based on actual testing. Three ground work studies (#0527, #0530A, and #0530B) were conducted in advance followed by a three-phase fuel evaluation program. Phase 1 of testing includes laboratory testing and provides a comprehensive assessment of fuel properties such as chemical content, durability, grindability and hydroscopic properties. Phase 2 is a pilot scale test burn which simulates full scale utility boiler characteristics to establish long-term combustion impacts of slagging, fouling, corrosion and emissions from these fuels as well as short term issues such as milling and handling. Phase 3 is a full commercial scale, 100% test burn at a utility test site in North America. The project was initiated in March 2010.
• Biomass Torrefaction/Carbonization Test Program - Phase 2: Lab-Scale Determination of Combustion Characteristics Under Specific, Representative Boiler Conditions in the Lab-Scale Combustion SimulatorAs a continuation from #0530B, this project will include a lab scale determination of combustion characteristics under specific, representative boiler conditions (temperature, O2 setting, and fineness) in the Lab-scale Combustion Simulator for a select number of fuels:
  
  conversion kinetics
  NOx formation
  near-burner slagging propensity
  determination of fouling propensity, deposit growth rate
  determination of alkali release/aerosol formation dynamics
• Conversion of Waste Heat to Electricity: Technology Review and Assessment of Potential ApplicationsBased on previous findings, this project will undertake a research based study to investigate the market status and potential, the technical potential and the available technology to convert waste low to medium grade heat to power in different sectors. The range of application has been set to medium and low value waste heat stream in the range of 80-300C.
• Very Low Head Technology Development Site 1: Trent Severn WaterwayThe purpose of this project is the development and promotion of the technology breakthrough of the VLH turbine through on-site demonstrations of its performance, cost-effectiveness, fish-friendliness for very low head hydro sites in Ontario.
• Cornwall Ontario River Energy (CORE) ProjectThe five-year primary goal of the project is to develop 15 MW of kinetic hydropower at Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The long-term secondary goal is to help develop more than 15,000 MW of estimated kinetic hydropower potential from Canada's rivers, tidal streams, and manmade channels, such as canals and aqueducts. The tertiary goal is to help build a Canadian industry for the exportation of kinetic hydropower systems; particularly new river deployed kinetic hydropower technologies. The program will adapt, build, and demonstrate kinetic (dam-less) hydropower technologies applied to Canadian river sites.
• Development and Monitoring of a 60kW Kinetic Underwater Flow TurbineThe project involves testing a 60 Kw kinetic underwater flow turbine for one year, starting in July 2008 and ending in July 2009. The unit will be deployed in river velocities of up to 2.6m/sec to properly address operational concerns especially in cold weather climates, as well as addressing safety concerns in deployment, retrieval, and maintenance of the kinetic turbine. The project will utilize novel power electronic building blocks (PEBBs) for the rectifier and converter component for interconnecting the kinetic turbine to the grid (i.e. produces a constant three phase 600V (or other required voltage via simple software adjustment) at 60 Hz (or 50 Hz if desired) from variable stream flow velocity. The specific topics to be addressed are: 1. Cost effectiveness Energy cost /kWh, capital cost/kW installed, operation and maintenance costs. 2. Capacity factor and availability 3. Efficiency, including effect of shroud and augmenter ring 4. Reliability, including cold weather performance 5. Analysis of anchoring system 6. Analysis of ice flow/debris mitigation 7. Analysis of deployment/retrieval procedure 8. Analysis of fish mortality 9. List of permits required with discussion of the process to obtain the permits 10. Analysis of effects on upstream or downstream hydro electric dams 11. Analysis on suitability of PEBBs for interconnection
• Demonstration and Evaluation of 1 MW/7.2 MW-hr NAS Battery at Long Island Bus CompanyIn cooperation with the New York Power Authority (NYPA), demonstrate an advanced, Sodium Sulfur (NAS) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Metropolitan Transit Authority Long Island Bus (LIB) company located at 700 Commercial Avenue, Garden City, New York.
  
  Document to project sponsors all project design, procurement, and operational results via formal and informal written reports and periodic site visits.
• SFA Pacific MembershipSFA Pacific, founded in 1980, specializes in evaluation services in the oil refining, power generation, petrochemical, and environmental control industries. Emphasis is on technology and process evaluation, market analysis, economic analysis, and business strategy. The SFA Pacific professional staff conducts proprietary technical consulting work for individual client companies and also conducts some multi-client sponsored programs and reports.
• IEA Greenhouse Gas MembershipThe IEA Greenhouse Gas provides a source of unbiased information on sustainable use of Greenhouse Gas Reduction technologies world-wide. Services are delivered to governments and industry through direct advice, review reports, facilitation of R&D and provision of networks. SOIG offers its participants the opportunity to join the program.

Recently Completed Projects