Biomass Co-Combustion with BDF Cuts CO2 Emissions from Coal Thermal Plant

Electric Power Development, Co., known as J-Power in Japan, has gathered new information about co-combustion technology by conducting tests with its first model generator between December 26th and March 16th, 2005. J-Power has been engaged in co-combustion of coal and "biosolids-derived fuel" (BDF) since 2000 at its Matsuura Coal Thermal Power Plant in Nagasaki Prefecture.

BDF is a solid biomass fuel produced by mixing sewage sludge with discarded edible oil and then heating and drying the resulting material. It can be handled in the same way as coal. At the Matsuura Thermal Plant, tests were conducted on the model unit (output of one million kilowatts) for about one year, starting in August 2003. The maximum mixture rate of BDF during this test was one percent, which means output of approximately 90 tons per day, or 1,200 tons a year. The result shows that mixing BDF with the fuel is as efficient as conventional combustion with coal in terms of handling, combustion efficiency, and environmental impacts. The use of 1,200 tons of BDF could replace approximately 1,100 tons of coal, leading to the reduction of about 2,600 tons of CO2 emissions during the one-year test, it was reported.

The J-Power's annual output of BDF at the Mikasagawa Sewage Purification Center in Fukuoka Prefecture, currently about 1,600 tons, is expected to increase to 2,500 tons with the model's improved operability. J-Power estimates that one percent combustion of BDF added to coal in the unit can cut approximately 53,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year, and that 82,000 tons of dehydrated sludge waste from the purification center can be fully utilized. The company intends to review the test results at the Matsuura Thermal Plant to determine the potential to introduce BDF co-combustion at other power plants.

http://www.jpower.co.jp/english/company_info/environment/pdf/er2005pdf/pp21-30.pdf

Posted: 2006/05/19 09:40:20 AM
Japanese version