Flue gas

desulphurization

Soundaram Ramanathan

Centre for Science and Environment

 Sulphur dioxide - Issue

• Images from Aura Satellite showing increasing sulphur di oxide concentration

over India
• I dia’s a ie t sulphur dio ide o e tratio has dou led i se e ears

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Lower Sulphur coal then why it is an issue?

• Calorific value of coal – Quantity – emissions

Imported Indian

Coal used in kg per unit power 0.45 0.90

Percent sulphur in coal 1.0 0.5

Sulphur in coal in kg per unit
0.005 0.005
power
Sulphur dioxide in kg per unit
0.009 0.009
power

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 Sulphur di oxide: Control

• SO2 emissions can be controlled by three methods:

• Before combustion, by lowering sulphur content in

the fuel.

• During combustion, by injecting sorbents such as

limestone.

• After combustion, by treating flue gas with

sorbents in FGD devices or in ducts.

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BEFORE COMBUSTION
 Lowering Sulphur content in fuel

Emissions Range
• Sulphur in coal – Pyritic sulphur
and organic sulphur

• Removing organic sulphur difficult

• 50% of pyritic sulphur can be

removed by washing coal

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 Types

Duct Sorbent Injection

Injection system based
Furnace Sorbent Injection
Dry
Lime Spray Drying
FGD Wet Absorber vessel based
Circulating Fluidized
Process
Sea water
based

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DRY FGD - INJECTION SYSTEMS
 Furnace Sorbent injection

In this process, dry sorbent is injected directly into the furnace in the optimum
temperature region above the flame. As a result of high temperature
(approximately 1,000 °C), sorbent particles decompose and becomes porus
solids which aids in absorption of SO2 and removal.

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 Duct Sorbent Injection

In this system, sorbent is i je ted i to the flue gas do strea i the oiler’s
air pre-heater. The injector positions are optimized to maximally promote
suspension of the sorbent particles.

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DRY FGD - VESSEL SYSTEMS
Spray dry system

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Circulating fluidized bed system

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Wet FGD system

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 Sulphur di oxide: Control
WET FGD Dry FGD
Commercially ~ 1,100 MW WET FGD 300–400 MW single absorber
Dry FGD

available range Commercially available ~ 1,100 MW 300–400 MW For novel

single absorberintegrated desulphurization (NID)
range For novel integrated desulphurization (NID) each
module of each
75 MWe module of 75 MWe

Types Types 1) Seawater

1) Seawater 1) Spray dry1) Spray
absorber dry absorber (SDA)
(SDA)
2) Freshwater 2) Circulating dry absorber
2) Freshwater 3) NID. 2) Circulating dry absorber
SO2 removal efficiency Upto 99 per cent Upto 99 per3) NID.
cent (90–95 per cent for SDA)

SO2 removal Sorbent useUpto 99 per cent 1.5–2 tonne

Approximately limestone Upto
Approximately 99tonne
0.75–1.5 perlimecent (90–95 per cent for SDA)
consumed
consumed per tonne SO2 removal per tonne SO2 removal
efficiency
Water consumption in
0.2–0.25 m3/ MWh for power plants 0.1–0.2 m3/ MWh for power plants up to 200
Sorbent use m3/ MWh Approximately 1.5–2MW;
between 200–500 tonne limestone
0.25–0.3 m 3/ MWh
Approximately
MW. The semi 0.75–1.5 tonne lime
dry system is not recommended
consumedMW;
per0.3–0.45
tonne SO2 removal
for power plants between 50–200
m3/ MWh for captive power
consumed per tonne SO2 removal
for power plants > 200 MW

plants up to 50–70 MW

0.2–0.25 m 3/ MWh for power plants 0.1–0.2 m3/ MWh for power plants up to
Auxiliary power con-Freshwater FGD: 0.7 per cent 1–2 per cent
Water
consumption sumption Seawater FGD: 0.7–1.5 per cent
between 200–500 MW; 200 MW. The semi dry system is not
in m3/ MWh Condition of existing Existing stacks to be modified in all cases Existing stacks can be used without modification
recommended for power plants > 200 MW
stack

Auxiliary powerFGD by-product

Freshwater FGD:FGD:
Freshwater 0.7gypsum
per cent 1–2
CaSO3/ CaSO per
4: Has to becent
landfilled
Seawater FGD: no by-product
consumption Seawater FGD: 0.7–1.5 per cent
Waste water Generates Doesn’t generate
Condition of Existing stacks to be modified in all cases Existing stacks can be used without
existing stack modification
FGD by-product Freshwater FGD: gypsum CaSO3/ CaSO4: Has to be land filled
Seawater FGD: no by-product

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Market Share

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Sulphur di oxide: Control Status power plants

• Only 6 GW of capacity has FGD units

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 FGD: space and Installation time
1*150 MW1 4*150 MW+ 2*660 MW+ 5*800 MW+

Area required
for the wet FGD 0.6 2.2 2 7.6
system in acres

1DedicatedLimestone Slurry Preparation and Dewatering system

+FGDs have common Limestone Slurry Preparation and Dewatering system
Source: Thermax, 2016

• The construction of an FGD unit involves both civil and mechanical

work— installation of scrubbers, gas re-heaters, ducting and chimney
lining, or the construction of a new chimney.

• Typically, construction requires about 18 months for a 500 MW unit.

The shutdown time to hook up a wet FGD system to the unit takes
upto one month, depending on the chimney construction.

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 Reagent/Sorbent - Alkali

Limestone is the unprocessed mineral from mines, while lime is a reagent obtained by
processing limestone with heat to drive away the carbon in the mineral. Since lime is
processed by heating using fuel, it is more expensive than limestone.

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 Reagent/Sorbent - Alkali

• Limestone – 1.56 kg/ kg sulphur di oxide removal

(~INR 2,000/tonne)

• Lime – 0.75 kg/kg sulphur di oxide removal (~INR

6,000/tonne)

• Other reagents
• Seawater
• Soda ash/caustic soda

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 Limestone Availability

• There is no dearth of the mineral. India has an estimated 170 billion

tonnes (bt), of which 7 per cent is under reserve category and remaining
93 per cent under resource category.

• Annual usage is around 280 million tonnes (mt)—cement industry

consumes 269 mt, iron and steel industry 5.8 mt and chemicals industry
3.9 mt

• FGD for power stations – 15mt

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 Limestone Accessibility

• The May 2016 Amendment to Mines and Minerals

(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 allows transfer of
captive mining leases with a written approval from the state
government.

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 Gypsum

• Production – 3.5 mt/year (2012-13)

• Consume ~ 8 mt/year (2012-13)
• Varieties of gypsum
– Natural gypsum (majority)
– By-product gypsum - phospho-gypsum (5 mt generation – use is
only 3 mt)

– Marine gypsum (~0.3 mt)

– Gypsum moulds

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Gypsum

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