The first major pieces of equipment have arrived at Duke Energy’s integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) plant in Edwardsport, Indiana. Using GE IGCC technology, the plant is expected to be the largest cleaner coal IGCC facility of its type in the world when it is complete.
“Thanks to IGCC, today it is possible to use coal to generate large amounts of electricity from coal while attaining lower levels of emissions than previously possible,” says Monte Atwell, general manager, IGCC technology, GE Energy (Atlanta, Ga.; www.ge.com/energy).he added. “IGCC plants already have demonstrated the capability to significantly reduce emissions, compared to conventional coal-fired plants, and gasification technology has been used at commercial scale to separate carbon. ”
Working from GE Energy’s specifications, Belleli Energy of Italy manufactured a radiant syngas cooler (RSC); the first sections arrived at the site last week. The remaining pieces will arrive later in the year.
GE Energy is supplying gasification, power generation and controls equipment and services for the design and startup of the IGCC plant, which will generate approximately 630 MW of power when it enters service in 2012.
In an IGCC plant, coal is heated to high temperature to create a synthesis gas or syngas, which is then processed to remove many emissions—NOx, SOx, mercury and particulate matter—before the gas is burned in a specially designed gas turbine to generate electricity. The RSC is under the gasifier and cools the syngas, creating steam, which powers a steam turbine, increasing plant efficiency. Construction of the RSC will take place on-site using mostly local labor, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.