Application of a boiler performance model to evaluate low-rank coal fired subcritical and supercritical boilers

A number of thermal drying processes that could be used to dry and upgrade Low-Rank Coals (LRCs) are under development. G/C evaluated these processes and selected the SynCoal process as the optimum process to dry the LRC. Initially, the evaluation was made on the basis of the cost of dried LRC, delivered to Korea, and later the evaluation was made on a cost-of-electricity (COE) basis. Two cases were evaluated: firing the dried LRC in an existing subcritical PC plant and in a new supercritical boiler. For the existing PC plant, Korea Electric Power Corporation`s (KEPCO`s) 270 MWe Honam plant was selected. A Boiler Performance Model (BPM) was used to evaluate performances of both subcritical and supercritical units for firing various coals. The results showed that upgraded Usibelli coal was marginally competitive due to its high mine-mouth cost, but Rosebud coal was very competitive due to its low mine-mouth cost. In these cases the coals were upgraded by using the SynCoal process. This report investigates the impact of tax incentives resulting from the Energy Policy Act of 1992 on the competitiveness of the upgraded Alaska Usibelli and Montana Rosebud coals for application to PC plants. The SynCoal process has been qualifiedmore » by the Internal Revenue Service for tax benefits derived from the Energy Policy Act. The economic analyses include costs and sensitivity analyses for alternative ways of selling fines produced during the SynCoal process: briquetting fines and adding them to the finished product, or cooling fines and selling them to users at the same price as SynCoal product in the domestic market. These analyses included the effects of tax incentive when applicable.« less