POWER July 2010 - 64

ELECTRIC POWER 2010: WHERE THE GENCOS MEET
Act, which establishes annual tons/year
fleetwide caps for NOx
, SO2, and mercury
emissions. There are phased and target
reductions from 2002 emission levels, according
to Cain:
■ Phase I: 70% reduction of NOx
and 80% reduction of SO2
by 2009
by 2010.
■ Phase II: 75% reduction of NOx
and 85% reduction of SO2
by 2012
by 2013.
The space and capital costs for backend
equipment at the C.P. Crane Power Plant
were prohibitive. Converting to subbituminous
coal offered a lower capital cost
solution.
The plant consists of Unit 1, which has
a 190-MW cyclone-fired selective non■
Senior management involvement is required
to set expectations, especially regarding
safety.
■ Safety costs money.
■ The plant needs to dedicate key resources
for the conversion at the outset, and they
need to be engaged early in the project
plus plan for considerable time and effort.
■ Be sure to include an assessment of the
fly ash storage needs, especially with high
loss on ignition.
Introducing the PRBCUG Board of Directors
The current PRBCUG Board of Directors comprises 13 members from a variety of positions
within the power generation industry (Figure 6). The PRBCUG does not lobby for
increased usage of PRB coals. Rather, it was formed to promote the safe, efficient, and
environmental use of PRB coals by electric generating companies that currently use, or
are considering using, the coal. The board leads the preparation of best practices for the
safe operation and maintenance of systems that use PRB coals, and the annual meeting
provides a forum for sharing those best practices and operating experiences.
6. The 2010 PRBCUG Board of Directors. Back row, left to right: Danny Morton,
plant manager, Georgia Power's Plant Scherer; Brian Crain, sales representative, Firetrol; Bill
Konefes, power plant superintendent, Muskogee, Georgia-Pacific Consumers Products; Joel
Booher, business manager, controls and performance, Diamond Power International; Don
Pearson, retired consultant, former manager of regional field engineering services, Babcock
& Wilcox; Barry Boswell, director of generation, Luminant's Martin Lake Power Plant and the
PRBCUG's vice chairman, gencos; Mark Collett, vice president, plant professionals and the
PRBCUG's director of governmental affairs. Front row, left to right: John Bridson, executive
director generation, Westar Energy; Randy Rahm, president, CoalTech Consultants and the
PRBCUG's executive director; Greg Krieser, division manager, production operations, Omaha
Public Power District and the PRBCUG's chairman; Doug Hart, manager, firing systems, Alstom;
Bob Taylor, MESH manager environmental, safety and health, American Electric Power
and the PRBCUG's secretary and past chairman; and Jim Wiseman, president, Wiseman
Consulting and the PRBCUG's vice chairman, suppliers. Source: POWER
catalytic reduction (SNCR) system with
a baghouse, and Unit 2, which has a 195MW
cyclone-fired, SNCR system with a
baghouse.
Cain highlighted the key lessons learned
from his facility's conversion to PRB coal:
■ Ensure that there is a formal process to
capture, review, and resolve plant and engineering
comments to drawings.
■ Ensure that there is sufficient contingency,
as there will be considerable discovery.
■ Invest time in developing a good schedule
early in the project.
■ There is substantial knowledge and experience
in the industry today; some information
may be conflicting or not always
applicable to your specific situation. Most
importantly, find a trusted expert that can
help guide you through the latest industry
experience.
■ Consult the PRBCUG and other PRB coal
users, as they are generally willing to help
and are tied by the common bond of safety
for any user.
Cain and Constellation Energy went
through a painstaking process to incorporate
the best practices and technologies in
the industry to minimize coal dust in their
new system. As a result, the C.P. Crane
Power Plant is a showcase and will be a
preferred destination for any utility contemplating
converting to a subbituminous
coal or wanting to upgrade its existing
coal-handling system to minimize the generation
of coal dust.
Moving in New Directions
The PRBCUG has become an international
resource for best available practices and
technologies in handling, storing, and burning
subbituminous coals and for its library
of past presentations. This year the PRBCUG
went international with attendees as
well, including its first international sponsor,
CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd. CLP sent
four representatives to the PRBCUG annual
meeting, including Edward Chiu, station
manager, Castle Peak Power Station. Hong
Kong Electric Co. Ltd. sent two representatives
from the Lamma Power Station, and
Drax Power Ltd. sent four representatives
from the Drax Power Station in the U.K.
(See the feature story on the Drax station
in this issue.)
More than 200 million tons of Indonesian
subbituminous coal are exported annually,
and more than 4 million tons of PRB coal
were exported in 2009. Demand for PRB
coal is growing in both the Asian and European
markets, and export estimates for 2011
are 10 million tons, providing port capacity
is available. Those numbers mean the value
of PRBCUG participation continues to grow
worldwide. ■
-Randy Rahm (rrahm1@cox.net) is executive
director of the PRBCUG. He is also
president of CoalTech Consultants Inc. in
Topeka, Kan.
64
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POWER July 2010

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