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Experts: Warfare Between Coal and Gas Is Nonexistent

March 12, 2018

Markets may currently favor natural gas, but coal, which has been diminished for “good reason,” will likely have a significant place as a reliable fuel for power generation, a diverse panel of U.S. coal experts—including a generator, a supplier, and a market analyst—suggested at CERAWeek by IHS Markit in Houston on March 7.

Coal lost its dominant role in the U.S. generation mix in 2016 and fell further to a 30.1% share at the end of 2017, drastically lower than the 48.5% it held in 2007. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas’s share surged to 31.7% in 2017, a leap compared to its 21.6% share in 2007.

A panel at CERAWeek by IHS Markit on March 7, 2018, discussed the role of coal and gas in American power. From left to right: Jim Thompson, IHS Markit; Paul Bailey, ACCCE; David Ownens, TVA; David Khani, CONSOL Energy; and Samuel Andrus, IHS Markit. Source: POWER

According to Paul Bailey, president and CEO of the American Coalition of Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE)—an organization that represents the nation’s coal generation fleet, not the coal industry, as is commonly assumed, he noted—the decline is rooted in the mass retirements of coal plants.…

Germany’s New Coalition Government Agrees to Phase Out Coal, but Will Miss 2020 Emissions Targets

March 10, 2018

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Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) members agreed to join their longtime rival and governing partner, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and reluctantly entered into a third grand coalition government on March 4. While this ended months of anxious handwringing following September’s national elections, the entire process was mired in frustration as the prospect of yet another coalition grew more unpopular each day.

While the only idea more unfavorable was another national election (with the fear that rightwing parties would gain even more support), at the ceremony announcing the SPD’s decision to again join the CDU, there was virtually no applause. Much like a resigned patient about to undergo chemotherapy, the general mood among both SPD and CDU party members (and the general population) was one of begrudging willingness without any marked enthusiasm. Following years of coalition experience behind them, neither party seemed excited to rejoin the partnership and, its fair to say, the new ruling coalition is both weaker and more unpopular now than prior to elections.…

Test Your Knowledge: Boiler Chemical Cleaning

March 7, 2018

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Most engineers and operators know (or should know) that boiler tubes containing deposits create long-term reliability problems for the boiler. Long-term overheating of the metal will result from prolonged operation with heavy tube deposits. The tubes will first bulge and then fail. Because the deposits tend to be widespread, this generally means that large sections of boiler tubing will be damaged and require replacement. With the exception of corrosion fatigue, all water-side boiler tube failure mechanisms occur under deposits. Get rid of the deposits and you also stop the water-side tube failures.

The standard method for determining when to chemically clean a boiler is to take a boiler tube sample and have the deposit amount measured—a deposit weight density (DWD)—and the composition of the deposit analyzed. If the DWD results indicate the need to chemically clean, action should be taken sooner rather than later. This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of boiler chemical cleaning fundamentals.
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To learn more about boiler chemical cleaning, read: “Boiler Chemical Cleaning: Doing It Correctly.”…

FPL Will Build New Gas Plant, Adds More Solar

March 5, 2018

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Florida regulators on March 1 approved Florida Power & Light’s (FPL’s) plan to build a new $ 888 million natural gas-fired power plant, replacing an existing gas- and oil-fueled plant on the same site in Dania Beach that is being retired this year. The utility on Thursday also announced the opening of four new solar power plants in Florida, joining four others that FPL opened in January of this year.

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) supported FPL’s plan for the new 1,163-MW Dania Beach Clean Energy Center. The PSC said reusing infrastructure from the existing Lauderdale plant at the site was the most cost-effective way to lower emissions and meet rising demand for electricity in the region. The new facility will use the same gas infrastructure, substation, and transmission lines as the existing plant, and emissions will be 95% lower for nitrogen oxide and 22% lower for carbon dioxide, according to the PSC. Water used by the plant will drop by more than 1 million gallons a day, the PSC said.…

Congratulations to the Connected Plant Game Changers

March 3, 2018

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The Connected Plant Game Changer Award recognizes those people who are leading the charge in implementing digital technologies in their field: either in the chemical process industries or in power generation.

Nominations are open to individuals who have used tools associated with digitalization to contribute to innovation, solve a problem or make improvements, as well as those who are fast risers or champions in this area. Out of the many nominations received this year, a total of 12 winners were chosen by a committee comprised of staff members from POWER and Chemical Engineering. The winners were honored with the award during a luncheon at this year’s Connected Plant Conference (February 27–28, Charlotte, N.C.; www.connectedplantconference.com).

The 2018 Connected Plant Game Changer Winners

Matt Peters, Manufacturing Engineer from 3M

Matt has been involved in numerous projects leveraging WirelessHART and remote analytics to improve process uptime, asset reliability, worker safety and energy efficiency. He helped create a corporate strategic vision for wireless and integrated smart technologies.…

ICS Cybersecurity Threatened, but Defense Woefully Inadequate

March 1, 2018

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Though increasingly serious cybersecurity threats loom, nearly two-thirds of U.S. industrial control system (ICS) vulnerabilities identified in 2017 could cause severe operational impact if exploited, cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc. warned in a series of reports published March 1.

The reports, which cover ICS vulnerabilities, ICS threats, and reactions to existing threats, draw a dire picture of the current state of ICS cybersecurity.

In one report, Reid Wightman, Dragos senior vulnerability analyst, notes that public disclosures issued in 2017 fail to adequately define the industrial impact of vulnerabilities. Most provided no alternative guidance beyond “patch” or recommendations to use secure networks, and the firm concluded that public reporting will need a “huge improvement.”

Another report, authored by Joe Slowik, a Dragos senior threat analyst, noted that 2017 was a defining year in ICS security. Last year alone, two major and unique disruptive attackers were revealed, five distinct activity groups targeting ICS networks were identified, and several large-scale IT infection events with ICS implications occurred.…