GE offers a solution designed to significantly reduce dusting and oxidation of conveyed materials. The CoalPlus portfolio of dust control binders and antioxidants enhances coal quality, reduces dust emissions and minimises spontaneous combustion, addressing operator safety and environmental compliance, two of the major challenges. GE’s says this technology can reduce dusting by up to 90% during loading, unloading, stack-out and reclamation at utilities and coal terminals and significantly decreases in-transit coal losses.

It is specially designed for low-rank coals, such as those from the Powder River Basin (PRB) region in the US. CoalPlus technology retards the oxidation and weathering of low rank coals, which in turn reduces hot spots, smokers and spontaneous combustion at generating stations, coal terminals and mines. In addition, less weathering reduces BTU losses during outside storage at coal yards and terminals.
Cloud Peak Energy Resources stated: “We have been actively pursuing the export market for PRB coal since 2008. One of the key challenges associated with exporting PRB coal is controlling the temperature of the coal stockpiled at export terminals. Over the past 18 months, Cloud Peak Energy has worked with GE and a terminal operator to develop a product that reduces the tendency for coal to develop localised hot spots. As a result of this co-operation, a GE product is now successfully used to treat all coal destined for Cloud Peak Energy’s export markets.

Antioxidants and dust control products in GE’s CoalPlus treatment program are not coating agents but are especially designed synthetic materials that inhibit the oxidation reaction. As opposed to traditional crusting and coating agents, the dosage rates of CoalPlus treatments on a per tonne basis tend to be 40 to 100 times less than the traditional alternatives, leading to significant savings in applied chemicals, transportation and logistics costs and ultimately a lower environmental impact during the transportation and handling phase of the coal use cycle.

GE’s engineering team, in partnership with the utility, can audit the coal supply chain from the mine to the generating unit, identify specific problems and design a custom CoalPlus program to address specific issues. “CoalPlus is revolutionary because it allows for higher quality of coal while diminishing spontaneous combustion,” said Ava-Drayton Elder, Senior Product Line Director – Water and Process Technologies for GE Power & Water.