Cabot Norit Activated Carbon has been awarded contracts to provide Activated Carbon Injection (ACI) systems to two utility customers in the US. The contracts will result in over $6 million in combined revenue for the company and will allow the utilities to meet stringent regulations for mercury emissions.
When coal is burned to produce electricity, any mercury contained in the coal is emitted into a flue gas and may be subsequently released into the air. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that coal-fired power plants are the largest man-made source of mercury pollution, accounting for 50% of mercury air emissions in the US. The toxicity and persistence of mercury in emissions from coal-fired power plants have caused many state environmental agencies to establish regulatory controls on flue gas emissions. In addition, the EPA has promulgated federal mercury emission levels in the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) that will take effect April 2015. Activated carbon has proven to be an effective component of emission control systems to reduce mercury emissions. Today, there are more than 60 GW of coal-fired generation that rely on activated carbon to meet current regulations globally.
The ACI systems consist of seven bulk silos planned for delivery in 2014. Cabot Norit Activated Carbon ACI systems pneumatically inject precise quantities of powdered activated carbon (PAC) from a storage silo into the flue gas ductwork of a coal-fired power plant. The PAC adsorbs the vapourised mercury from the flue gas and is then collected with the fly ash in the plant’s particulate collection device.
ACI has been recognised as the most effective technology for reducing mercury emissions from coal-fired boiler flue gases. Cabot’s ACI systems are designed to ensure a consistent particulate distribution, which makes the Cabot systems low maintenance and cost effective. A utility using a combination of Cabot’s ACI system and Cabot’s advanced DARCO® Hg-LH Extra PAC can reduce mercury emissions by more than 90%, the company claims.
“These contracts strengthen Cabot’s position as a strategic partner to coal-fired power plant owners and operators,” said Bart Kalkstein, Vice President and General Manager, Global Emission Control Technologies, Cabot Purification Solutions. “As the company with the most installed ACI systems in the coal-fired utility market, Cabot continues to lead the way in providing proven solutions to the utility industry.”
Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is a leading provider of rubber and specialty carbons, activated carbon, cesium formate drilling fluids, fumed silica and aerogel.