Avoiding New Source Review When Injecting Activated Carbon

摘要

Activated carbon injection (ACI) at the air-heater is an effective technique for controlling mercury emissions from coal-fired boilers. Therefore, many utilities are planning to use this technology to obtain the mercury reductions requiredrnby 2010. A key concern with applying this technology before an electrostatic precipi-tator (ESP) is increased particulate emissions. Because of its low resisitivity, carbon is not collected efficiently in an ESP and can increase particulate matter emissions. It takes an increase in particulate emissions of only 25 tons a year to trigger a New Source Review (NSR), therefore, even though it is a preferred technology for capturing mercury, activated carbon injection's tendency to increase particulate emission is a major drawback.