Climate Change Solutions
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Black & Veatch successfully placed into initial operation the largest Black & Veatch/Chiyoda Thoroughbred 121™ Wet Limestone Flue Gas Desulfurization (WFGD) process in North America at DP&L’s Killen Unit 2, providing a guaranteed 97 percent removal of SO2, while consuming less power than standard methods.

Energy Solutions

Efficiency Improvements

Smaller capital improvement projects with an eye toward efficiency and reliability improvements, in aggregate, can pay big dividends in terms of CO2 reductions. Plant retrofits such as boiler and steam turbine upgrades, control system upgrades, transformer replacements, motor upgrades and variable frequency drives, feedwater heater replacements, and cooling tower retrofits are all examples of small to mid-size capital improvement projects that yield long-term improvements in performance, reliability and CO2 reduction benefits. Black & Veatch has the ability to conceptualize, prioritize and engineer the most advantageous combination of improvements for each plant.

While capital projects targeted at efficiency improvement for existing coal-fired generation have traditionally been “on the list” of goals for generation companies, the looming prospect of GHG emission limitations or taxes has elevated the importance of boosting efficiency. Black & Veatch currently supports a wide range of projects geared toward improving efficiency, lowering emissions, and assuring continued reliable operations. Besides engineering and construction services, Black & Veatch provides the technical expertise to identify, quantify and prioritize the most critical projects. Some of our recent projects include:

  • Control system upgrades to improve power plant efficiency, plant low load range operation, and plant control response to AGC dispatch demands.
  • Power plant retrofits to improve unit capability or heat rate – the project scope can vary widely and involve steam path, boiler or balance-of-plant. Some examples include boiler and steam turbine upgrades, transformer replacements, motor upgrades and variable frequency drives, feedwater heater replacements, and cooling tower retrofits.
  • Other retrofits geared toward maintaining efficiency/reliability while increasing a plant's ability to handle variability in coal quality with mulitple coal sources, such as coal blending, dust suppression, improved sootblower/water canon systems, mill replacements, fan modifications/rebuilds, etc.
  • Development of advanced generation portfolio strategies to identify the most optimal fuel supply/technology deployment plan to meet evolving environmental regulations and maximize a plant’s continued commercial viability.