Woodwaste biomass cofiring with high sulphur coal for power generation in Kentucky: a case study

The largest percentage of electricity in Kentucky and Tennessee is produced using coal-powered generators. High sulphur contents in coal and stricter clean air standards, however, make this an increasingly expensive operation. Cofiring with up to 5 percent wood biomass has been shown to decrease the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forest products journal 1998-04, Vol.48 (4), p.88-93
Main Authors: Ringe, J.M. (University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.), Graves, D.H, Reeb, J.E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air cleanliness
Applied sciences
BIOMASA
BIOMASS
Biomass energy
BIOMASSE
Coal
COMBUSTIBLE
COMBUSTIBLES
COMBUSTION
COSTOS
COSTS
COUT
DECHET DE BOIS
DESECHOS DE LA MADERA
Electric power plants
Electricity distribution
EMISSION
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Estimates
Exact sciences and technology
Forest management
Forest products industry
FUELS
Industrial plant emissions
Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy
Inventory
KENTUCKY
Mining
OFERTA
OFFRE
Power plants
Process engineering
Strip mining
Studies
Sulfur
SUPPLY
Thermal power plants
Timber
Timber industry
Waste materials
WASTE WOOD
Wood
WOOD RESIDUES
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Summary:The largest percentage of electricity in Kentucky and Tennessee is produced using coal-powered generators. High sulphur contents in coal and stricter clean air standards, however, make this an increasingly expensive operation. Cofiring with up to 5 percent wood biomass has been shown to decrease the emissions of marginally unacceptable coal supplies to an acceptable level. The objective of this study was to determine if sufficient woodwaste biomass existed in Kentucky to feasibly cofire Tennessee Valley Authority power plants. Results indicate that sufficient biomass does exist for this purpose, although the majority of the resource is logging slash. Additionally, cofiring can be accomplished economically. The practicality of cofiring is limited, however, by a utility's needs for large, reliable fuel supplies and relatively long-term price contracts from a very fragmented wood industry. Potential environmental concerns over the use of logging slash may also limit the practicality of cofiring on a large scale
ISSN:0015-7473
2376-9637