OCR Text |
Show 9 thereby minimizing their consumption. Combined firing of coal with biomass or waste is a novel route to further reduce both CO2 and other greenhouse emissions as well as disposal requirements, even for hazardous and toxic wastes. The term "solid fuels" covers all solid fuels linked to coal, such as lignite, peat, orimulsion and other heavy fuels produced by the refining of petroleum. These fuels can be used separately or in combination with biomass, urban, industrial or agricultural waste or residues or biomass, on the condition that emissions remain at the same level and that the main component remains a solid fuel. Furthermore, synergies between solid fuels and natural gas processes will be considered. B. Objectives The main obj ectives are to prepare a new generation of clean solid fuels technology in order improve the ecological and economical acceptability of coal-based power production and to strengthen the export potential for European clean coal technologies. Short term R&D aims at improving efficiency and at reducing emission levels in conventional power plant. For the medium and longer term, R&D will support the introduction of integrated gasification combined cycles and pressurized fluidized bed combustion combined cycles which are presently in the demonstration phase and aim at establishing the basis for the subsequent generations of these and other coal-based advanced processes, including direct combustion combined cycles (pressurized pulverized coal), externally fired combined cycles, etc. c. Research subjects Short term RID on conventional steam cycles will include: New materials: integration of new (high temperature) materials in advanced process design and equipment (supercritical steam conditions, improved heat recovery, etc.). This area excludes materials development as such. These developments should increase efficiency cmd reduce em issions by significcmt factors. Fuel mixtures: combined combustion of coal blends and coal with biomass, residues and/or wastes. High biomass or waste to electricity conversion efficiencies should be targeted (i.e. up to 40% cmd above) forcommercial scale plcmts, at econom ically attractive conditions along with reduced levels of emissions of CO2 and other gaseous or solid species and with neutral or useful solid residues. Optimization of processes: advanced process development and design; fast and easy-touse mathematical models for industrial combustion equipment; scale-up factors from experimental to pilot scale and commercial installation. Projects should deliver reliable methods for peifonnance prediction for the reduction of em iss ions. Techno-economic studies on the most appropriate types of fuel (including mixtures), process design, advanced components or equipments to define the most effective processes in terms of economics and emissions. |