Environmental Impact of Coal- Fired Power Stations by Rob Glaser
Main Environmental Issues 1. Coal supply and storage and quality of the coal 2. Internal transport systems 3. Coal fired boilers 4. Power generation 5. Emissions
1. Coal supply, storage, and quality of coal Issues: Mining activity dust control Fires/ explosions during mining operation Traffic Rehabilitation / top soil preservation/ quarantines Leaching and groundwater controls
Treatment of leachate Monitoring obligations during mining operations Quality of the coal/ analyses Intermediate storage on site of the mine as well as at the power station Self ignition and fires Heating value losses Transport systems 1. Coal supply, storage, and quality of coal... Continuation 1
2. Internal transport systems Issues: Day bunkers and safety Grinders Dual burners
3. Coal fired boilers Issues: Technology Low NOx/SOx technology Pre heating of burner air On line operation of cleaning Slag reception systems Water treatment of slag quenching systems Boiler feed water preparation An/cat ion exchange system Softening system Hydrazine
4. Power generation Issues: Thermal efficiency Transformers PCBs Noise Cooling towers Preservation and cleaning systems Percentage blow-off and treatment
5. Emissions Air: storage (dust,VOCs.) storage of waste from power plant stack emissions (NOx SOx dust, F, Hy metals, Cd, Radioactive components part sizedistribution/eff.) monitoring data emissions
5. Emissions... continuation 1 Water: slag water (Hg, Cd, pacs, CN, total Hy metals) sluice water storage leachate groundwater (coal/wastes) softening water sluice spraywater on storage rainwater treatment plant boiler feedwater treatment and sluice water
5. Emissions... continuation 2 Waste: ESP waste composition waste composition cleaner technology storage sites (disposal) dust emissions from waste disposal site rehabilitation of waste site groundwater protection and monitoring system maintenance waste (cleaning, workshop, boiler cleaning, asbestos?) PCBs from transformers waste oils monitoring and reporting
5. Emissions... continuation 3 Noise: powerplant transformer stations mills
6. General environmental issues Ambient quality standards Monitoring obligations Future developments Cleaner technology Alternative fuels Waste utilization Energy optimization Low NOx and Low SOX technology