experience with coal to biomass conversions at ontario ... with coal to biomass conversions at...
TRANSCRIPT
Experience with Coal to Biomass Conversions
at Ontario Power Generation Brent Boyko
Senior Manager Business Development
Overview
OPG Profile
Biomass Drivers and Experience
Atikokan GS • White Pellet Conversion
Thunder Bay Unit 3 • Advanced Wood Pellet Conversion
Project Comparison
Summary
2
Ontario Power Generation
Owned by the Province of Ontario
>17,000 MW generating capacity
Supplies >50% of Ontario demand
9,500 employees
Over $41 billion in assets
2014 revenue – $4.963 billion
Ontario’s clean energy provider, our energy is 99.7% free of smog and GHG emissions
3
Biomass at OPG
Ontario is the first jurisdiction worldwide to eliminate coal-fired electricity
The final use of coal for power generation was on Thunder Bay Generating Station Unit 3 in April 2014
OPG has been evaluating the use of biomass to repower existing assets since 2006 • Full scale testing at all sites • Exchange with many utilities on best practices • Evaluation of conversion technologies including second generation
pellets
4
5
Why Convert to Biomass?
Makes use of existing generating
stations owned by people of Ontario.
Conversion costs less than new build.
Biomass is a sustainable and an
environmentally responsible fuel
source.
It is available when needed to meet
peak demand and back up OPG Hydro
in low water years and intermittent
renewables like wind/solar.
Biomass has Greenhouse Gas benefits
compared to natural gas.
Atikokan and Thunder Bay plants were
designed for lignite coal, ≈ biomass
heat content.
ATIKOKAN GENERATING STATION
THUNDER BAY GENERATING STATION
Atikokan GS –
White Pellet Conversion
220 MWe, sub-critical Designed for lignite
New fuel receiving,
storage and dedicated handling systems
New burners and modifications to mills and feedwater cycle
New ash handling systems
Entered commercial operation in July 2014
6
Before Conversion
Low capacity factor required a low capital cost solution
2010: • OPG begins evaluation
of second generation pellets
2013: • Selection of
Arbaflame pellets for detailed analysis
• Execution of full scale testing on Thunder Bay Unit 3
Thunder Bay GS – Project Development
7
1000 MG of Arbaflame pellets, 2013 trial
Full Scale Weathering
Long term storage pile established in September 2013 • Monitoring of actual
impact of winter on pellet integrity
Durability results • September 2013 99.3 • October 2013 98.2 • November 2013 98.0 • December 2013 98.4 • January 2014 98.2 • February 2014 98.8
8
Advanced biomass in winter conditions
160 MWe, sub-critical Designed for lignite
Outdoor fuel storage Modifications to
existing material handing system
Mill modifications
Entered commercial operation in January 2015
To our knowledge, Thunder Bay Unit 3 is the world’s first coal to biomass conversion using advanced wood pellets.
Thunder Bay Unit 3 – Advanced Wood Pellet Conversion
9
Project Comparison
Atikokan GS 205 MWe – White Pellets Project Duration
• 18 months (9 month outage)
Conversion CapEx • $170M ($770 / kW)
Thunder Bay GS Unit 3 150 MWe – Advanced Biomass Project Duration
• 7 months (2 month outage)
Conversion CapEx • $5M ($40 / kW)
10
After Conversion Prepared laydown area
Summary
OPG has executed coal to biomass conversions using both white pellets and advanced wood pellets.
The white pellet conversion at Atikokan GS employs many of the best practices demonstrated from similar conversions in Europe.
The conversion of Thunder Bay GS Unit 3 using steam treated wood pellets is the first such project worldwide and has demonstrated the feasibility of a low capital cost solution.
11
