INTEGRATED GASIFICATION COMBINED CYCLE (IGCC) TECHNOLOGY SC...

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TECHNOLOGY SCAN ON INTEGRATED GASIFICATION COMBINED CYCLE (IGCC)

1.0 COAL GASIFICATION & IGCC

1.1 Coal Gasification

Coal gasification is a process that converts coal from a solid to a gaseous fuel through partial oxidation.
Once the fuel is in the gaseous state, undesirable substances, such as sulfur compounds and coal ash,
may be removed from the gas by established techniques. The net result is a clean, transportable gaseous
energy source.

In contrast to combustion process which works with excess air, gasification process works on partial
combustion of coal with the oxygen supply controlled (generally 20 to 70% of the amount of O2
theoretically required for complete combustion) such that both heat and a new gaseous fuel are produced
as the coal is consumed.

C + 1/2 O2 gasification CO

C + H2O gasification CO + H2

1.2 IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle)

The IGCC process is a two-stage combustion with cleanup between the stages. The first stage employs
the gasifier where partial oxidation of the solid/liquid fuel occurs by limiting the oxidant supply. The second
stage utilizes the gas turbine combustor to complete the combustion thus optimizing the gas
turbine/combined cycle (GT/CC) technology with various gasification systems. The SynGas produced by
the Gasifiers however, needs to be cleaned to remove the particulate, as well as wash away sulphur
compounds and NOx compounds before it is used in the Gas Turbine. It is the Integration of the entire
system components which is extremely important in an IGCC Plant.

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Various sub-systems of an IGCC Plant thus are:

i) Gasification Plant

ii) Power Block

iii) Gas Clean-up System

2.0 Relative Merits of IGCC over Conventional PC Fired Technology

 Potential for higher efficiencies

Recent advances in the Gas Turbine technologies have presented great potential towards much higher
gas turbine efficiencies. Increasing the firing temperatures and utilizing materials that withstand higher
temperatures can increase the efficiency of gas turbine. Continuous developments have been taking place
in the newer materials of construction thus consequent higher gas turbine performance. At present the
efficiency of gas turbines is in the range of 45-50% which is projected to go upto 60% with the
development of H-technology by GE. The advances in gas turbines would improve the overall efficiency of
IGCC plant.

EXPECTED IMPROVEMENTS OF IGCC POWER PLANT EFFICIENCY

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 Lower Heat Rates & Increased Output

The heat rates of the plants based on IGCC technology are projected to be around 2100 kCal/kWh
compared to the heat rates values of around 2500 kCal/kWh for the conventional PC fired plants.

 Flexibility to accept a wide range of fuels

IGCC technology has been proven for a variety of fuels, particularly heavy oils, heavy oil residues,
petcokes, and bituminous coals in different parts of the globe. In fact the same gasifiers can handle
different types of fuels.

 Environment Friendly Technology

IGCC is an environmentally benign technology. The emission levels in terms of NOx, SOx and particulate
from an IGCC plant have been demonstrated to be much lower when compared to the emission levels
from a conventional PC fired steam plant. In fact, no additional equipment is required to meet the
environment standards.

3.0 Type of Gasifiers

The Coal Gasification requires the presence of an oxidant in the process. Air or Oxygen may be used as
an oxidant and the gasifiers are accordingly known as either Air-Blown or Oxygen-Blown Gasifiers.

 Moving-bed

 Fluidized-bed

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 Entrained-flow

Typical operating characteristics of the gasifiers are as follows:

Moving Bed Fluidised Bed Entrained Bed

Exit Gas Temp. 0C 420 - 650 920 - 1050 1200

Coal Feed size < 50 mm < 6 mm < 100 mesh

Ash Conditions Dry / Slagging Dry / Agglomerating Slagging

4.0 Technology Suppliers:

Different technology suppliers worldwide have developed the gasifiers which are either air-blown or
oxygen-blown and are either of the moving bed, entrained bed or fluidised bed. The choice of the type of
the gasifier is purely a factor of the coal/fuel characteristics. Various technology suppliers for the
gasification process are as below:

Technology Supplier Coal Feed Oxidant Gasifier Type

Type

Texaco, USA / Water Slurry O2 Entrained

Flow

Shell, USA N2 carrier/Dry O2 Entrained

Flow

KRW, USA Dry Air Fluidised Bed

Lurgi, Germany Dry Air Fluidised Bed

British Gas/ Lurgi Dry O2 Moving Bed

Prenflo, USA / Krupp Uhde , Dry O2 Entrained

Germany; Deutsche-Babcock, Flow
Germany

Destec Energy, USA Water Slurry O2 Entrained

Flow

IGT U-Gas, USA / Carbona, Finland; Dry Air Fluidised Bed

IBIL, India

Rheinbraun HTW, Germany Dry Air Fluidised Bed

RWE Energie, Germany

MHI, Japan / IGC, Japan Dry Air/O2 Entrained

Flow

ABB-CE, USA Dry O2 Entrained

Flow

VEW/Steinmuller, Germany O2 Entrained

Flow

Hitachi Dry O2 Entrained

Flow

Noell/GSP Dry O2 Entrained

Flow

Ahlstrom, Sweden Dry Air Fluidised Bed

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5.0 SynGas Characteristics

Composition of the syngas depends on the fuel as well as on the gasification process. The typical
characteristics of the SynGas as generated from different fuels at some of the IGCC projects are
presented below.

Project

PSI Tampa El Shell Sierra IBIL Schwarze

Wabash Polk Dorado Pernis Pacific Pumpe

Fuel Coal Coal Pet Vacuum Coal Lignite *

Coke/ Residue

Waste
Oil

H 24.8 27.0 35.4 34.4 14.5 12.7 61.9

CO 39.5 35.6 45.0 35.1 23.5 15.3 26.2

CH4 1.5 0.1 0.0 0.3 1.3 3.4 6.9

CO2 9.3 12.6 17.1 30.0 5.6 11.1 2.8

N2+Air 2.3 6.8 2.1 0.2 49.3 46.0 1.8

H2O 22.7 18.7 0.4 -- 5.7 11.5 --

LHV, 8350 7960 9535 8235 5000 4530 12500

KJ/M3

Tfuel, 300 371 121 98 538 549 38

oC

Oxidant O2 O2 O2 O2 Air Air O2

* Lignite/Oil Slurry with Waste Plastic & Waste Oil

6.0 Gas Clean-up System

The typical steps for Gas Clean-up System aim at particulate removal, sulfur removal and NOx removal.
This is achieved as follows:

 Particulate Removal: Combination of Cyclone Filters & Ceramic candle Filters

 SOx & NOx removal: Combination of steam/water washing and removing the sulfur compounds for
recovery of sulfur as a salable product.

Hot Gas Clean-Up technology is currently under demonstration phase and various demonstrations have
not been successful so far. Wet scrubbing technology, though with a lower efficiency, still remains the
preferred option for gas clean-up systems in IGCC.

Technology Suppliers for Particulate Removal

S. Manufacturer Gas Temp. Particle Remarks

No (Max.) collection
efficiency

1. Westinghouse 10000C 99.99% for Hanging Type Candles

Ceramic Candle Filter 0.1 mm size

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2. LLB Lurgi Lentjes 10000C 99.99% Supported both sides

Babcock Ceramic
Candles Filter

3. Pall Process Filtration 10000C 99.99% Supported both sides; Clay

Ceramic Candle Filter (max.) bonded silicon carbide filter

4. Schumacher Ceramic 10000C 99.9% Hanging type candles; Clay

Candle Filter bonded silicon carbide filter

5. Mott Metal Candle 9500C 99.99% Hanging type candles;

Filter Sintered Hastelloy

6.2 Sulfur Removal

Sulfur from the hot fuel gas is captured by reducing it to H2S, COS, CS2 etc. The current sulfur removal
systems employ zinc based regenerative sorbents (zinc ferrite, zinc titanate etc.) Such zinc based
sorbents have been demonstrated at temperatures upto 650 0C.

Sulfur is also removed by addition of limestone in the gasifier. This is commonly adopted in air-blown
fluidised bed gasifiers.

In fact, in the case of Air Blown Gasifiers, sulfur is captured in the gasifier bed itself (above 90%)
because of addition of limestone. The sulfur captured in the bed is removed with ash.

7.0 Power Block

The Power Block in the IGCC Plant is essentially a Gas Turbine Unit that operates on SynGas. This Gas
Turbine Unit is basically the same as used for Natural Gas with certain modifications. The areas that are
modified and also which need to be critically evaluated for use with SynGas are:

 Modification of Fuel Supply System

 Modification in the Burners -- Special burners are required when using SynGas because of its higher
flame propagation velocity.

 Checking for Surge Conditions and suitability of Gas Turbine Units because of excess flow in case
of SynGas on account of it being a lean gas.

The gas turbine combined cycle technology has been proven for use with natural gas as well as with
syngas.

8.0 Status of IGCC Technology

The technology level for each individual system component of IGCC i.e. gasification block, gas clean-up
system and power block have already been established and proven in practice at commercial level.
Integrating these individual technologies for the electricity generation is the concept of IGCC. To
demonstrate IGCC technology at the commercial level, a number of projects have been in
demonstration/operation stage. The fact that the IGCC technology has reached maturity stage, can be
seen from the following table which gives status of various IGCC projects.

Major (Coal based) IGCC Projects Worldwide -- under operation

Project Capacity Operation Fuel Remarks

Luenen, STEAG, 170 MW Operated 1972- Oil First Commercial Scale Gasifier
Germany 77 (5 Lurgi dry ash gasifiers,
Siemens KWU combined cycle)

Coolwater Plant, 125 MW Operated 1984- Coal Texaco Gasifier (1000TPD)

Barstow,California, 88
USA

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Plaquemine Plant, 160 MW In operation Coal Dow (Destec)Gasifier(2200TPD)

Louisiana,USA since April,1987

Demkolec 253 MW Started operation Coal Shell Gasifier ?Initial problems

Buggenum Plant, in 1993, encountered in Gas Clean-up
Netherlands commercial w.e.f. System. Now operating with good
1.1.98 availability.

PSI Energy, 262 MW Commissioned Coal Destec Gasifier, Repowering

Wabash River November,1995 plant
Plant, USA

Tampa Electric 260 MW Commissioned Coal Texaco Gasifier

Polk Power Plant, Sep. 1996
USA

Sierra Pacific 100 MW Commissioned Coal KRW Gasifier

Pinon Pine Plant, 1998
USA

ELCOGAS, 335 MW Prenflow, Krupp Coal Prenflo gasifier

Puertollano, Spain Uhde
commissioned in 1998

Schwarze Pumpe, 40 MW Noell KRC (7 Coal/ commissioned on syngas

Germany fixed bed Wastes September,1996 Power/methanol
gasifiers)

Major (Refinery Residue based) IGCC Projects World-wide --- Under Operation

Project Capacity Gasifier Fuel Status

Texaco El Dorado, USA 40 MW + Texaco Waste/ Pet Commissioned September,

Steam Coke 1996

ILVA, Taronto, Italy 500 MW -------- mill Commissioned January,1997

recovery
gases

Shell PER+, Pernis, 127 MW Shell Heavy Commissioned on NG in

Netherlands (IGCC SGHP residues June,1997 & on syngas at
retrofit) process November,1997

ISAB, Sicily, Italy 520 MW Texaco Asphalt Commd. late 1999 (2

Siemens V94.2)

Sarlux, Sardinia, Italy 551 MW Texaco Refinery Commd. Early 2000 (3 GE

Residue MS9001E GTs)

API-Energia, Falconara, 280 MW Texaco Refinery 2000 (ABB GT13E2 GT)

Italy Residue

Star, Delaware, USA 240 MW Texaco Pet Coke Commd. August 2000 , Cogen
Saudi Aramco-Texaco (120MWe + steam),
JV Repowering, 2 X GE 6FA GTs

Status of IGCC Projects World-wide --- Under Construction

Project Capacity Gasifier Fuel Commissioning

KoBra, Kraftwerk 312 MW HTW/ Coal 2001

Goldenberg, Hurth, Rheinbraun
Germany AG

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AGIP Petroli, Italy 250 MW Refinery residue 2002 Power/Steam/H2

Fife Energy, Scotland 109 MW British Wastes/pet coke/ 2001 Global Energy,
Gas/Lurgi coal $117m

EXXON, Baytown, 40 MW Texaco Pet Coke 1999 Power/ H2/ CO

USA

General Seikyu K.K., 540 MW Texaco Heavy oil 2001

Kawasaki, Japan

Vresova, Czech 400 MW HTW Coal ---

Republic

IBIL,Gujarat, India 53 MW Carbona/ Lignite Environment approval

Enviropower pending

Gasification Technology Demonstration/Pilot Scale Plants

SCGP-1, Shell Oil 250 TPD Operated Coal/lignite/pet Shell Gasifier - 80%
Deer Park demonstration between coke coal to clean gas
Complex, Texas, unit 1987-1991 efficiency, 99% sulfur
USA. removal achieved. Gas
used for synthesis.

Rheinische 720 TPD Dry Lignite HTW Gasifier; gas used

Braunkohlenwerke, for methanol production
Berrenrath,
Germany

American Natural 1000 TPD In operation Lignite 14 Lurgi dry ash

Gas Co. Beaulah, since 1984 gasifiers of 1000 TPD
North Dakota, USA each for syngas
production

British Gas Lurgi 600 TPD/ Commissioned Demonstration unit;

Westfield, Scotland 30MWe in 1984 pressurised dry feed
moving bed slagging
BGL Gasifier

IGT U-Gas 800 TPD (8 Commissioned Coal 1st IGT U-Gas

Shanghai, China trains) in Dec,1994 commercial plant
Industrial fuel gas

Krupp-Koppers 48 TPD Coal

Saarbrucken,
Germany

IGT RENUGAS Commissioned Bagasse IGT Biomass

Maui, Hawaii, USA in gasification technology
October,1996 demonstration plant

Sydkraft, Varnamo, 6 MWe + in operation biofuel Pilot Plant; Ahlstrom

Sweden 9MWth since CFB Gasifier, Sydkraft
June,1996 & Foster Wheeler JV

From the above, it can be seen that IGCC technology has now reached commercialization stage in the
USA & Europe with a number of plants already in demonstration/operation phase. It may be noted that a
number of IGCC based plants have been set up in USA with financial participation of USDOE with
the objective of promoting the Clean Fuel Technology as well as part funding of the high cost of
such plants.

A Japanese R&D team at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has claimed to have developed a new hot air-
blown gasification system suitable for all kinds of solid fuel ranging from coal to waste. A demonstration

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plant of 4tpd capacity using this technology is scheduled for completion by 2000. The process named
MEET (Multi-stage Enthalpy Extraction Technology) system, using air at 1000 0C is being developed to
suit Indian fuels.

9.0 Operational feedback

Typical problems that have been encountered in various projects relate to the following areas:

 Gas Turbine Combustors : GT combustor design has been altered to handle low BTU gas with high mass
flow due to problems encountered in gas turbines.

 Hot Gas Clean-up System: Breakage of ceramic candle filters & stress corrosion cracking in heat
exchangers has also been reported.

10.0 Investment Costs

The costs for the IGCC based plants as reported are noted to be somewhat variable, depending on
economy of scale, local labor costs, and applicable engineering standards. Further, gasification costs
usually are estimated in combination with the downstream processing equipment necessary for delivery of
a syngas suitable for conversion to the designed end product. Accordingly, gasification investment costs
are best addressed on a project specific basis. The typical project costs as reported for different
demonstration/commercial projects are as below:

S.S.No Project Capacity Fuel Gasifier Gasifier CapitalCost

Type Supplier $/kW

1. Buggenum, 253 MW Coal O2 Shell 2400

Demkolec, blown
Netherlands

2. Polk, Tampa 260 MW Coal O2 Texaco 2000

Electric, USA blown

3. Wabash, PSI 262 MW Coal O2 Destec/Dow 1600 *

Energy Inc. USA blown

Texaco El Dorado, 35 MW Residue O2 Texaco 2150

USA blown

4. Pinon Pine, USA 100 MW Coal Air KRW 2320

Blown

5. Puertollano, Spain 335 MW Coal O2 Prenflo 2900

blown

6. API-Energie, Italy 280 MW Residue O2 Texaco 2850

blown

7. SARAS - Sarlux, 550 MW Residue O2 Texaco 2100

Italy blown

8. ISAB Energy, Italy 512 MW Residue O2 Texaco 2400

blown

Source: Data published in journals

(*) Wabash river is a repowering IGCC.

An IGCC plant operating on heavy oil is somewhat less complex than a coal-based IGCC and costs are
marginally less. The following graph compares current investment costs of IGCC with other new
technologies.

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Comparison of IGCC investment costs with other new technologies

Source: World Bank Website, Data published in journals

Source:

1. Technical papers of Gasification Technologies Conference 1998-2000. (http://www.gasification.org).

2. Technical papers of Ist International Conference on Green Power - The need for the 21st century (12-14
Februray,1997 New Delhi)

3. Technical papers of Indo European Seminar on Clean Coal Technologies (1997 New Delhi)

4. Proceedings of the Seminar on Texaco Gasification For Refining in the 21st Century (New Delhi
April,1998)

5. Various international journals such as Power Engineering International, Power, Modern Power System,
Gas Turbine World etc.

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