WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development
Print ISSN: 1790-5079, E-ISSN: 2224-3496
Volume 12, 2016
Generating Electricity from Spent Activated Carbon: Life Cycle Environmental Benefits
Authors: ,
Abstract: Coal-fired power plants generate around one-third of the electricity used in the Philippines, and therefore play a significant role in any discussion of energy and the environment. The fuel potential of spent activated carbon can be used to generate power and potentially offset the burning of coal, while making it possible to avoid the cost of SAC disposal. By cofiring SAC with coal, currently operating power plants might have an opportunity to reduce their impact, but of as yet unknown degree and trade-offs. A life cycle assessment is presented that characterizes the environmental performance of spent activated carbon-to-electricity. The assessment covers only the operation of the power plant, and excluded such processes as SAC transportation, feed preparation, and waste disposal and recycling. Cofiring was found to reduce the environmental footprint of the average coal-fired power plant. At a rate of 10% by heat input, cofiring reduces global warming potential by 40%. NOx, SOx, and particulate emissions are also reduced by cofiring. Consumption of nonrenewable resources and solid waste generation were found to be less for a system that cofires SAC. However, more water than is usually needed for flue gas cleanup is likely to be employed for scrubbing the hazardous Na2O fumes generated from the direct burning of SAC containing Na2SO4.
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Pages: 1-8
WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1790-5079 / 2224-3496, Volume 12, 2016, Art. #1