Friday, 1 August 2025

Why are fluidized-bed boilers gaining ground?

1. Fuel flexibility

  • Can burn a wide variety of solid fuels, from low-cost wastes to conventional fossil fuels.

  • Suitable fuels include coal (even poor grades), biomass, petroleum coke, anthracite mining waste (culm), oil shale, tar sands, coal slurries, and agricultural residues.

  • Can use various limestone sorbents to capture sulphur, making it adaptable to fuel market changes.

2. Lower installation cost

  • Modular design makes on-site installation faster and cheaper.

  • Easier to modify or scale without major redesign.

3. Low emissions

  • Very low NOₓ production due to lower combustion temperatures.

  • Can remove SO₂ during combustion by adding sorbents to the bed, reducing need for expensive post-combustion controls.

  • Achieves low particulate emissions.

4. High combustion efficiency

  • Stable and complete combustion even with varied fuel qualities.

5. High availability

  • Reliability often exceeds 95% when systems are properly sized and maintained.

6. High turndown ratio

  • Can efficiently operate under fluctuating load demands.

7. Combined cycle capability

  • Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion (PFBC) can integrate with gas turbines for highly efficient combined-cycle systems.

8. Compact plant layout

  • Requires smaller building volume compared to conventional boilers.

9. Advanced control systems

  • Better automation and process control improve efficiency and operational flexibility.

10. Ability to burn hazardous wastes

  • Safely disposes of certain industrial and municipal wastes while recovering energy.

11. Co-firing capability

  • Can co-fire refuse-derived fuel (RDF) with other fuels.

12. Low operating costs

  • Lower fuel costs due to fuel flexibility and lower costs for emission control.

13. Short construction time

  • Modular designs speed up project timelines.

14. Low cost of electricity

  • Overall lower fuel and operating costs contribute to cheaper power production.

15. Better ash quality

  • Produced ash is generally non-toxic, improving handling and potential reuse.

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