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The development of improved solid fuel gasification systems for cost effective power generation with low environmental impact

Exploitable results

This project was designed to enhance the case for gasification combined cycle systems, primarily through the co-utilisation of coal with biomass and certain wastes. The aim was to build on the technical success of the APAS Contract CT92-0001 by addressing the outstanding R&D issues so identifed, while also introducing a significant and extensive technical and economic assessment study into the project. A collaborative multi-partner project team was formed to undertake the project, comprising industry, research and development organisations, and universities from the UK, Finland, Sweden, Italy, The Netherlands and Germany. Three main interrelated R&D programmes were established, each comprising a number of Work Packages. The first programme, with particular reference to systems components development and design, examined va rious aspects of coal/biomass/waste gasific ation combined cycle processes. Th i s encompassed studies into all major stages of the process. Significant advances were made in the feeding of fuels into pressurised systems, gasifier operation and control, the quality of the fuel gas generated and its impact on downstream components, and fuel gas application for gas turbine duties. The studies confirmed that the co-utilisation of coal/biomass/wastes fuel combinations can have positive impacts through reduced technical risks, increased process flexibility and efficiency, reduced environmental impact and enhanced economic factors. A second work programme undertook a number of studies examining environmental issues associated with the co-utilisation of coal, biomass and waste with a view to the minimisation of pollutant species. The work confirmed the existence of a number of positive synergetic effects occurring during co-gasification. These will impact positively on process design and operation. They will also aid further commercial application of co-gasification technologies through increased understanding of mechanisms involved and improved prediction of process/component behaviour. The third programme comprised both techno-economic studies and strategic studies. The former studies were designed to provide the means to assess the potential benefits plus the technical issues that needed to be addressed. As such, the data generated were used to focus both the larger-scale and laboratory-scale programmes noted above. The strategic studies allowed for assessments of competing technologies to be made on a comparable basis. This will prove beneficial to European industry in providing an objective assessment of technology benefits and risks. It will also aid the European Commission to formulate future R&D programmes.

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