The Power to Choose Industrial Fuel Sources

Abstract:

The Asia Pacific power generation consumes 42.9% of the world’s coal and only 11.7% of the world’s natural gas as compared to the United States which consumes 25.5% of the world’s coal and 26.9% of the world’s natural gas annually. The use of natural gas would reduce the quantity of greenhouse gas promoting constituents coal fired power plants create. Substituting coal for natural gas not only will reduce levels of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury emissions emitted; but it will also reduce sludge, allow for re-burning, co-generation, and combined cycle generation. Re-burning injects natural gas into coal or oil fired boilers resulting in NOx and SO2 emission reductions of 60 and 22 percent respectfully. Co-generation uses both heat and electricity to increase the energy efficiency of industrial process which requires the consumption of less fuel and emission of fewer pollutants. Capturing normally wasted heat energy and using it to generate more electricity is a form of combined cycle generation. Natural gas fired combined cycle generators can be 50% more efficient than coal generated units. Pollutant emissions contribute largely to environmental issues; because of its clean burning nature, the use of natural gas can help to reduce the emission of harmful pollutants.
Looking forward to the Earth’s population growth with respect to the need for nonrenewable fuels alternate fuel sources are finding an ever pressing importance in powering industrial settings. US states such as Texas can be used as pilot programs to highlight the utilitarian uses of wind generated power and other environmentally aware programs. Consumer education on conserving energy as well as governmental policy, regulatory monitoring, and smart fuel selection can ensue an integrated success to power generation in an industrial setting.

Keywords: power generation, fuel source, efficiency, emission reduction, Asia