Part 2 CCT Overview
Coal-fired Power Generation Technologies (Gasification Technologies)

2B2. Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC)
Research and development: Clean Coal Power R&D Co., Ltd.
(Until 2000, the study had been conducted as a joint activity of power companies led by Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.)
Project type: Grant for "Demonstration of Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle Power Generation," the Agencyof Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Period: 1999-2009
Technology Overview

1. Overview and objective of IGCC demonstration test
Integrated Coal Gasification

1. Improved power generation efficiency: Compared with

SyngasCombined Cycle (IGCC) is aconventional pulverized coal-fired power plants, IGCC can

Unreacted
coal (char)increase power generation efficiency by approximately 20% for

high-efficiency power generation
technology which gasifies coal
to be used as the fuel for gas
turbines.

Japanesecompanies

Reductor(gasificationchamber)power

promoted

theresearch and development ofChar
recoveryunitcommercial plants.

Chargeneration efficiency, the emissions of SOx, NOx, and dust per

2. Lower environmental burden: Owing to the increase in power
generated power unit are lower. In addition, CO2 emissions arereduced to the level of the heavy-oil-fired power generation

Coal

IGCC technology, applying aNakoso pilot plant (PP)-type
gasifier1,2

astechnology 3.

theTheprocess.
Coal
Air

core

Combustor(combustionchamber)with low ash melting points, which is difficult to use inMolten slag

conventional pulverized coal-fired power plants. As a result, IGCC

PP-typeWater

gasifier utilizes dry-coal-fed,
oxygen-enriched

3. Flexibility to use different grades of coal: IGCC can use coalAir

broadens the variety of coal grades that can be used in coal-fired

Slag hopper

power plants.

air-blown,

4. Increase in fields that can utilize the ash: Since IGCC

pressurized two-stage entrained
Molten slag

beds, as shown in Figure 1.

discharges coal ash in the form of glassy molten slag, the ash isFig. 1 Nakoso PP-type gasifierThis is expected to provide

expected to be effectively used as component for civil

higher efficiency than preceding gasifiers from abroad. On theengineering work.

basis of the feasibility study results, an IGCC demonstration test

5. Reduction of water consumption: Since the generated gas isproject was started with the aim of validating IGCC’s reliability,

desulfurized directly, IGCC does not need a flue gas

operability, maintainability, and profitability, and to confirm thedesulfurization unit, which consumes large amounts of water.

feasibility of a coal-fired IGCC commercial plant.

Accordingly, IGCC uses significantly less water than conventional

Compared with conventional pulverized coal-fired power plants,

pulverized coal-fired power plants.

IGCC has many advantages, such as:
2. Specifications and objective of IGCC demonstration plant
Figure 2 shows the process flow of the IGCC demonstration

about one-half of a commercial plant. The gasifier is of theplant. Table 1 lists the main specifications and target values.

Nakoso PP-type. A wet gas clean up system with MDEA has

Figure 3 is a conceptional drawing of the IGCC demonstration

been adopted. The gas turbine is a 1200oC-class gas turbine, withplant. The scale of the plant (250 MW, 1700 t/d of coal feed) isa corresponding output of 250 MW.

Coal
Gasifier

Heatexchanger

Gas cleanup
Charrecovery unit
Combustor
Gas turbine

Table 1 Main specifications and target values of IGCC demonstration plantAir

OutputCoal feed rate

Steam turbine

GasifierDry-coal-fed, air-blown,
Pressurized, two-stage entrained beds

Gas cleanup
Gas turbine
Target thermal Gross efficiency
efficiency (LHV) Net efficiency
Environmental SOx emission concentration
characteristics NOx emission concentration(target values) Dust emission concentration

Wet gas cleanup (MDEA) + gypsum recovery
1200OC-class48%
42%
8 ppm (O2 conversion: 16%)
5 ppm (O2 conversion: 16%)
4 mg/Nm3 (O2 conversion: 16%)TypeWaste heatrecovery boiler

Nitrogen

OxygenStackGasifier
Heat exchanger
Air separator

Fig. 2 Process flow of the IGCC demonstration plant

37

250 MW class
Approximately 1,700 t/d

Clean Coal Technologies in Japan

3. Organization for executing the IGCC demonstration test
The IGCC demonstrative test is being conducted by Clean Coal
Power R&D Co., Ltd. (CCP R&D Co., Ltd.), which was established

Gasification
trainby nine power companies and J-POWER. The Ministry ofCombined-cycle
block

Economy, Trade and Industry is subsidizing 30% of the project
costs, and 70% of the costs are being borne by a total of elevenentities: nine power companies, J-POWER and the Central
Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (Fig. 4).

METI
30% subsidy
Joint project agreement
70% contribution

Gas cleanup train

Nine power companies
J-POWERCCP R&D Co., Ltd.
Personnel

Central Research Institute of ElectricPower Industry

Fig. 4 Scheme of demonstration project

Fig. 3 Conceptional drawing of the IGCC demonstration plant

4. Timetable and progress
Table 2 shows the schedule of the demonstration project. The

2006. A three-year test operation of the plant is scheduled todemonstration plant has been under construction since March

begin in the second half of FY2007.

Table 2 IGCC demonstration project timetable
Fiscal year

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Preliminary validation test
Design of demonstration plant
Environmental assessment
Construction of demonstration plant
Plant operation and demonstration test

5. Activities to date
The pilot plant test (200 t/d of coal feed), which is a preliminary stageJoban Joint Power Co., Ltd.’sNakoso power plantof the demonstration test, was carried out from 1986 to 1996 atFormer site of pilot plant;
Site selected for demonstration plant

Joban Joint Power Co., Ltd.’s Nakoso power plant in Iwaki City,Fukushima, (Fig. 5). The pilot plant test was conducted jointly by nine
power companies, plus J-POWER and the Central Research Instituteof Electric Power Industry, as an entrusted project of NEDO. A pilot
plant test of 4,770 hours, including 789 hours of continuous
operation, proved the practical applicability of the IGCC technology3.
Based on the success of the pilot plant test, a demonstration test
introduced an optimum system, which was selected following afeasibility study conducted by NEDO. After conducting a variety ofsurveys, Joban Joint Power Co., Ltd.’s Nakoso power plant wasagain selected as the site for the demonstration test, which is
being conducted at the same site of the pilot plant.

Fig. 5 Site for demonstration test. (Iwaki City, Fukushima)

References

1) Shozo Kaneko et al., "250MW AIR BLOWN IGCC DEMONSTRATION PLANT PROJECT,"Proceedings of the ICOPE-03, pp. 163-167, 2003.
2) Christopher Higman, Maarten van der Burgt, "Gasification," pp. 126-128, 2003.
3) Narimitsu Araki and Yoshiharu Hanai: Bulletin of Japan Energy, 75-9, pp. 839-850, 1996.
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