p.1 

OAR Box 1828 

Prepped by Ollie Stewart 

Document Number: 

294) IV-A-4 

Docket Number: 

A-83-27 

Printed 11/12/2008 11:12:58 AM Sheet 294 of 325 
United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency 

Office of Air QualityPlanning and Standards 

Research Triangle Park NC 2' 

• 

Survey of New 

Industrial Boiler 

Projects — 

1981-1984 

..isixsius ;ionia::ii::iiLiniiiin r; HE I: ;imr.mE : it: i u- t m 1: i 

i 
P.3 

EPA-450/3-87-006 

Survey of New 

Industrial Boiler Projects — 

1981 -1984 

Emission Standards and Engineering Division 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Office of Air and Radiation 

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 

Research Triangle Park NC 27711 

April 1987 
P.4 

This report has been reviewed by the Emission Standards and Engineering Division of the Office 

of Air Quality Planning and Standards, EPA, and approved for publication. Mention of trade 

names or commercial products is not intended to constitute endorsement or recommendatipn 

for use. Copies of this report are available through the Library Services Office (MD-35), U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park NC 27711, or from National Technical 

Information Services, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield VA 22161. 
P.5 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Section Page 

LIST OF TABLES iv 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY v 

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 

2.0 COLLECTION OF DATA 1 

Description of the Survey Form 2 

Development of the Mailing List ;.... 2 

Data Management Procedures 3 

3.0 DESCRIPTION OF NEW BOILER PROJECTS : 3 

Description of All Projects Surveyed 3 

Representati veness of Data Base 5 

4.0 ANALYSIS OF NEW BOILER PROJECTS.; ; ...' 7 

Primary Reasons for New Boiler Projects..... 7 

Factors Affecting Boiler Decisions 11 

Cost Sensitivity of Projects 12 

Existing Boiler Data and Status Changes 15 

5.0 " SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM CATEGORY I BOILER PROJECTS.... 18 

Emission Rate 18 

Total Annual Emissions 20 

6.0 IMPACT OF LOWER ENERGY PRICES 24 

APPENDIX 1: BOILER REPLACEMENT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 

APPENDIX 2: EMISSION CALCULATION PROCEDURES 

m 
P.6 

LIST OF TABLES 

Table Page 

1 Description of All New Boilers Covered by Survey 4 

2 Description of New Boiler Projects >100 MMBtu/hr and Using 

Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, or Wood as Primary Fuel 6 

3 Primary Reason for Project (All Projects).. 8 

4 Primary Reason for Project (Category I Projects) 9 

5 Factors Affecting Decisions for Category I Projects 13 

6 Percent of Projects That Would Have Proceeded as Designed 

If Cost Increased 14 

7 Existing Boiler Information for Category I Projects 16 

8 Changes in Status of Existing Boilers (Category I 

Projects) 17 

9 SOp Emission Rates From New and Existing Boilers 

(Category I Projects) 19 

10 Annual S02 Emission Impact (Category I Projects) 21 

iv 
P.7 

EXECUTIVE. SUMMARY 

This report presents an analysis of data collected through a written 

survey of firms purchasing new industrial boilers between 1981 and 1984. 

The purpose of the survey was to collect data which could be used to assess 

the reasons for new industrial boiler purchases, the percentage of these 

boilers which are used for new applications versus replacement of existing 

boilers, and the impact of new boiler purchases on S02 emissions. 

A total of 168 surveys covering 229 new industrial boilers with 47,750 

million Btu/hour heat input capacity were collected and entered into a 

computerized data base. Of these, 151 units were equal to or larger than 

100 million Btu/hour and designed to fire coal, oil, natural gas, or wood as 

the primary fuel; aggregate heat input capacity of these boilers was 38,657 

million Btu/hour. Most of the analysis in the report is based on these 151 

units. Comparison with boiler sales data gathered by the American Boiler 

Manufacturers Association (ABMA) suggests that these units represent greater 

than 95 percent of the industrial boilers in this category sold between 1981 

and 1984. 

Analysis of the data identified five primary reasons for installation 

of new boilers: 1) desire to use fuels other than those currently used by 

existing boilers (34 percent of the total), 2) need for additional boiler 

capacity at an existing plant (22 percent), 3) poor condition of an existing 

boiler (16 percent), 4) need for steam at a new plant (14 percent), and 5) 

desire to cogenerate electricity (14 percent). Factors affecting the design 

of the new boiler and the cost sensitivity of the boiler purchase decision 

were evaluated as a function of these five reasons. Less than 10 percent of 

the purchasers indicated they would have changed the project if costs had 

increased by 10 percent; if costs increased by 30 percent roughly one-half 

of the boiler projects would have been changed. Boilers installed for the 

primary purpose of fuel switching and cogeneration were the most cost 

sensitive, while boilers installed due to poor condition of the existing 

boiler were the least sensitive. 
P.8 

Data on 291 existing boilers that were in some way affected by 

installation of the new boilers were also examined. These boilers tend to 

be much smaller in size and fire relatively greater amounts of oil and 

natural gas than the new boilers. Roughly 50 percent of the existing 

boilers were shutdown or dismantled as part of the new boiler project while 

the remaining 50 percent continued operating, generally at reduced load. Of 

the 50 percent reported as shutdown or dismantled, the boiler owners 

indicated that about one-third could have been rebuilt to extend their 

useful life. 

The above five reasons were also used to classify boilers as 

replacement versus new application and as mandatory versus discretionary 

purchases. Based on this analysis, the number of replacement and new 

application boilers are almost equal (50 percent each) while discretionary 

purchases account for roughly 60 percent of sales versus 40 percent for 

mandatory purchases. 

Analysis of S02 emissions found that although the new coal- and 

oil-fired boilers have average emission rates that are 40 to 50 percent 

lower than the existing boilers firing the same fuel, the average emission 

rate for all boilers remained virtually unchanged because of changes in the 

mix of fuels fired, specifically increased use of coal and decreased use of 

natural gas. This fact combined with the overall increase in total boiler 

capacity results in an increase in total annual SO- emissions of roughly 70 

percent compared to baseline emissions before the new boilers were 

installed. This increase results from 1) installation of new boilers that 

are not replacing existing boilers, 2) replacement of existing boilers with 

new boilers that are significantly larger, 3) fuel switches from natural gas 

and oil to coal, and 4) continued operation of the existing boilers, 

although at reduced load. 

Of the total annual S02 emissions occurring after installation of all 

the new boilers (i.e., replacement and new installations), roughly onefourth were emitted by existing boilers that remained in operation after 

installation of the new boilers. Of the emissions increase, roughly 

one-half came from projects where the new boiler was installed as a 

replacement, with the other half coming from new applications. If only 

vi 
P.9 

those boilers defined as mandatory (i.e., driven by factors largely 

independent of boiler cost) were installed, emissions would have increased 

by roughly 20 percent. 

Based on current fuel prices, the number of coal-fired boiler purchases 

associated with fuel switching is expected to be lower in the future than in 

the 1981-84 time period. To evaluate the impact of lower oil and natural 

gas prices on potential S02 emissions, data from projects installed for 

reasons other than fuel switching projects were tabulated. Significantly, 

when fuel switching is exluded from the analysis, the percentage of new 

boilers installed as replacements for existing boilers decreases from 

roughly one-half (as discussed above) to about one-fourth and the increase 

in emissions declines from about 70 percent to about 4Q percent. If current 

low fuel prices were to also discourage construction of cogeneration boilers 

(also found to be sensitive to project economics) as well as fuel switching 

boilers, replacement boilers would represent roughly one-third of new boiler 

installations; total S02 emissions would be about'20 percent higher than 

from the existing boilers alone. 

In summary, under all of the situations examined, the survey data 

indicates that total' emissions of SOx are higher after installation of new 

boilers than they were previously. Major reasons for this are 1) installation of new boilers to satisfy increased steam demands at new and existing 

plants, 2) changes in the relative use of coal versus natural gas, and 3) 

continued operation of many existing boilers (although at reduced loads) 

after the new boilers are installed. Because of this increased steam demand 

(and associated energy use), total annual S02 emission increase despite the 

fact that new coal- and oil-fired boilers have lower average emission rates 

per million Btu of fuel fired than did the existing boilers. 

vn 
P.10 

SURVEY OF NEW INDUSTRIAL BOILER PROJECTS 

1981-1984 

1.0 INTRODUCTION 

This report presents the analysis of data collected through a written 

survey of firms purchasing new industrial boilers between 1981 and 1984. 

The purpose of the survey was to collect data which could be used to assess 

the reasons for new industrial boiler purchases, the percentage of these 

boilers which are used for new applications versus replacement of existing 

boilers, and the impact of new boiler purchases on S02 emissions. 

Section 2 of the report reviews the data collection and management 

procedures. Section 3 summarizes general statistics on the boilers 

surveyed; this information includes boiler size, fuel use, fabrication 

methods, and methods of S02 control. A comparison of the surveyed boilers 

relative to boiler sales data gathered by the American Boiler Manufacturers 

Association (ABMA) for the same time period is also presented. Section 4 

presents an analysis of why these new boilers were .built, factors 

influencing boiler decisionmaking, the sensitivity of the boiler purchase to 

increased costs, and the impact of the new boiler on existing boilers at the 

same site. Section 5 evaluates changes in S02 emission rates and total 

annual emissions resulting from the overall new boiler project, including 

operational changes in existing boilers already at the site. Section 6 

examines possible impacts on the survey's findings resulting from current 

energy prices which are lower than those during the 1981-84 time period. 

2.0 COLLECTION OF DATA 

Information on boiler replacements was collected using a written survey 

form sent to recent purchasers of industrial boilers. The following three 

sections describe the survey form used to obtain data, the development of a 

mailing list of recent boiler purchasers, and data management procedures 

used to handle the survey forms after they were completed. 
p.11 

Description of the Survey Form 

A survey form (Appendix 1) was developed to collect data on each new 

boiler project; a project can consist of one or more new boilers. The 

survey form is divided into four major sections: 

o Part I, containing general information on the boiler purchaser; 

o Part II, describing the reason(s) for undertaking the new boiler 

project; 

o Supplement A, providing detailed information on each new boiler 

installed as part of the overall project; and, 

o Supplement B, providing detailed information on each existing 

boiler located at the site of the new boiler project (or an 

adjacent site in the case of several "third-party" cogenerators) 

which was affected in some way by installation of the new 

boiler(s). 

Parts I and II were completed for the entire project, while separate Supplements A and B were completed for each individual boiler included in the 

project. 

Development of the Mailing List 

Information on new boiler orders was obtained from two data listings 

collected by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE): Form ERA-97 (Boiler 

Manufacturers Report) and Form EIA-97 (Boiler Order Report). These two 

reports contain essentially the same information; EIA-97 is the more recent 

of the two and has superseded ERA-97. 

These forms are used by DOE to collect quarterly data from U. S. boiler 

manufacturers, their foreign affiliates and subsidiaries, and U. S. boiler 

rental companies on orders received from electric utilities and industrial 

firms operating in the U.S. (including territories and administered areas). 

Information is required to be submitted for all boilers having a rated 

capacity of 40,000 or more pounds of steam per hour (approximately 

50 million Btu/hr heat input capacity) and includes: boiler function, rated 

capacity, fuels burned, date ordered, date delivered, and the name and 

address of the purchasing/operating company. 

A list of the name, address, and telephone number of companies ordering 

boilers rated at 80,000 pounds of steam and larger between January 1982 and 
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September 1984 was obtained from the Form EIA-97 database. Similar 

information was obtained from Form ERA-97 for boilers ordered between 

January 1977 and March 1982. Both data sets were presorted to eliminate 

non-industrial purchasers (e.g., electric utilities and institutional users 

such as hospitals and universities) and waste heat boilers. For use in the 

survey, the database was further sorted to eliminate boilers ordered prior 

to January 1981. 

As an additional check, the boiler inventory was screened to eliminate 

boilers sold to rental companies, which would not be permanently installed 

at a site. Information on the remaining boilers was confirmed through 

telephone calls to each purchaser listed. This was done to verify 

installation of the boiler and to obtain a correct name and* address for 

survey mailout purposes. Survey forms were then sent to 185 companies. 

Data Management Procedures 

Responses were received from all 185 companies receiving the survey 

form. Several of the respondents did not complete the survey, indicating 

that the boiler was ordered prior to 1981, had been cancelled, or was below 

the 100 million Btu per hour threshold established for the survey. Data 

from the remaining 168 survey forms were entered into a computerized data 

base, and then manually reviewed for missing data and keypunch errors to 

eliminate possible problems in subsequent analysis. Statistical analyses of 

the data were conducting using MICRO-SAS software developed by SAS, Inc. 

(located in Cary, NC). 

3.0 DESCRIPTION OF NEW BOILER PROJECTS 

Description of All Projects Surveyed 

A total of 168 surveys were entered into the data base, covering 229 

boilers with a total heat input capacity of 47,750 million Btu/hour 

(assuming 1,176 Btu of fuel fired per pound of steam generated). Summary 

statistics for the new boilers included in these projects are provided in 

Table 1. Note that 7 percent of the total capacity and 23 percent of the 

number of boilers surveyed are less than 100 million Btu/hour. Coal-fired 
P.13 

TABLE 1. DESCRIPTION OF ALL NEW BOILERS COVERED BY SURVEY 

Total Number of Projects: 

Total Number of New Boilers: 

Total New Boiler Capacity (MMBtu/hr 

Average Size of New Boiler (MMBtu/hr 

-

heat input): 

heat input): 

Frequency Distribution (Percentage) by: 

Capacity (MMBtu/hr): Caoacitv (%) No. 

<100 

100-150 

150-200 

200-250 

250-400 

400-600 

>600 

Primary Fuel: 

Coal 

Oil 

Natural Gas 

Wood 

Other 

Fabrication Method: 

Package 

Field 

Number of Boilers Per Project: 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Method of S02 Control: 

Low-Sulfur Fuel 

Flue Gas Desulfurization 

Fluidized Bed Combustion 

No Response 

7.0 

12.7 

12.4 

5.8 

13.8 

21.0 

27.3 

42.6 

2.0 

23.4 

16.6 

15.2 

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

47 

Units 

23.1 

25.3 

17.0 

6.6 

10.0 

10.9 

7.0 

39.0 

3.9 

29.8 

13.6 

13.6 

36.8 

63.2 

76.2 

16.7 

2.4 

4.2 

0.6 

74.2 

1.7 

13.5 

10.5 

168 

229 

,750 

209 

(%) 
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boilers predominate (accounting for 43 percent of the capacity and 39 

percent of the units). These were followed in decending order by natural 

gas, wood, other (consisting primarily of byproduct fuels such as black 

liquor and refinery off-gas), and oil. Almost 90 percent of the respondents 

indicated they practiced some form of SO- control, primarily use of 

low-sulfur fuels (74 percent of the boilers) followed by fluidized bed 

combustion (14 percent). 

A subset of the data base was constructed containing only those 

projects (hereafter referred to as Category I projects) that included one or 

more new boilers equal to or greater than 100 million Btu/hour heat input 

capacity (85,000 pounds of steam/hour) and that burned coal, oil, natural 

gas, or wood as the primary fuel. The Category I data base is summarized in 

Table 2. It includes 158 new boilers with a total capacity of 38,657 

million Btu/hour. Of these 158 boilers, 151 meet the above size and primary 

fuel criteria. The remaining seven boilers were installed as part of 

projects involving one or more of these 151 units, but are smaller than 100 

million Btu/hour or fire byproduct fuels. Units greater than 250 million 

Btu/hour account for 64 percent of the capacity and 34 percent of the new 

boilers by number. Fuel use is generally similar tb the larger data base, 

but contains a somewhat larger percentage of coal and wood-fired units. 

Sulfur dioxide control statistics are also similar to the larger data base. 

Representativeness of Data Base 

The survey was designed to gather information on new industrial boilers 

sold between 1981 and 1984. To evaluate the completeness of the survey, the 

Category I data base (excluding the seven new boilers smaller than 100 

million Btu/hr capacity) was compared to boiler sales data compiled by the 

American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) for the corresponding time 

period (January 1981-September 1984). The ABMA data were adjusted to 

exclude electric utility auxilliary boilers and rental boilers (estimated at 

20 and 15 boilers, respectively, based on information provided by ABMA) to 

provide a common basis for comparison. 

The adjusted ABMA sales data includes a total of 156 boilers: 79 

coal-fired, 50 oil- and gas-fired, and 27 wood-fired. The Category I 

boilers for the same fuels total 151: 76 coal-fired, 49 oil- and gas-fired, 
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TABLE 2. DESCRIPTION OF NEW BOILER PROJECTS >100 MMBTU/HR AND 

USING COAL, OIL, NATURAL GAS, OR WOOD AS PRIMARY FUEL 

Total Number of Projects: 

Total Number of New Boilers: 

Total New Boiler Capacity (MMBtu/hr heat input): 

Average Size of New Boiler (MMBtu/hr heat input): 

Frequency Distribution (Percentage) by: 

Capacity (MMBtu/hr): 

<100 

100-150 

150-200 

200-250 

250-400 

400-600 

>600 

Primary Fuel: 

Coal 

Oil 

Natural Gas 

Wood 

Other 

Fabrication Method: 

Package 

Field 

Number of Boilers Per Project: 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Method of S02 Control: 

Low-Sulfur Fuel 

Flue Gas Desulfurization 

Fluidized Bed Combustion 

No Response 

Caoacitv {%. No. 

0.6 

*• 

12.9 

15.4 

7.2 

14.0 

21.5 

28.5 

49.2 

2.3 

24.6 

19.9 

3.9 

TM TM 

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

38 

Units 

1.9 

30.4 

24.7 

9.5 

12.0 

12.6 

8.9 

48.1 

5.1 

27.2 

16.5 

3.2 

25.3 

74.7 

76.5 

15.7 

2.6 

4.3 

0.9 

72.2 

1.9 

15.8 

10.1 

115 

158 

,657 

245 

(%). 

-
P.16 

and 26 wood-fired. Based on these almost identical 'numbers, results derived 

from the survey data are expected to closely reflect the total population of 

industrial boilers sold between 1981 and 1984. 

4.0 ANALYSIS OF NEW BOILER PROJECTS 

Primary Reasons for New Boiler Projects 

One of the principal questions in the survey dealt with why the boiler 

was purchased. This question was asked both as an "essay" question 

(Question I1-6) and by asking respondents to rank a list of factors on a 

scale of 0 (unimportant), 1 (somewhat important), and 2 (very important) 

(Question II-9). Based on review of the responses to these two questions, 

five primary reasons were identified that accounted for all of the projects 

surveyed: 

o desire to change base fuel; 

o need for additional boiler capacity at an existing plant; 

o condition of the existing boiler; 

o need for steam at a new plant site; and 

o desire to cogenerate electricity. 

Each of these primary reasons is briefly described below. Tables 3 and 4 

present the percent of boilers falling into each primary reason category for 

the entire data base and Category I boilers, respectively. 

Fuel Switching--

Given relative fuel prices and availability during the time period 

covered by the survey, many boiler owners were faced with the decision to 

continue operation with a fuel considered to be expensive and unreliable 

(e.g., oil) or convert to a fuel considered cheaper and more secure (e.g., 

coal). As shown in Tables 3 and 4, respectively, the survey respondents 

indicated 28 percent of'all projects and 34 percent of the Category I 

projects were for the primary reason of fuel switching--the most frequent 

response given for any of the above reasons. 
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TABLE 3. PRIMARY REASON FOR PROJECT (ALL PROJECTS) 

1. CVI 3. 

4. 

5. 

Fuel Switch 

Additional Capacity Needed 

- Primary (36) 

- Backup (7) 

Boiler Condition 

- Unreliable (29) 

- Unsafe (2) 

- Unable to Comply with Air Regs 

New Plant 

Cogeneration 

(3) 

Number 

of Projects 

47 

43 

34 

25 

19 

168 

Percent 

of Total 

28.0 

25.6 

20.2 

14.9 

11.3 

100.0 

REPLACEMENT (Fuel Switch, Boiler Condition) 

NEW APPLICATION (Additional Capacity, 

New Plant, Cogeneration). 

81 

87 

168 

48.2 

51.8 

ToO 

DISCRETIONARY (Fuel Switch, Backup Capacity, 

Repairable Boiler Condition, Cogeneration) 

MANDATORY (Primary Capacity, Unrepairable 

Boiler Condition, New Plant) 

86 

82 

168 

51.2 

48.8 

10O 

8 
P.18 

TABLE 4. PRIMARY REASON FOR PROJECT (CATEGORY I PROJECTS) 

1. CVI 3. 

4. 

5. 

Number 

of Projects 

Fuel Switch 39 

Additional Capacity Needed 25 

- Primary (19) 

- Backup (6) 

Boiler Condition 19 

- Unreliable (16) 

- Unsafe (2) 

- Unable to Comply with Air Regs (1) 

New Plant 16 

Cogeneration 16 

tn 

Percent 

of Total 

33.9 

21.7 

16.5 

13.9 

13.9 

100.0 

REPLACEMENT (Fuel Switch, Boiler Condition) 

NEW APPLICATION (Additional Capacity, 

New Plant, Cogeneration) 

58 

57 

Tl5 

50.4 

49.6 

100.0 

DISCRETIONARY (Fuel Switch, Backup Capacity, 67 

Repairable Boiler Condition, Cogeneration) 

MANDATORY (Primary Capacity, Unrepairable 

Boiler Condition, New Plant) 

48 

TT5 

58.3 

41.7 

ToO 
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Additional Capacity--

The need for additional boiler capacity—either to meet increased steam 

demand at an existing industrial plant (defined as primary capacity in 

Tables 3 and 4) or to increase the flexibility/reliability of steam 

generation at the plant (defined as backup capacity)--was the second most 

frequent reason for installing new boilers. 

Boiler ConditionReplacement of existing boilers due to their condition was the third 

most frequent reason given for new boiler projects. This category includes 

projects in which the existing boiler was unreliable (e.g., high percentage 

of downtime, high O&M costs), unsafe (e.g., unable to pass a safety ' 

inspection), or unable to comply with existing environmental regulations. 

This category was further subdivided into six projects in which the boiler 

owner said the existing boiler could have been repaired or rebuilt (but was 

replaced with a new boiler anyway) and thirteen projects in which the boiler 

owner stated repair or rebuild was not economically feasible (Question 

•8-10). 

New Plant--

The fourth most frequent reason for installation of new boilers was 

steam demand at new manufacturing plants where a boiler did not previously 

exist. 

Cogeneration--

Partially as a result of economic incentives provided under the Public 

Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA), the desire to cogenerate both 

electricity and process steam was the fifth most frequent reason given for 

constructing new boiler projects. 

Boilers installed for these five reasons were then combined and 

redivided according to two alternative groupings: first, whether the new 

boiler replaced an existing boiler or was a new application and second, 

10 
P.20 

whether installation of the boiler was discretionary (i.e., decision was 

based on the economics of a new versus existing boiler) or mandatory (i.e., 

required by factors other than boiler economics). The first of these 

alternative groupings was made based on the following interpretation of the 

primary reason for each project: 

o Replacement--fuel switching and boiler condition, 

* 

o New application—additional capacity, new plant, and cogeneration. 

The second of these alternative groupings was based on the following 

interpretation of the primary reason: 

o Discretionary—fuel switching, backup capacity, repairable boiler 

condition, and cogeneration, 

o Mandatory--primary capacity, unrepairable boiler condition, and 

new plant. 

As shown in Table 3, of all the projects surveyed, replacement projects and 

new application projects were roughly equal in. number (48 percent versus 52 

percent). A similar split also occurred between discretionary versus 

mandatory projects (51 percent versus 49 percent). For the Category I 

projects (see Table 4), the split between replacement versus new application 

remained roughly equal (50.4 percent versus 49.6 percent) while the 

frequency of discretionary projects increased to 58 percent versus 42 

percent for mandatory projects. 

Factors Affecting Boiler Decisions 

Information was also provided by the survey respondents on the factors 

affecting the design of the new boiler project (Question 11-10). This 

information was provided by ranking the listed factors as either 0, 1, or 2 

(using the same definitions discussed above). The individual responses on 

each factor were then averaged for the projects within each of the five 

* 

NOTE: In a few cases, existing boilers were affected by cogeneration, but 

in most cases were not. In all cases, however, a primary factor in the 

project design was the production of electricity, rather than simply 

replacement of existing boilers. 

11 
P.21 

primary reasons discussed above. The results of this analysis are presented 

in Table 5. 

Capital cost and fuel cost were among the three highest rated factors 

for each of the primary reason categories except boiler condition. Compatibility with existing fuel handling facilities was the primary factor 

affecting the design of projects undertaken due to poor condition of the 

existing boiler (this factor was also important—scoring fourth—for 

additional capacity projects). Frequently mentioned as unimportant were 

* 

corporate policy and environmental regulations. 

Cost Sensitivity of Projects 

To estimate the economic sensitivity of projects to changes in project 

cost, the respondents were asked whether their decision to build the project 

would have changed if the projected cost of steam increased by 10, 20, 30, 

or 50 percent (Question 11-8)- The data in Table 6 indicate the percentage 

of industrial boiler projects that would continue as designed even if the 

costs were increased by these percentages. 

In general, most projects were insensitive to a 10 percent increase in 

cost (only 7 out of 89 projects—8 percent--would have changed their 

decision). If costs increased by 20 to 30 percent, an increasing number of 

projects would have changed; roughly one-half of the projects would have 

been altered if project costs increased by 30 percent. However, additional 

increases in cost up to 50 percent resulted in few additional changes. 

The two most cost sensitive project groups were those undertaken 

primary to fuel switch (60 percent would have changed their decision if 

costs increased by 30 percent) and cogeneration (64 percent). The least 

cost sensitive were those undertaken primarily because of the condition of 

the existing boiler (35 percent). These results tend to support the view 

that fuel switching and cogeneration are highly discretionary, and are 

therefore most sensitive to cost increases. On the other hand, boiler 

projects tied to the existing boiler condition or need for additional 

* 

NOTE: The low rating of corporate policy may have reflected the lack of 

corporate policies related to boiler purchase decisions, rather than the 

unimportance of policies which did exist. 

12 
P.22 

TABLE 5.* FACTORS AFFECTING BOILER DECISIONS FOR CATEGORY I PROJECTS 

Reason Top Three Factors Bottom Three Factors 

New Plant Fuel Costs 

Fuel Security/Reliability 

Capital Costs 

Existing System Components 

Compatibility w/Existing 

Fuels 

Space/Land Available 

Additional 

Capacity 

Boiler 

Condition 

Fuel Switch 

Cogeneration 

Fuel Costs 

Operating Flexibility 

Capital Costs 

Compatibility w/Existing 

Fuels 

Maintenance Costs 

Boiler Efficiency 

Capital Costs 

Fuel Costs 

Corporate Funds 

Availability 

Capital Costs 

Fuel Costs 

Boiler Efficiency 

Interest Rates 

Corporate Policy 

Space/Land Available 

Corporate Policy 

Interest Rates 

Environmental Regulations 

Corporate Policy 

Environmental Regulations 

Existing System Components 

Corporate Policy 

Environmental Regulations 

Minimize Personnel 

NOTE: The low rating of corporate policy may have reflected the lack of 

corporate policies related to boiler purchase decisions, rather than the 

unimportance of policies which did exist. 

13 
P.23 

TABLE 6. PERCENT OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD HAVE PROCEEDED AS 

DESIGNED IF COST INCREASED 

Primary 

Reason 

New Plant 

Additional 

Capacity 

Boiler 

Condition 

Fuel Switch 

Cogeneration 

Number of 

Projects 

(100%) 

12 

19 

17 

30 

11 

Percent of Projects Proceeding 

If Costs Increased Bv 

10% 20% 30% 50% 

92 

100 

94 

90 

82 

67 

79 

71 

77 

64 

42 

53 

65 

40 

36 

42 

47 

65 

30 

36 

TOTAL 89 92 73 47 43 

26 of the 115 respondents did not answer this question. 

14 
P.24 

capacity are undertaken for mandatory reasons, and as a result were the 

least sensitive to cost increases. These results are consistent with the 

results presented previously in Table 5. 

Existing Boiler Data and Status Changes 

A total of 115 projects make up the Category I data base. These 

projects include 158 new boilers and 291 existing boilers that were in place 

and affected in some way by the new boiler. Data on these existing boilers 

are presented in Table 7. These data include existing boilers affected by 

"third-party" cogenerators who sold steam to an existing plant. 

Although most of the existing boilers (53 percent) covered by the 

survey are over 100 million Btu per hour, their average size is significantly smaller than the new boilers—109 million Btu/hour for the existing 

boilers versus 245 million Btu/hour for the new Category I boilers. Also, a 

much greater percentage of the existing boilers fire oil and natural gas. 

Oil-fired boilers make up only 5 percent of the new boilers, but comprise 24 

percent of the existing boilers. Natural gas was used in 27 percent of the 

new boilers and 56 percent of the existing boilers. Correspondingly, coalfired boilers comprise only 10 percent of the existing boilers compared to 

48 percent of the new boilers. 

Of the existing plants installing new boilers, 86 percent had existing 

boilers which were in some way affected by installation of a new boiler. 

Table 8 presents data on how and why the status of the existing boilers 

changed as a result of the new boiler installation. The summation of 

individual percentages to more than 100 percent reflects respondents 

checking more than one answer. Almost 50 percent of the existing boilers 

that were affected were either shut down without being dismantled (20 

percent) or were dismantled (29 percent). The remaining 50 percent 

continued operating after installation of the new boiler, but generally for 

fewer hours or at lower load than before. 

The major reason given for changes in the status of existing boilers 

was the need to reduce fuel costs associated with the operation of the 

existing boiler (63 percent). Thirteen percent of the existing boilers had 

their status changed due to high operating and maintenance costs. Excess 

15 
P.25 

TABLE 7. EXISTING BOILER INFORMATION FOR CATEGORY I PROJECTS 

Total Number of Projects: 79 

Total Number of Existing Boilers: 291 

Total Existing Boiler Capacity (MMBtu/hr heat input): 31,617 

Average Size of Existing Boiler (MMBtu/hr heat input): 109 

Frequency Distribution (Percentage) by: 

Capacity (MMBtu/hr): 

<100 

100-150 

150-200 

200-250 

250-400 

400-600 

>600 

Fuel type: 

Coal 

Oil 

Natural Gas 

Wood 

Other 

Fabrication Method: 

Package 

Field 

Number of existing boilers 

Number of Boilers 

Per Project 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5-10 

>10 

Caoacitv (%) 

17.8 

22.3 

18.7 

15.9 

' 12.0 

8.0 

5.3 

13.1 

28.5 

42.9 

7.4 

, 8.0 

per project: 

Freq 

10 

23 

21 

14 

8 

3 

No. Units (%) 

46.7 

22.7 

13.7 

8.9 

4.8 

2.1 

1.0 

9.6 

23.7 

56.0 

6.5 

. 4.1 

40.2 

59.8 

Percent 

12.7 

29.1 

26.6 

17.7 

10.0 

3.8 

Percent of existing plant projects that involved changes in one 

or more existing boilers: 86.0 

16 
P.26 

TABLE 8. CHANGES IN STATUS OF EXISTING BOILERS (CATEGORY I PROJECTS) 

How did status change (for boilers that did change) 

% Yes* 

Shutdown (w/o dismantling) 

Dismantled 

Used as backup/peaking 

boiler 

Reduced hours of operation 

Switched fuels 

Other 

id status change (for boilers 

High fuel costs 

High O&M Costs 

Excess boiler capacity 

Mechanical problems 

Obsolete (age, operating 

pressure, size, poor ' 

reliability) 

Environmental restrictions 

Inadequate space 

Other 

19.6 

29.2 

43.0 

3.1 

1.0 

8.2 

that d 

% Yes 

62.5 

13.0 

12.4 

7.9 

6.5 

5.2 

2.4 

1.7 

For those boilers that were shutdown/dismantled percent 

that could have had useful life extended: 

34.7 

* 

% by number of units.. 

17 
P.27 

boiler capacity after installation of the new boiler was the reason for 12 

percent of the changes. Environmental restrictions, primarily related to 

S02 emissions, accounted for another 5 percent. Other individual responses 

accounted for less than 10 percent of the changes. 

In order to gain some insight as to the options available to the boiler 

owner/operator, a question (Question B-11) was posed as to whether those 

boilers that were shut down or dismantled could have had their useful life 

extended. According to the survey respondents, only about one-third 

(35 percent) of the existing boilers.that were shut down or dismantled could 

have been economically repaired or rebuilt to extend their useful life. 

5.0 SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM CATEGORY I BOILER PROJECTS 

Sulfur dioxide emissions from both the new and existing boilers 

involved in each project were estimated on a "before project" and "after 

project" basis. Emission estimates are presented in two ways: pounds per 

million Btu of heat input and total annual emissions (i.e., tons/year). 

Calculation of annual emissions from each boiler is based on the quantity 

and sulfur content of both the base fuel and backup fuel. 

Emission Rate 

Table 9 summarizes sulfur dioxide emission rate data for the existing 

and new Category I boilers firing coal, oil, and all fuels (whether firing 

coal, oil, natural gas, or wood) as a base fuel. Average emission rates for 

the existing coal-fired boilers after completion of the new boiler projects 

were lower than they were before the projects: 2.49 compared to 2.89 lbs 

S02/MMBtu. Whether this decrease resulted from shutting down existing 

boilers with high emission rates or changing the quality of the coal used in 

the existing boilers was not examined. New coal-fired boiler emission rates 

averaged 1.47 lbs S02/MMBtu, significantly lower than the average emission 

rate for the existing boilers. Of these new boilers, 67 percent have an 

emission rate equal to 1.2 lbs S02/MMBtu or less (this rate equals the 

federally regulated limit [40 C.F.R. Part 60, Subpart D] then in effect for 

S02 emissions from coal-fired industrial boilers >250 million Btu/hour). 

Another 26 percent have an emission rate of 1.3-2.4 lbs S02/MMBtu. The 

18 
P.28 

TABLE 9. SO, EMISSION RATES FROM NEW AND EXISTING BOILERS 

c

 (CATEGORY I PROJECTS) .. 

Coal-Fired Boilers 

Existing Boilers 

--- Before the Project 

--- After the Project 

New Boilers 

Oil-Fired Boilers 

Existing Boilers 

--- Before the Project 

--- After the Project 

New Boilers 

Number of 

Boilers 

28 

16 

76 

73 

37 

7 

Average Emission Rate 

(#S02/MMBtu) 

2.89 

2.49 

1.47 

1.99 

1.92 

1.14 

AIT Boilers (Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, and" Wood) 

Existing Boilers 

— - Before the Project 279 

" --- After the Project 141 

New Boilers 151 

0.81 

0.79 

0.80 

Frequency Distribution (Percent) of New Boilers by Emission Rate: 

#S02/MMBtu 

<0.8 

0.9-1.2 

1.3-1.8 

1.9-2.4 

2.5-3.0 

3.1-4.0 

Coal 

5 

62 

17 

9 

1 

5 

Oil 

43 

29 

0 

29 

0 

0 

NOTE: See Appendix 2 for discussion of calculation procedures and number of 

boilers included in analysis. 

* 

Percentages do not sum to 100 due to independent rounding. 

19 
P.29 

remaining 7 percent have an emission rate greater than 2.4 lbs SO^/MMBtu. 

Average emission rates for the existing oil-fired boilers after the 

projects were also-lower than they were before the projects: 1.92 compared 

to 1.99 lbs S02/MMBtu. New boiler emission rates averaged 1.14 lbs 

S02/MMBtu, with 43 percent (three out of seven boilers) at 0.8 lbs S02/MMBtu 

or less (this rate equals the federally regulated limit [40 C.F.R. Part 60, 

Subpart D] then in effect for S02 emissions from oil-fired industrial 

boilers >250 million Btu/hour) and 72 percent at 1.2 lbs S02/MMBtu or less. 

None of the new oil-fired boiler emission rates exceeded 2.4 lbs S02/MMBtu. 

As noted in Section 4, however, the primary fuels fired by the new 

boilers is significantly different from that of the existing boilers. 

Specifically, natural gas-fired boilers (which cause essentially no S02 

emissions) decrease from 56 percent of the existing boilers to 27 percent of 

the new boilers. At the same time, the percentage of coal-fired boilers, 

which represented 10 percent of the existing boilers, increased to 48 

percent of the new boilers. As a result, although new coal- and oil-fired 

boilers have lower emission rates than existing boilers firing the same 

fuel, the average emission rate for all the new boilers (i.e., the composite 

emission rate for boilers firing coal, oil, natural gas,'and wood) is 

virtually the same as for the existing boilers. 

Total Annual Emissions 

Table 10 summarizes the number of new and existing boilers included in 

the analysis and the total annual S02 emissions before and after the 

projects as a function of primary reason for the project, fuel type, and new 

versus existing boiler classification. The number of boilers is classified 

by base fuel type, whereas S02 emissions are based on the fuel's use both as 

the base and backup fuel. For example, S02 emissions from oil reflects both 

its firing as a base fuel as well as a backup fuel in boilers primarily 

firing coal, natural gas, or wood. The far right column of Table 10 

indicates the net change in the S02 emissions. The number of new boilers 

and the annual emissions associated with replacement versus new application 

and discretionary versus mandatory boiler projects (as previously defined) 

are summarized at the bottom of the table. 

20 
P.30 

TABLE 10. ANNUAL S02 EMISSION IMPACT (CATEGORY I PROJECTS) 

REASON 

NEW PLANT 

ADDITIONAL 

CAPACITY 

BOILER 

CONDITION 

FUEL SWITCH 

COGENERATION 

ALL 

REPLACEMENT 

NEW APPLICATION 

DISCRETIONARY 

MANDATORY 

BOILER 

NEW 

EXISTING 

TOTAL 

NEW 

EXISTING 

TOTAL 

NEW 

EXISTING 

TOTAL 

NEW 

EXISTING 

TOTAL 

NEW 

EXISTING 

TOTAL 

NEW 

EXISTING 

TOTAL 

FUEL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

' OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

COAL 

OIL 

NO. OF 

BOILERS 

13 

0 

0 

0 

13 

7 

1 

17 

1 

24 

5 

6 

10 

23 

44 

39 

0 

0 

44 

83 ' 

10 

1 

1 

2 

14 

74 

8 

28 

70 

178 

. . 

--

BEFORE 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

42854 

2512 

45366 

0 

0 

16331 

9051 

25382 

0 

0 

0 

30037 

30037 

0 

0 

2720 

333 

3053 

0 

0 

61905 

41933 

103838 

55419 

48419 

49828 

54010 

•TONS S02/YEAR 

AFTER CHANGE 

18676 

248 

0 

0 

18924 

9458 

130 

33427 

1034 

44049 

9633 

2871 

7540 

250 

20294 

60816 

10756 

0 

2325 

73897 

15720 

28 

2047 

1 

17796 

114303 

14033 

43014 

3610 

174960 

94191 

80769 

111223 

63737 

18924 

-1317 

-5088 

43860 

• 

14743 

71122 

38772 

32350 

61395 

9727 

NOTE: See Appendix 2 for discussion of calculation procedures and number of 

boilers included in analysis. 

21 
P.31 

Overall S02 emissions increased by 71,122 tons of S02 per year—a net 

increase of 68 percent as a result of new boiler projects. Of the total 

emissions after the projects were completed, 73 percent (128,336 tons) was 

from the new boilers; the remaining 27 percent (46,624 tons) was from 

continued operation of the existing boilers. Emission changes associated 

with each of the primary reasons for the projects are discussed below. 

New Plants— 

New plants are a major source of sulfur dioxide emissions. Because 

boilers installed at new plants are not replacements for existing boilers, 

they add capacity and emissions where none existed previously. The total 

S02 emissions from the surveyed new plants is 18,924 tons per year; this 

represents 26 percent of the total S02 emission increase from all boiler 

groups. 

Additional CapacityNew boilers were installed primarily to increase the steam capacity of 

existing plants; in most cases, the fuel choice for the new boiler was the 

same as that of the existing boilers at the same plant. Several of these 

projects also consolidated or otherwise modified the operation of existing 

boilers, thereby reducing emissions from the existing boilers.* In more than 

half the cases, the existing boiler remained in operation. The net change 

in emissions from the new and existing boilers was a reduction of 1,317 tons 

of S02 per year, or roughly 3 percent less than the emission level existing 

before installation of the new boiler. 

Boiler Condition— 

These projects installed one or more new boilers because of the poor 

condition of the existing boilers. Of the 33 existing boilers affected, 

only 6 continued operation after the new boiler was installed. Although the 

new boilers generally fire the same fuel as the original boiler and have 

See Appendix 2 for example calculations of S02 tonnages and percentages, 

22 
lower emission rates per million Btu of heat input, they are also generally 

larger than the boilers they replaced. Overall, net emissions from this 

category decreased by 5,088 tons of S02 per year, or roughly 20 percent. 

Fuel Switch— 

The largest single category of boiler projects were undertaken to 

change the base fuel of the plant. In most cases, the change was from oil 

or natural gas to coal or coal-wood mixtures. The net result was an 

increase of 43,860 tons of S02 per year, representing 61 percent of the 

total annual emissions increase and an increase of 152 percent relative to 

the emissions of the existing boilers before these projects were undertaken. 

(See Section 6 for.additional discussion of this issue.) 

Cogeneration— 

Cogeneration projects generally involved adding a new boiler and 

increasing fuel consumption .at the plant (or at an adjacent site in the case 

of third-party cogenerators). Coal was the primary fuel. In some cases, 

steam production from existing boilers was replaced in whole or in part by 

the new cogeneration boiler. The net change in emissions was an increase of 

14,743 tons of S02 per year, representing about 21 percent of the total 

increase in annual S02 emissions from all categories. This represents an 

almost six-fold increase in emissions compared to the existing boilers that 

were affected by the cogeneration projects. (See Section 6 for additional 

discussion of this issue.) 

New Application vs. Replacement Boilers— 

The annual emissions were also categorized for new application boilers 

versus those primarily installed to replace existing boiler capacity. As 

mentioned above, new applications include new plants, cogeneration 

facilities, and boilers built to satisfy additional steam demand at an 

existing plant. Of the total net increase in S02 emissions, new application 

boilers accounted for 32,350 tons of S02 per year (45 percent) compared to 

38,772 tons of S02 per year (55 percent) for replacement boilers. 

23 
P.33 

Discretionary vs. Mandatory BoilersAnnual emissions impacts were also calculated on the basis of discretionary versus mandatory boiler projects. Discretionary projects (fuel 

switching, backup capacity, replacement of a repairable boiler, and 

cogeneration) accounted for 61,395 tons (86 percent) of the total net 

increase in annual S02 emissions. Mandatory projects (addition of primary 

capacity, replacement of an unrepairable boiler, and new plants) accounted 

for the remaining 9,727 tons (14 percent) of net annual S02 emissions. If 

only those projects defined as mandatory had been built, S02 emissions would 

have increased by 18 percent. Discretionary boiler projects increased 

emissions by 123 percent relative to the total before the project. 

6.0 IMPACT OF LOWER ENERGY PRICES 

Two of the major reasons given in the survey for new boiler purchases 

were fuel switching and cogeneration, in aggregate accounting for 48 percent 

of all Category I projects (see Table 4). Both of these reasons were 

heavily influenced by the perceptions of future energy prices and national 

energy policies during the 1981-1984 time period. During this period, 

future oil and natural gas prices were generally expected to be quite 

high—and the reliability of their supply low. In addition, economic 

incentives under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) made 

cogeneration projects attractive to many investors. 

Given current perceptions of lower oil and natural gas prices in the 

future, construction of new boilers for reasons of fuel switching is 

expected to be significantly reduced. Lower fuel prices will also reduce 

the economics of some cogeneration projects and thereby decrease the number 

of new cogeneration boiler installations. To aid in interpreting the future 

direction of boiler replacement decisions and S02 emissions, this section 

briefly summarizes the survey results if fuel switching projects singly and 

in combination with cogeneration projects are excluded from the analysis. 

First, if only fuel switching projects are excluded, the total number 

of Category I-projects decreases from 115 to 76 (see Table 4). The split 

between replacement and new application boilers changes from roughly 50/50 

24 
P.34 

to 25 percent for replacement (due to boiler condition) and 75 percent for 

new applications (new plants, capacity additions at existing plants, and 

cogeneration). Elimination of fuel switching projects reduces total S02 

emissions to 73,801 tons before the projects and 101,063 tons afterward. Of 

these 101,063 tons, 56,764 tons (56 percent) are from new boilers and 44,299 

tons (44 percent) are from existing boilers. 

Excluding fuel switching projects, the net increase in emissions is 

27,262 tons (37 percent). The emissions increase attributable to boilers 

that were built for mandatory reasons (primary capacity, unrepairable boiler 

condition, and new plants) is 9,727 tons (35 percent). Emissions from the 

remaining discretionary boilers (backup capacity, repairable boiler 

condition, and cogeneration) increased by 17,535 tons. 

Second, if both fuel switching and cogeneration projects are excluded 

from the analysis, the total number of Category I projects decreases from 

115 to 60 (see Table 4). The split between replacement and new application 

boilers changes from roughly 50/50 to 33 percent for replacement and 67 

percent for new applications. Total annual SO, emissions increase from 

70,748 tons before the projects to 83,267 tons afterward. Of the 83,267 

tons of S02 afterward, 41,016' tons (49 percent) are from new boilers and 

42,251 tons (51 percent) are from existing boilers. 

The net increase in emissions from new projects excluding fuel 

switching and cogeneration projects is 12,519 tons per year (18 percent). 

The emissions increase attributable to boilers that were built for mandatory 

reasons is 9,727 tons (74 percent). Emissions from the remaining 

discretionary boilers (now limited to backup capacity and repairable boiler 

condition) increased by 2,792 tons. 

Thus, although the increase in S02 emissions is smaller when fuel 

switching by itself or fuel switching in conjunction with cogeneration are 

excluded from the analysis, the remaining new boilers would still result in 

net S02 emission increases of 18 to 37 percent compared to emission levels 

prior to their installation. 

25 
P.35 

APPENDIX 1 

BOILER REPLACEMENT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 
P.36 

OMB Clearance No. 

2060-0136 

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 

1. This "questionnaire is designed to obtain information about industrial 

boiler projects. It focuses on the factors that influence the decision 

to undertake a boiler project and the factors that are considered in 

the selection of boiler type and fuel. Therefore, it is important that 

the individual(s) completing this questionnaire be the person(s) who 

actually made these kinds of decisions [or as close to the person(s) as 

possible for the project covered by this questionnaire]. If this person 

is not you, please route this questionnaire to the most appropriate 

individual in your organization. 

2. The questionnaire is designed to obtain information on each boiler 

project. For the purposes of this survey, a boiler project is defined 

as a series of activities that were begun due to a decision and plan 

to alter, expand, or in some way modify the boiler facilities at a 

particular plant site. Consequently, a boiler project may involve a 

number of boilers and may include construction of several new boilers 

as well as reconstruction or rebuilding of several existing boilers. 

If you have undertaken more than one boiler project over the last five 

years (since January 1, 1981), please fill out a separate questionnaire 

for each boiler project. 

3. This questionnaire consists of two parts and two supplements. It is 

necessary to carefully review both parts and both supplements of the 

questionnaire. Please read the introduction to each part and each 

supplement carefully and follow the instructions included in the 

questionnaire itself. Items a-d below address each of these sections. 

a. Part I covers general information. Even though the Part I 

information will not be used in the analysis, the information 

requested is necessary if additional communication is appropriate 

to understand or clarify answers to various questions involved in 

the questionnaire. 

b. Part II is the main part of the survey. Please answer each question 

completely. Where space is provided for comments or additional 

information, please take the time to provide information that will 

provide a good understanding of the reasons for your decision to 

undertake a boiler project. 

c. Supplement A is to provide detailed information about each new 

boiler involved in the boiler project. Supplement A has one 

general information page (page A-1) and a one-page questionnaire 

(page A-2) for each new boiler involved in the project. Please 

complete Supplement A by filling out the general information page 

and then photocopying and completing a page A-2 for each new 

boiler in the project. 
P.37 

. d. Supplement B is to provide detailed information about each existing 

boiler which may have been reconstructed, rebuilt, modified, or 

changed' in any way as part of the overall boiler project. Even if 

an existing boiler was only operated in a different manner or 

just shutdown, as a result of the boiler project, please identify 

and include this boiler in Supplement B. Supplement B has a general 

information page (page B-1) and a three page questionnaire (pages B-2 

through B-4) for each existing boiler involved in the boiler 

project. Please complete Supplement B by filling out the general 

information page and then photocopying and completing pages B-2 

through B-4 for each existing boiler involved in the boiler 

project. 

4. The questionnaire should be completed and returned by July 18f 1986. 

5. If you have any questions or anticipate difficulties in either fully 

responding or responding within the allotted time, please call the 

following individual: 

Ms Dianne Byrne 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(919) 541-5578 

6. When the questionnaire is completed, please mail to: 

Ms Dianne Byrne 

Environmental Protection Agency 

OAQPS, ESED, SDB (MD-13) 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 
P.38 

OMB Clearance No: 

2060-0136 

PART I: SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL BOILER PROJECTS 

This survey questionnaire is being sent to firms who.have undertaken 

one or more boiler projects within the last five (5) years. The results of 

this survey are intended to provide information on why boiler projects are 

undertaken, the factors influencing the selection of the type of boiler and 

the fuel, and whether existing equipment can be used in these projects. 

Please read the general instructions carefully before completing the 

questionnaire. 

Please complete the following questions. This information is necessary 

if additional communication is required to clarify answers provided to 

various questions in the questionnaire. The link between the name of the 

particular plant and the information in the survey will not be provided 

to the public in any type of summary report that may be generated from 

the responses. 

1. Name of firm: 

2. Two-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code: 

3. Name of person completing form: 

4. Phone Number (include area code): ( ) 

5. Position: 

6. Plant site address 

Street address: 

City: State: Zip Code: 

7. Project number [As mentioned in the general instructions, a 

complete questionnaire needs to be completed for each separate 

boiler project (i.e., not each boiler but each project).] 

Consequently, if you are completing more than one questionnaire, 

identify separate projects by a project number, i.e., 1, 2, 3, 

etc. 

I-l 
P.39 

PART II: SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL BOILER PROJECTS 

1. Project number (See instructions in Part I): 

2. Is this new boiler located at a new "greenfield" manufacturing 

plant? Yes No 

3. Please complete Supplement A for each new boiler(s) included in 

the boiler project. 

4. Did this boiler project involve or include reconstruction, rebuilding, 

modifying, or changes of any sort in any existing boilers, including 

operation of existing boilers at lower capacity or shutting down of 

existing boilers? Yes No 

If yes, how many existing boilers were affected in some way as a result 

of this boiler project? 

5. Please complete Supplement B for each existing boiler that was changed 

or affected in any way as-a result of this boiler project. 

6. Please describe your main reason for building a new boiler: 

7. If your decision was based on a cost analysis, please include a copy 

of the cost analysis if one is available. If your decision was based 

on cost considerations, but an analysis isn't available, please describe 

the major cost considerations that influenced your decision. 

II-l 
P.40 

8. Would your decision to build a new boiler change if projected costs 

to produce steam increased by: 

10% 

20% 

30% 

50% 

Yes 

Yes . 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

9. To supplement your answer to question 6, Which of the following 

factors were also considered in deciding that there was a need for 

this boiler project? Please rate EACH factor from 0 to 2 (0 - not 

considered or relatively unimportant; 1 - moderately important; 2 -

very important). If you considered factors that are not on the list, 

please add them to the bottom of the list and rate them. 

Factor Rating 

a. additional boiler capacity was needed over and 

above what the existing boilers could provide 

b. insurance companies were no longer willing to provide 

insurance coverage for existing boilers ( 

c. existing boiler(s) could not be operated safely 

without extensive repairs 

d. existing boiler(s) could not be operated reliably 

without extensive repairs 

e. existing boiler(s) could no longer be operated in 

• compliance with air pollution regulations 

f. the boiler project allowed us to change our base fuel 

(e.g., coal, oil, natural gas, wood, waste fuels, etc.) 

g. the boiler project allowed us to use multiple fuels * 

h. boiler allowed us to consolidate boiler operations 

(ie., replace several smaller boilers with one or more 

large boilers) 

i. new boiler provides us with more backup boiler capacity 

j. the mode of operation for the boilers changed (bigger 

load swings, more baseload, etc.) 

k. steam quality (pressure, temperature) requirements 

changed 

1. desire to cogenerate electricity for on-site use 

or resale 

m. other (specify): ' ; 

II-2 
P.41 

PART II (continued) 

10. In considering a boiler project or selecting the type of boiler/fuel 

to use, a number of factors are weighed in the decision. Some of the 

most commonly considered factors are listed below. Please rate how 

important each of these factors were in your boiler project. Please 

rate EACH factor from 0 to 2 (0 - not considered or relatively unimportant; 

1 - moderately important; 2 - very important). If you considered factors 

that are not on the 11st, please add them to the bottom of the list and 

rate them. 

Factor Rating 

a. operating costs excluding fuel 

b. maintenance costs excluding fuel 

c. fuel costs 

d. interest rates 

e. capital cost of project . 

. f. availability of corporate funds for capital improvements 

g. operating flexibility or backup boiler capacity 

h. boiler efficiency 

i. compatibility with existing fuels at plant 

j. security or reliability of fuel supply 

k. space or land availability 

1. ability to use existing system components * 

m. ability to minimize need for additional operating or 

maintenance personnel 

n. corporate policy (specify): 

o. environmental regulations 

(specify): 

p. other (specify): 

II-3 
P.42 

11. Of the following system components that were present on-site at 

the time of construction of the boiler project, which could continue 

to be used to service either new boilers involved in the boiler 

project or existing boilers that were modified or changed in any way 

as part of the boiler project. (0 - could not be used at all; 1 -

could use as is or with minor modification; 2 - could use only with 

major modification) 

If the boiler project was part of a new "greenfield" plant, skip this 

question. 

Can Service Can Continue to Service 

New Boilers Existing Boilers Changed 

System Component Added or Modified in Some Way 

a. fuel storage 

b. fuel handling • 

c. boiler house 

^^^~m~mm& t- ^an******-*-^H****H* 

d. boiler feedwater treatment 

e. condensate return 

f. boiler blowdown and treatment 

g. solid waste handling and 

disposal 

h. air pollution control equipment 

i. waste water treatment system 

II-4 
P.43 

SUPPLEMENT A •-- NEW BOILERS INVOLVED IN BOILER PROJECT 

This supplement is intended to collect information about the new 

boiler or boilers included in the project covered by this questionnaire. 

This Supplement A consists of two (2) pages. This page (page A-1) contains 

questions about aVl^ the new boilers installed. The following page (page A-2) 

requests information about each new boiler. Consequently, please photocopy 

and complete as many copies of page A-2 as necessary to identify and 

describe each new boiler. For each new boiler, please complete a separate 

page A-2. 

1. Project number (same as Question #6 of Part I): 

2. Number of new boilers included in this project: 

3. Maximum (design) capacity of each new boiler: 

Boiler #1 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Boiler #2 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Boiler #3 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Boiler #4 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Total 

NOTE: If more than four new boilers were installed, please identify 

at the bottom of this page the maximum design capacity of 

each additional new boiler.) 

What was the total capacity of the boilers that were shut down 

or modified in any way as a result of the new boiler project? 

thousand pounds steam/hr. 
P.44 

SUPPLEMENT A « INFORMATION FOR EACH NEW BOILER 

(For each new boiler, please answer the following questions. Use one 

page for each boiler.) 

1. This page is for boiler number: 

[If you have more than one new boiler in this project, identify each 

new boiler by a separate number (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.)]: 

2. Type of boiler: Package or Field-erected 

3. Maximum capacity of this boiler: (thousand pounds steam/hr) 

4. Base fuel for this boiler (coal, oil, natural gas, wood bark, etc.): 

5. Base fuel characteristics: 

a. Weight % ash 

c. Heat content 

b. Weight % sulfur 

(Btu/lb, Btu/gal, or 

Btu/scf - please state) 

d. Annual fuel consumption : 

tons coal 

tons other solid fuel 

gallons oil 

cubic feet gas 

6. Backup fuel for this boiler (coal, oil, natural gas, wood bark, etc.) 

7. Backup fuel characteristics: 

a. Weight % ash 

c. Heat content 

(Btu/lb, Btu/gal or 

b. Weight % sulfur 

d. Average annual fuel consumption 

tons coal 

tons other solid fuel 

gallons oil 

Btu/scf - please state) 

cubic feet gas 

8. Regulatory limit for SO2 that applies to this boiler: 

9. Emission control technique used to control SO2 emissions: (please check) 

a. Low sulfur fuel b. Flue gas desulfurization 

c. Other (please specify) 

10. If this is a coal boiler, type of fuel firing system: 

a. Pulverized coal b. Stoker coal c. Other (specify) 

A-2 
P.45 

SUPPLEMENT B — EXISTING BOILERS INVOLVED IN BOILER PROJECT 

This Supplement is intended to collect information about the existing 

boiler or boilers that were involved in the boiler project in some way. 

This may have been reconstruction or rebuilding of an existing boiler 

or a change in the manner of its operation. Consequently, even if an 

existing boiler was only operated at a lower capacity, shutdown, or 

placed in a standby or back-up position, as a result of the boiler project, 

please identify and include this existing boiler in completing this 

supplement. 

This first page (page B-1) contains questions about ^V[ the existing 

boilers that were involved in the boiler project in some way. The remaining 

pages (pages B-2 through B-4), request information about each existing 

boiler that was involved in the boiler project. Consequently, please 

photocopy and complete as many copies of pages B-2 through B-4 as necessary 

to identify each existing boiler involved in the boiler project. For 

each existing boiler, please complete a separate set of pages B-2 through 

F4T 

1. Project number (same as Question #6 of Part I): 

2. Number of existing boilers involved in this boiler project: 

3. Maximum (design) capacity of each existing boiler affected 

by the boiler project: 

Boiler #1 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Boiler #2 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Boiler #3 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Boiler #4 thousand pounds steam/hr 

Total 

NOTE: If more than four existing boilers were involved in this 

boiler project in some way, please identify the maximum 

design capacity of each additional existing boiler that 

was involved at the bottom of this page. 

4. At the conclusion of the boiler project, what percent of this 

total capacity was replaced, shut-down, or placed in a stand-by 

position: 

% replaced or shut-down 

% placed in stand-by position 

B-1 
P.46 

SUPPLEMENT B — INFORMATION FOR EACH EXISTING BOILER 

(For each existing boiler, please answer the following questions. Please 

photocopy and complete as many copies of the following pages (i.e., B-2, 

B-3, and B-4) to provide information on each existing boiler.) 

1. This page is for boiler number: 

(If you have more than one existing boiler which was involved in the 

boiler project, please identify each boiler by a separate number, 

i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.): 

2. Age of boiler: 

3. Type of boiler: Package or Field-erected 

4. Maximum capacity of this boiler: thousand pounds steam/hr 

5. Base fuel for this boiler (coal, oil, natural gas, wood bark, etc.): 

a. Before project: ' b. Following project: 

c. Base fuel characteristics: 

Before Project After Project 

i. Weight % ash 

ii. Weight % sulfur 

iii. Heat content 

(Btu/lb, Btu/gal or 

Btu/scf - please state) 

iv. Annual fuel consumption 

tons coal 

tons other solid fuel -

gallons oil 

cubic feet gas 

B-2 
P.47 

Supplement B (continued) 

6. Backup fuel for this boiler (please identify): 

a. Before project: b. After project: 

c. Backup fuel characteristics: 

Before Project After Project 

i. Weight % ash 

ii. Weight % sulfur 

iii. Heat content 

(Btu/lb, Btu/gal or 

Btu/scf - please state) 

iv. Annual fuel consumption 

tons coal 

• tons other solid fuel . 

gallons oil 

cubic feet gas 

7. Regulatory limit for SO2 that applies to this boiler: 

8. Emission control technique used by boiler to meet SO2 emission limit: 

(Please check control technique used.) 

Before Project After Project 

a. Low sulfur fuel 

b. Flue gas desulfurization 

c. Other (please specify) 

9. How did the status of this boiler change because of the boiler project? 

(You may check more than one) 

Shut down 

Used as backup boiler only 

Used as a peaking unit only 

Reduction in hours of operation 

Change to a different fuel 

Dismantled 

Other (specify: ) 

B-3 
P.48 

10. Why was this boiler's status changed (You may check more than one)? 

Boiler failed safety inspection 

Insurance could not be obtained 

' Maintenance costs too high 

Estimated annual costs (optional) 

Non-fuel operating costs too high 

Estimated annual costs (optional) 

. Fuel costs too high 

Estimated annual costs (optional) 

• Other (specify: ) 

11. For a boiler that was dismantled or completely shut down, could this 

boiler have been rebuilt to extend its useful life? 

Yes No 

If yes, what kind of repairs would have been necessary? 

12. (Optional) 

Please provide any additional information about this boiler project 

that you believe would be helpful for us to know in order to fully 

understand the nature of the project. 

B-4 
P.49 

APPENDIX 2 

EMISSION CALCULATION PROCEDURES 

TABLE 9 

Average emission rates for coal- and oil-fired boilers were calculated 

by dividing the fuel sulfur content for each boiler by its heat content and 

then multiplying by two to convert pounds of sulfur to SO,. Emission rates 

for individual boilers were then summed and divided by the number of units 

to obtain average rates for coal- and oil-fired boilers. Average emission 

rates for all boilers were calculated by multiplying the average emission 

rates for for each fuel (coal, oil, natural gas, and wood) by its percentage 

of the total boiler capacity (from Tables 2 and 7) after excluding "other" 

fuels; natural gas and wood were assumed to be sulfur free. 

TABLE 10 

Annual emissions from coal and oil firing as both a base and backup 

fuel were calculated for each boiler by converting fuel sulfur content to 

the equivalent amount of SO, and then multiplying by the quantity of fuel 

used (to convert the quantity of oil from gallons--as reported on the survey 

form—to pounds, a conversion factor of eight pounds per gallon was used). 

CALCULATION OF EMISSION CHANGES BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROJECTS 

Annual emissions are subdivided in Table 10 by fuel type (coal and oil) 

and age (new and existing). Many of the key numbers used in the text are 

composites of these subsets. For example, the reported total emissions from 

new boilers at the top of page 22 of 128,336 ton is the composite of 

emissions from new coal- and oil-fired boilers (114,303 plus 14,033, 

respectively). Percentage changes were calculated by subtracting the 

"before" emissions from the "after" emissions and then dividing by the 

"before" level. For example, the 68 percent increase in total emissions 

resulting from the new projects was calculated by dividing the difference in 

emissions "before" and "after" (174,960-103,838=71,122) by the emissions 

"before" (103,838). 
P.50 

NUMBER OF BOILERS INCLUDED IN ANALYSIS 

Because of incomplete fuel data on three survey forms (representing six 

boilers), small differences exist in the number of boilers reported on 

Tables 9 and 10. For five of these six units (two new coal-fired boilers 

and three exisitng oil-fired boilers included on Table 9, but not Table 10), 

fuel sulfur content needed to estimate the S02 emission rate per million Btu 

was reported, but the quantity of fuel used was omitted. The sixth boiler 

(included on Table 10, but not Table 9) was a new oil-fired boiler installed 

as emergency backup for two existing coal-fired boilers; on this unit, oil 

sulfur content was omitted while the fuel usage was reported as zero. 

Emissions from this unit were assumed to be zero. 
P.51 

TECHNICAL REPORT DATA 

(Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing) ' * 

1. REPORT NO. 

EPA-450/3-87-006 

2. 

4. TITLE ANO SUBTITLE 

Survey of New Industrial Boiler Projects 

1981 - 1984 

7. AUTHOR(S) 

David M. White, Radian Corporation 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME ANO AOORESS 

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 

12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS 

Office of Air and Radiation 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

401 M Street, S.W. 

Uachinn+rm , n r ItMLfiCi „ , 

3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION NO. 

5. REPORT DATE 

April 1987 

6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO. 

10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO. 

11. CONTRACT/GRANT NO. 

68-02-3816 

13. TYPE OF REPORT ANO PERIOD COVERED 

Final 

14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE 

EPA/200/04 

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 

16. ABSTRACT 

This report presents an analysis of new industrial boilers sold 

between 1981 and 1984. The analysis focuses on 151 new coal-, oil- , 

natural gas-, and wood-fired boilers larger than 100 mi 1.1 ion Btu/hour 

and 291 existing boilers. Specific issues examined in the report include 

the reasons for purchasing new industrial boilers, the percentage of new 

boilers used for new applications versus replacement of existing boilers-, 

and the impact of new boiler purchases on sulfur dioxide emissions. 

17. KEY WORDS AND OOCUMENT ANALYSIS ~~ 

a. DESCRIPTORS 

Air Pollution 

Steam Generating Units 

Sulfur Dioxide 

18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT 

Release Unlimited 

b.lOENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS 

Industrial Boilers 

Air Pollution Control 

19. SECURITY CLASS (This Report) 

Unclassified 

20. SECURITY CLASS (Thispage) 

Unclassified 

c. COSATI Field/Group 

13B 

2 1. NO. OF PAGES 

22. PRICE 

EPA Form 2220-1 (Rev. 4-77) PREVIOU S EDITIO N IS OBSOLET E 
United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency 

Office of Air and Radiation 

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 

Research Triangle Park. North Carolina 27711 

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use 

S300 

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tear off; and return to the above address. 

If you do not desire to continue receiving this technical report 

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