The Energy Department's selection of DB Riley Inc., of Worchester, Massachusetts, marks the final phase of development of what will likely be the next major advancement in pulverized coal burning technology, the most common method of coal combustion in today's power plants. Common practice today is to add pollution controls to existing boiler systems. Without the constraints of older boiler designs, the system could be tailored to optimize the performance and cost of the entire power plant. One of the most dramatic improvements is expected to be in the plant's environmental performance. The low-emission boiler concept will be designed to reduce the release of sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, two pollutants associated with acid rain and ozone, to levels at least four times lower than required by Federal air quality standards.
Higher efficiencies reduce greenhouse gases and lower the cost of generating electricity.
Multiple developers would be supported during the first three phases. At the conclusion of the third phase, the department said it would pick one of the developers to build and operate the test facility. The third contractor, ABB-Combustion Engineering, decided not to apply for the final phase. A 15-member advisory board of major utilities, state energy and economic development agencies, and research organizations is also part of the development team, as is the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. DB Riley's plant design will integrate a supercritical coal-fired boiler with highly advanced combustion and emission control technologies.