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1. Project Summary and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

The goal of the project is to significantly improve the energy efficiency of coal fired boilers and thereby reduce environmental pollution. Based on the survey of a large number of medium-small sized coal fired boilers in China and the establishment of a data base, personnel training will be conducted and pilot projects for energy saving and pollution control of three typical boilers will be carried out. Information and experience acquired from the project will help guide the promotion of energy efficient boilers throughout China.

The project is based on programme areas 13B and 13C of China's Agenda 21, and is related to programme area 12B.

2. Background

Coal will long continue to be China's major source of primary energy. The coal consumption of medium-small sized boilers and co-generation boilers account for 35% of China's total coal consumption. This figure is unlikely to fall below 30% by the year 2010. The efficiency of industrial boilers in China is quite low, averaging 60% to 65%. Improving the energy efficiency of the nationís large number of medium-small sized boilers therefore has very significant potential for saving energy and curbing pollution from coal burning. Experience has shown that much of this work can be done with relatively small investment and also produce rapid results. For example, the proficiency of medium-small sized boiler operators may influence boiler efficiency by 5% - 10%. Improvement of boiler management alone can directly improve the operation and service life of boilers.

The efficiency of industrial boilers in China can be increased by 5% - 10% with technical improvements that can be carried out in one stage. If the operating efficiencies of China's medium-small sized boilers can be raised to that of the developed countries, national coal consumption will be reduced by around 3%. China's Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Five-Year Plans have stressed: improved energy saving technologies for the large number of medium-small sized boilers; the spread of co-generation; substitution of high-efficiency low-pollution circulated fluidised bed (CFB) boilers for stoker boilers, and the development of cheap desulphurisation devices. The State Key Laboratory on Cleaned Coal Combustion and Engineering Research Centre on Cleaned Coal Combustion established by SPC with the loans from the World Bank take energy-saving improvement and training of medium-small sized boilers as their main task. A pilot project for the commercialisation of 75T/h CFB boilers sponsored by the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) and initial research on the enlarging of China-made CFB boilers are both designed to provide engineering support for the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000).

The Large Equipment Department of the Ministry of Machinery has introduced energy saving technologies for medium-small sized boilers with loans from the World Bank since 1993. Tsinghua University and Sichuan Boiler Plant have developed highly advanced water cooled square shaped separator CFB technology. SPC and SETC supported the establishment of pilot project sites. The pilot projects of small stoker boiler renovation conducted by Tsinghua University, Taiyuan Boiler Plant, Shaanxi Boiler Plant and Wuzhu Boiler Plant have been approved and started.

3. Objectives

3.1 Long-term Objective

To effectuate energy-saving technical renovation and improved pollution control for medium-small sized boilers so that their efficiency and emission levels can reach advanced international standards.

3.2 Immediate Objectives

• To establish a database for medium-small sized industrial boilers and CFB boilers;
• To set-up a medium-small sized boiler operation, management and technical renovation training centre;
• To implement a pilot project on efficiency improvement and pollution control of medium-small sized boilers.

4. Outputs and Activities

4.1 Data Base of medium-small sized boilers and CFB boilers of China

• Import test instruments and database hardware and software from foreign countries;
• Based on the GEF (Global Environmental Facility) project of the Ministry of Machinery, establish a database to provide information on the type, distribution, efficiency, pollution emission, maintenance and improvement possibilities for medium-small sized boilers.

Monitoring Indicator: most data reports in database established.

Implementing Agencies: Engineering Research Centre on Coal Combustion of Tsinghua University, Association of Machinery Industry.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1997

4.2 Medium-small sized boilers operation, management and technical renovation training centre

• Establish a training centre at the Engineering Research Centre on Coal Combustion, Tsinghua University;
• Take actions on the management and teaching at the training centre, to invite Chinese and foreign experts teaching and training on techniques for operation, management and technical renovations for medium-small sized boilers.

Monitoring Indicators: teaching materials prepared, training of 500 managers and engineers.

Implementing Agencies: Engineering Research Centre on Coal Combustion of Tsinghua University, Association of Machinery Industry.

Time Schedule: January 1998 - December 1999

4.3 Pilot project of desulphurisation of CFB installed on pulverised coal boiler

• Select a 75T/h ~ 130T/h boiler for the pilot project;
• Research on effective, low cost desulphurisation technologies;
• Achieve 80% desulphurisation efficiency under Ca/S=1.5, which is suitable for medium-small to medium sized boilers.

Monitoring Indicators: research collection and collation; test-running report.

Implementing Agencies: Dept. of Thermal Energy Engineering of Tsinghua University; the power Plant of Tsinghua University, Liuzhou Fertiliser Plant in Guangxi province.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1998

4.4 Pilot project of energy-saving renovation of small sized boilers

• Renovate the two 20T/h industrial boilers;
• The carbon content in fly ash will be reduced by 15%;
• Boiler efficiency will be increased by 10%.

Monitoring Indicator: test-running report

Implementing Agencies: Dept. of Thermal Energy Engineering in Tsinghua University, Wuzhou Boiler Works in Guangxi province, Taiyuan Institute of Technology in Shanxi province.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1998

4.5 Medium-small sized CFB boiler commercialisation pilot project

• Put into commercial operation two 75t/h CFB boilers with thermal efficiency of 86% and desulphurisation higher than 80% (Ca/S=1.5) while in continuous operation for over 1,000 hours.

Monitoring Indicator: test report on operating resulting for 20t/h renovated boilers.

Implementing Agencies: the Engineering Research Centre on Clean Coal Combustion in Tsinghua University, the Engineering Research Centre in Xi'an, Chemical and Metallurgy Institute of China Academy of Sciences, Sichuan Boiler Works, Sichuan Jianjiang Cement Plant, Nanjing 3rd Iron and Steel Plant.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1999

5. Inputs

5.1 Chinese inputs

Chinese inputs will be used for survey and database set-up, facilities for the training centre, staff and management, set-up plan for the Engineering Research Centre on Clean Coal Combustion in Tsinghua University, training class start-up costs, auxiliary research, etc.

5.2 International Inputs

International inputs will be used for acquisition of computer hardware and software, funds for Chinese and foreign, student training costs, the anti-erosion technology for CFB boiler, fund for international co-operation to developing the FGD technique, etc.

5.3 Budget

The total capital needed for this project is US$ 21.85 million. The Chinese side will raise US$ 4.25 million from domestic sources, while foreign aid will cover the other US$ 17.60 million.

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Table 1. Budget by Item (in million US dollars)

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Table 2. Budget by Output (in million US dollars)

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6. Benefits

The database will provide the technical information needed to formulate a renovation scheme for medium-small sized boilers and be used to guide the pilot projects. The training class will significantly improve the operation of medium-small sized boilers across the whole country. Each year, more than 20 boilers will have thermal efficiency improved by 10% and be operated more efficiently. After completing the FGD under the CFB pilot project, the technology can be disseminated to over twenty 220 t/h boilers and larger pulverised coal boilers. The expenditure per unit of energy saved using this technology is about 10% of the cost increasing energy supply by an equivalent amount. Furthermore, it has lower operating costs and eliminates the need to heat flue gas. This technology is an inexpensive, easy method for desulphurisation of China's larger pulverised coal boilers. The small boiler energy conservation pilot project will cost RMB 500,000 yuan and increase efficiency by 10%. This will save about 4,800 tons of coal a year with a value of RMB 960,000 yuan; the capital can be repaid in half a year, which makes good economic sense. There are about 40,000 boilers of this type in China. The 75 t/h CFB boiler commercialisation project will set-up the first domestic CFB boiler; it will be comparable with foreign products costing three times more. The annual domestic demand for this sort of boiler is more than 100 units, which reflects potential savings of RMB 1 billion yuan. After scaling up to 220-410 t/h size in co-operation with a foreign company, this technology could win a large share of the market.

This sort new CFB boiler will significantly improve the combustion efficiency and reduce the pollutant emissions of medium-small sized boilers in China.

7. Risks

The biggest barrier of the project above is the management. Timing will be affected by, and to some extent dependent upon, an existing engineering project with which it will be related. Availability of auxiliary funding is another concern.

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