Innovative Air Quality Control Retrofit Helps Provide Cleaner Air to Florida Residents

Black & Veatch provided engineering, procurement support and construction management support for a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) installation at St. Johns River Power Park (SJRPP), a facility jointly owned by JEA and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), located in Jacksonville, Florida.

The SJRPP project was performed in two phases. Phase I consisted of development of the conceptual design and capital cost estimate. Phase II consisted of the detailed design, procurement and construction of the facility. This nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction project included the addition of SCR units (two for each boiler, and each with a 100 percent bypass) on two 640 megawatt, pulverized coal-fired generating units.

The project also included the upgrading and optimization of ammonia injection systems for both units to control sulfur trioxide (SO3). The project was driven by SJRPP’s requirement to meet the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) as applied to NOx emissions.

The configuration of the existing plant, fuel combinations and aggressive project schedule were all challenging factors requiring an innovative approach. Black & Veatch experts conducted a detailed series of tests at the beginning of the project to determine the potential impacts of the unique fuel combination on the catalyst activity and SCR design. The tests included a rigorous set of flue gas characterizations under various operating scenarios and fuel combinations.

They also included a six-month series of tests where three different types of catalysts were exposed to the flue gas stream mounted in “mini” SCR reactors. These tests were completed to determine the impact of the fuel on catalyst activity, and they enabled Black & Veatch to specify the proper catalyst chemistry and configuration as well as properly design the SCR ductwork and auxiliary systems to mitigate the impacts of the unique blend of fuels. The project resulted in cleaner air for Florida and surrounding states.