This advances the previous limited notice to proceed that B&W had previously received. The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027.
The project will help AES Indiana phase out the use of coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by converting the 1,160-megawatt (MW) Petersburg plant’s two coal-fired boilers to use natural gas as fuel, B&W said in a news release.
The B&W Thermal business will design and install the plant’s new natural gas system, air systems, and other equipment. Babcock & Wilcox Construction Co., LLC (BWCC) will perform the construction portion of the project. In addition, B&W subsidiary Babcock & Wilcox FPS, Inc. (FPS) will supply burners, ignitors, controls and other technologies for the project, according to the release.
“We began engineering and design work earlier this year and are pleased to be moving forward with this important project for AES Indiana,” Chris Riker, Senior Vice President for B&W Thermal, said. “We continue to see significant interest from utilities in the U.S. and elsewhere that want to switch from coal to cleaner fuels, such as natural gas, to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the overall environmental impact of their generating assets”.
“This large, complex project will be coordinated across several B&W business segments, including our B&W Thermal, BWCC and FPS businesses,” Riker added. “Our depth of knowledge and expertise allows us to smoothly and efficiently execute large, complex fuel-switching projects such as this”.
Carbon Capture Study in Sweden
Meanwhile, Babcock & Wilcox also secured a contract to conduct a full-scale feasibility study of its SolveBright carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology to be integrated into Mälarenergi AB’s waste-to-energy plant in Västerås, Sweden.
The study will “focus on the integration of B&W’s SolveBright system with the waste-to-energy plant and district heating system, the management and identification of usable heat, the optimization and rebalancing of the waste-to-energy facility, and selecting the best technical configuration for higher operational efficiency,” the company said in a separate news release.
Mälarenergi’s goal is to capture 400,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, permanently store the CO2, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
According to B&W, the SolveBright scrubbing system is a post-combustion carbon capture technology that absorbs CO2 directly from a plant’s flue gas in an absorber using a regenerable solvent.
“We’re pleased to collaborate with Mälarenergi on this feasibility study to demonstrate how B&W’s advanced SolveBright technology can dramatically reduce the Västerås plant’s greenhouse gas emissions,” B&W COO Jimmy Morgan said. “We look forward to contributing our many decades of expertise in waste-to-energy and flue gas purification in support of this important customer”.
“We are excited to work with B&W on the integration study of the capture plant in our waste-to-energy facility,” Mälarenergi Project Manager Ivette Farias said. “This project will facilitate our path towards energy transition, driving our company to our ambitious net-zero target”.
According to the release, Mälarenergi’s waste-to-energy plant supplies 50 percent of Västerås’ district heating, helping reduce electricity consumption and ensuring energy is available for other needs. By integrating carbon reduction efforts and capturing emissions, waste-to-energy facilities such as the Västerås plant play a pivotal role in advancing Sweden's goal of reaching net-zero emissions, it said.
In June, B&W received a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) from NorthStar Clean Energy to work on a Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) power plant conversion in Filer City, Michigan.
Upon completion of the conversion project, the Filer City power plant will use sustainable biomass as fuel to generate power with net-negative greenhouse gas emissions. The project will also use SolveBright technology to capture up to 550,000 tons of CO2 annually, which will be permanently stored underground, B&W said in an earlier statement.
