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PITTSBURGH (November 30, 2004) — By
adopting Emerson Process Management’s PlantWeb® digital
plant architecture, the power generation industry can substantially
reduce the cost and time associated with wet scrubber construction.
"Power generators are finding it necessary to make significant
capital expenditures in environmental technologies, such as scrubbers,
to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations,” said
Al Novak, business development manager, new coal-fired generation,
for Emerson’s Power & Water Solutions division. Novak
explains that PlantWeb is a proven solution utilizing high-speed
communications networks, intelligent field devices and bus I/O
technologies that enables power generators to achieve higher levels
of plant availability, reliability and performance.
"Emerson is committed to helping our customers who are
implementing or planning environmental compliance projects achieve
significant cost savings and operational benefits by leveraging
PlantWeb’s digital architecture,” he continued.
Study Reinforces Benefits to Digital Bus-Based Architecture
The
PlantWeb approach advocated by Emerson is validated by “Economic
Impact of Digital Bus Technology on Wet Scrubber Construction,” a
study conducted by JDI Contracts Inc., and released today at POWER-GEN
International 2004. The study identified and compared construction
costs for two approaches to instrumentation & control (I&C)
system implementation for an $82.5 million, wet Flue Gas Desulphurization
(FGD) installation at a 660-megawatt power plant.
The traditional I/O system approach utilized dedicated field
cables to hardwire non-intelligent field devices to I/O cards.
The digital bus-based approach featured digital bus I/O, high-speed
field communication networks and intelligent field device technology.
Researchers determined that the digital bus-based approach to wet
scrubber construction streamlined the process, providing opportunities
for reduced costs in all areas studied. In total, costs associated
with wet scrubber construction for a traditional I&C system
were approximately $7.7 million, compared with approximately $3.9
million for the digital bus-based approach, resulting in a savings
of nearly $3.9 million. This represents nearly 5 percent savings
in total construction costs for the $82.5 million FGD scrubber
compared with the same project implemented using a traditional
hardwired I/O approach, and a 50 percent reduction in I&C design
and installation costs considered.
Regulations on the Rise
The findings of this study are timely: Environmental compliance
spending is expected to increase for the foreseeable future as
legislation, such as the pending 2003 Clear Skies Initiative,
is adopted. According to the EPA, the Clear Skies Initiative calls
for a 73 percent total reduction in SO2, a 67 percent
reduction in NOx and a 69 percent reduction in Mercury emissions
by 2018. This will have a significant impact on utilities across
the United States.
In fact, over the next few years, spending for air quality control
could exceed $26 billion in the United States alone, according
to the 2004 Power Industry Forecast from Industrial Information
Resources Inc. There are currently more than 300 projects identified
in the power industry to address air pollution reduction measures:
83 projects, representing more than $4.9 billion in capital spending
were identified for 2004; more than 220 projects, valued at $22
billion, are scheduled to begin construction in 2005 and 2006.
"Given the opportunities for significant cost savings and
ongoing operational benefits, utilities owe it to themselves and
their stakeholders to consider the PlantWeb approach when planning
and implementing scrubber projects,” said Novak.
Power Driven. Power Proven.
The Ovation® expert control system, a key component of PlantWeb,
was designed and built for the power generation industry and has
been proven in thousands of power installations worldwide. Ovation’s
integrated digital bus features leverage Foundation™ fieldbus,
HART, DeviceNet™ and Profibus DP industry standard communications
protocols to deliver predictive intelligence from intelligent field
devices – including Rosemount® transmitters and analyzers,
Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters, and Fisher® digital
valves. These devices use on-board microprocessors and diagnostic
software to monitor equipment health and performance, as well as
process performance, giving power generators the ability to detect
problems even before they occur. PlantWeb’s predictive intelligence
is further enhanced by Emerson’s AMS™ Suite of software
applications that capture and analyze information about mechanical
equipment, electrical systems, process equipment, instruments and
valves, thereby providing a window into plant operations.
Ovation incorporates embedded advanced control applications tailored
to meet the challenges of electricity generation. Furthermore,
Emerson’s SmartProcess® optimization software targets
NOx optimization, SO2 compliance and opacity control for a single
unit or across a fleet of plants, enabling utilities to achieve
optimal equipment performance for emissions compliance, temperature
control and efficiency, and overall continuous operational improvement.
From traditional coal-fired plants to the latest combined-cycle
and renewable energy plants, Novak emphasizes that Emerson has
experienced firsthand how PlantWeb has helped customers control
critical processes, meet stringent environmental regulations, increase
plant efficiencies and megawatt production, and realize long-term
O&M savings.
"We’ve seen again and again that the wealth of meaningful
information delivered by Emerson’s proven PlantWeb automation
strategy provides opportunities for power generators to achieve
long-term financial and operational rewards,” said Novak. “This
study further reinforces PlantWeb’s value as a proven strategy
for building solutions that translate into sustainable performance
improvements and long-term bottom-line savings .”
About Emerson Process Management
Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com),
an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production,
processing and distribution in the power, water and wastewater treatment, chemical,
oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and
other industries.
Emerson's Power & Water Solutions division (www.emersonprocess-powerwater.com)
is a global supplier of advanced distributed process control
and information systems. The Pittsburgh-based company is a recognized
leader in developing plant-wide process control solutions for
the power generation, water treatment and wastewater treatment
industries. Power & Water Solutions plays a key role in the
Emerson mission of combining superior products and technology
with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management
and maintenance services. Emerson brands include: PlantWeb®;
Ovation®; SmartProcess®; Fisher®; MicroMotion®;
Rosemount®; Daniel®; DeltaV™ ; and AMS™ Suite.
About Emerson
St. Louis-based Emerson (www.gotoemerson.com)
is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together
to provide innovative solutions to customers in process control;
electronics and telecommunications; industrial automation; heating,
ventilating and air conditioning; and appliance and tools. Sales
in fiscal 2004 were $15.6 billion.
# # #
Ovation, SureService, SmartProcess, PlantWeb, Fisher, Micro
Motion, Rosemount, Daniel, AMS™ Suite and DeltaV™ are
marks of Emerson Process Management. Other marks are the property
of their respective owners.
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