Yokohama, Japan – JGC Corporation has announced today that JGC has developed the world's first dry-type SOx and NOx removal system for mid- and low-temperature flue gases and is now planning to develop business activities in China, aiming at technology licensing and system introduction intended for application to flue gas from coke oven gas comsustion and other flue gases subject to more severe emissions control. Details of the project are as follows:

In China, the Air Pollution Control Law was amended in August, 2015. As a result, emissions control has been tightened regarding sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and dust particles contained in flue gases from coke ovens, cement plant furnaces, refuse incinerators, and steel companies' sintering furnaces. However, the issues listed below have always been pointed out regarding the SOx and NOx removal system used for those facilities, which treats the flue gas whose temperature is low (100 ℃ - 300 ℃) in comparison with high-temperature flue gas (over 300 ℃) from coal-fired thermal power plants.

1. 1)As a result of sulfur oxides (SOx) contained in mid- and low-temperature flue gas reacting with ammonia (NH3) as a reductant of NOx, acid ammonia sulfate is deposited on the SCR catalyst, resulting in remarkably shortening the catalyst's service life. To avoid this, it is necessary to desulfurize the flue gas sufficiently before De-NOx.
2. 2)In the wet desulfurization method, which is generally used as the flue gas desulfurization technology for coal-fired thermal power plants, the flue gas temperature is apt to be lowered as a result of requiring the use of water. To ensure a satisfactory performance in the subsequent De-NOx process, this method requires the addition of a flue gas re-heater, its fuel, and a waste water treatment unit.
3. 3)High-temperature SCR catalysts, which are conventionally used for flue gas from coal-fired thermal power plants, cannot sufficiently exert their performance when used for low-temperature flue gas. To solve this, it is necessary to supply a SCR catalyst that ensures high De-NOx activity even when used for low-temperature flue gas.

Since 2013, JGC has been advancing the development of a new SOx and NOx removal system for mid- and low-temperature flue gases, having in view the development of business activities in China where the Air Pollution Prevention Law has been tightened. The newly developed system is a combination of a low-temperature De-NOx catalyst and the dry desulfurization method which shows a high desulfurization performance in a wide range of flue gas temperatures from 100 ℃ to 300 ℃ without the use of water which would result in lowering the flue gas temperature and requiring a water treatment system.

For the dry desulfurization process, the technology utilizing fly ash has been adopted, which was developed by Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. The first process, Unit No. 1, was introduced to its Tomatoh-Atsuma power station No.1 Plant in 1991 and has been operating since then. For the De-NOx process, the low-temperature De-NOx catalyst developed by JGC Catalyst & Chemicals Ltd., a member company of the JGC Group, has been adopted, which shows high De-NOx activity even when the flue gas temperature is below 200 ℃ and also has been put into wide use as a De-NOx system for low-temperature flue gas from garbage incinerators.

JGC has also approached the cost reduction for the dry desulfurization system and has adopted the compact de-SOx column developed by SETEC Co., Ltd.

Since 2015, JGC has promoted the development of business activities in China for the newly developed SOx and NOx Removal system. By licensing its technology to a Chinese engineering company, Beijing Baota Sanju Energy and Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as Baoju) for the desulfurization and De-NOx of flue gas from coke oven gas combustion, JGC has developed a SOx and NOx removal system for mid- and low-temperature flue gases in cooperation with Baoju and has delivered it to Meifang Coal Coking Co., Ltd. which is a coke manufacturer located in Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia, China. The delivered system started its operation from August, 2016. In that project, JGC provided the services of basic design, detailed design review and test operation instruction, and Baoju took charge of detailed design, procurement of equipment and materials, construction work, and technical instruction for test operation.

In China, national attention is now focused on this SOx and NOx removal system which satisfies the requirements of the tightened Air Pollution Prevention Law, and Baoju has received new orders for five SOx and NOx removal facilities using this system and is now executing these projects in cooperation with JGC.

This new SOx and NOx removal system can be expected to be applied widely in China not only to coke ovens but also garbage incineration plants and glass factories. JGC will develop its business activities in cooperation with Baoju and broaden the market for this system, having in view the establishment of a joint venture company in the future.

For more information, please refer to the following link:

• https://www.jgc.com/en/business/tech-innovation/environment/de-nox-system.html

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