Obowiązująca dyrektywa IED, a co za tym idzie bardzo rygorystyczne wymagania względem rtęci (Hg) stawiane przez BAT/BREF, zmuszają polską energetykę do poszukiwania nowych wydajnych technologii oczyszczania spalin z gazowych jej form. Obecnie żadne z metod pierwotnych ani wtórych usuwania związków Hg w kraju nie jest w stanie sprostać tym restrykcjom. Wymagań tych nie spełniają nawet powszechnie stosowane metody z wykorzystaniem węgla aktywnego modyfikowanego bromem lub jodem czy też nowoczesne metody stosowane w innych krajach wykorzystujące moduły polimerowe. Związane jest to z dużym zanieczyszczeniem rtęcią paliw kopalnych stosowanych w krajowej energetyce. Dlatego też w ramach projektu pt. „Hybrydowe układy adsorpcyjne do redukcji emisji rtęci z zastosowaniem wysokoefektywnych komponentów polimerowych”, akronim HYBREM, podjęte zostały próby zbudowania innowacyjnej linii technologicznej łączącej kilka technik oczyszczania spalin ze szkodliwych związków rtęci. Do budowy instalacji pilotażowej wykorzystano technologie bazujące na modułach polimerowych oraz iniekcji różnych sorbentów stałych. Zaletą budowanej instalacji będzie jej mobilność, przez co może być testowana na różnych obiektach energetycznych. Otrzymane wyniki oczyszczania spalin przy użyciu zaprojektowanej instalacji pilotażowej pozwolą określić czy zbudowany prototyp jest efektywny w każdych warunkach dla polskich elektrowni opalanych węglem. Wiedza na ten temat pozwoli efektywnie rozwinąć technologie przemysłowe pod kątem oczyszczania spalin z rtęci spełniając jednocześnie wymagania stawiane przez konkluzje BAT/BREF.

CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology is one of the methods that limit the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, the high cost of capturing CO2 in this technology is a major obstacle to the implementation of this solution by power plants. The reduction of costs is expected primarily on the side of the capture and separation of CO2 from flue/ industrial gas. The article presents the financial performance of the most popular amine technology (MEA) against mesoporous material about MCM-41 structure obtained from fly ash, impregnated with polyethyleneimine (PEI), for CCS installations. The study was conducted for an investment comprising three key components that provide a full value chain in CCS validation (capture, transport and storage). The mineralogical studies and determination of the physicochemical properties of mesoporous material produced from waste materials such as fly ash allowed us to identify the best class sorbents of MCM-41, which can be used in CO2 capture technologies. Developing an innovative relationship not only allows 100% of CO2 to be removed but also reduces operating costs (OPEX), primarily including energy by 40% and multiple material costs relative to amine mixtures such as MEA.

It is estimated that the amount of used car tires in the European Union in 2016 was established at the level of 3,515,000 Mg, which is undoubtedly a problem from the point of view of engineering and environmental protection. An alternative to storing this waste in landfills is their pyrolysis. As a result of thermal decomposition, calorific value products (oil and gas fraction) are obtained, as well as a solid residue, which due to its composition and properties can be processed into a high quality carbon sorbent. For this purpose, various methods of modification of the pyrolyzate are used, both involving physical and chemical activation. This article presents the characteristics of solid residue after the pyrolysis of rubber tires running at a temperature of about 400°C, which included an analysis of chemical composition (XRF and IR), mineralogical composition (XRD, SEM-EDS) and textural characteristics. Additionally, for the purpose of activation, the sample was treated with nitrogen at a temperature of 550°C. The mineralogical analysis showed that the dominant mineral component is carbon. In addition, the presence of quartz, calcite and sphalerite was observed. Analysis of the chemical composition suggests that due to the high carbon content (about 80% by mass) it is possible for a carbon sorbent from the analyzed waste to be obtained. However, previous preliminary studies did not allow a material constituting a substitute for activated carbon to be obtained, because the applied modification only slightly increased the BET specific surface area, which reached the value of approx. 85 m2/g. Based on the analysis of the pore size distribution of the 2 tested samples, it was found to be homogeneous/modal with a micro/mesoporous nature, while the shape of the hysteresis loop suggests the presence of “bottle shape” pores. Due to the relatively high content of zinc, the composition of waste (about 4% of mass), the possibility of recovery of this element should also be considered.

Mercury emissions have become one of the problems in the energy sector in recent years. The currently used mercury removal techniques include: primary, secondary and preliminary methods. However, due to the large variation in the mercury content in hard and brown coal and the different characteristics of power plants, these methods are often not effective enough to meet the new requirements set by BREF/BAT which requires a search for new, high-efficiency solutions. The proposal for a new technology has been developed in the project “Hybrid Adsorption Systems to Reduce Mercury Emissions Using Highly Effective Polymer Components” (HYBREM). The project was implemented by the consortium of SBB Energy SA and ZEPAK Pątnów II Power Plant. An innovative, high-efficiency hybrid technology for purifying exhaust gases from mercury was developed. GORE polymer modules were used as a technology base where, in combination with the injection of solid sorbents, a hybrid technology was developed. To assess the economic efficiency of the similar case as in the HYBREM project model based on OPEX and CAPEX, each method was selected separately. The article focused on the substitution of solid sorbents used in the HYBREM project by zeolite based materials. Modified zeolite X, applied in the project, was derived from fly ash. Preliminary analysis shows that the system of proposed technologies is very cost-competitive compared only to GORE technology. The basic factors are the possibility of recovering zeolites from ash, combined with low investment outlays.