Linde KCA receives licence to build fluidized-bed drying plants from RWE
RWE Power and Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH, a subsidiary of The Linde Group, have signed a framework agreement on the use of technology developed by RWE Power for drying lignite. This turns Linde-KCA-Dresden into a provider and supplier of WTA developed by RWE Power. WTA is the German abbreviation for fluidized-bed drying with internal waste-heat utilization.
The technology, developed by RWE's own engineers, is a registered trademark. Thanks to WTA, the efficiency of future lignite-fired power stations will be increased by ten per cent to over 47 percent. In a 1,000-MW power plant, this will reduce CO2 by up to one million tons annually with the same amount of power being generated. Moreover, WTA drying is indispensable for the gasification of lignite to make fuels or for the products of the chemical industry. WTA technology lowers the moisture content of raw lignite from over 55 percent to 12 percent. The crucial advance: by contrast with the previous drying process with flue gas at 1,000°C, WTA drying at 110°C is much more favourable in energetic terms.
Also, the heat expended on drying the coal is now largely recovered and re-used. By comparison: to achieve a similar effect for the climate, nearly 500,000 mid-size cars would have to stay in their garages forever.
At Niederaussem, RWE Power has been operating a demonstration prototype plant on a commercial scale since February 2009, generating 110 tons of dry lignite an hour. This is equivalent to up to 30 percent of the entire coal requirements of the BoA unit in Niederaussem, currently the most efficient lignite-fired power station with optimized plant engineering (BoA) featuring an efficiency of over 43 percent. Use of the demonstration plant reduces CO2 by 240,000 tons a year. RWE Power has invested EUR 50 million in the project.
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