first published week of: 10/03/2016
Lakeland Electric, the third-largest public power utility in Florida, reported that it saved $12 million in fiscal year 2015 through the use of a coal treatment at its McIntosh Power Plant Unit 3. The savings represent up to 20% of the unit’s annual coal supply costs.
A typical coal-fired power plant will spend about 70% of its operating budget on fuel. When coal prices were increasing, Lakeland Electric began searching for ways to burn different types of less-expensive, “opportunity coals.” The challenge with opportunity coals is that they can be more difficult to burn, and using them may cause plants to experience an increase in ash slag deposits on the boiler wall, superheater, and reheater tubes. Those deposits reduce efficiency and increase operational costs, which can negate the opportunity coal’s fuel cost savings. continued…