News

2006 news releases

Reduced Emissions Targeted in University Circle Clean-Coal Project
OCDO funding to help plant meet environmental standards, continue use of Ohio coal

(Columbus) – The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) this week approved $250,000 in funding from its Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) to support a demonstration project aimed at reducing the emission of mercury and hydrochloric acid at a University Circle power plant operated by the not-for-profit Medical Center Company (MCCo).  The plant provides electricity, steam, chilled water, and other services to Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and five other not-for-profit organizations in the area.

The plant has a steam-generation capacity of 500,000 pounds per hour, with 40 percent of that total provided through the use of Ohio coal.  The U. S. Department of Energy and General Electric Environmental Services are partners in the $603,600 project.  Prior studies by General Electric have discovered a promising technology that can help industrial boilers reduce emissions, while still meeting recently issued U. S. Environmental Protection Agency rules for curbing emissions from industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers that will take effect in September 2007. 

The process to be studied at the MCCo plant is a sorbent-injection system that is expected to greatly enhance the capture of mercury and hydrochloric acid as they are produced in the combustion process.

“The best thing about this project is that the results will be shared with many small boiler operators throughout the state who do not have the resources to develop such novel concepts on-site.  This is a true technology-transfer effort that will promote the continued use of Ohio coal in power generation and reduce emissions at nearly 50 other similar facilities around the state,” said Mark R. Shanahan, OAQDA executive director.

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The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority is a non-regulatory government agency created to help Ohio businesses comply with clean air regulations.  Through its Ohio Coal Development Office, OAQDA also oversees the State of Ohio’s coal research, development, and technology deployment efforts.  Since its creation in 1970, the Authority has provided technical and financial help to hundreds of large and small Ohio businesses, awarding more than $4 billion to finance air quality projects.  For more information about OAQDA and its services, please visit its web site, at www.ohioairquality.org.