A chemical plant on the Philadelphia waterfront operates a medium sized facility where they produce specialty polymers. In the early 1980’s, the facility installed two 1200 HP firetube boilers to provide steam for their facility. Based on the boiler size, technology and emissions standards of the time, the facility was releasing approximately 85 lbs/day of nitrogen oxides, collectively referred to as NOx, into the environment. NOx is one of the primary components involved in the formation of ground-level ozone, often cited as a contributing factor to respiratory problems. NOx reacts to form nitrate particles, acid aerosols, as well as NO2, which also causes respiratory problems. It contributes to the formation of acid rain as well as nutrient overload in lakes and streams.

Over the next two decades the plant downsized their operations and shut ceased operation of one of the boilers. However, the remaining boiler was still oversized for the application and was still ejecting over 40 lb / day of NOx. Powerhouse analyzed the facility requirements and determined that a smaller, more efficient boiler would better serve the current steam load. Powerhouse provided a high efficiency, low emission 650 HP Portable Boiler Room that releases approximately 23 lbs/day of NOx into the environment, a reduction of over 40%! Additionally, due to the improvement in efficiency, the resultant reduction in natural gas usage has more than paid for the cost of renting the boiler.

At their Philadelphia Naval Yard Facility, Duke Energy is the naval yard steam supplier. The facility was originally using three (3) aging 125,000 lb/hr water tube boilers operating at approximately 60% efficiency. During operation, the plant was releasing approximately 375 lbs/day of NOx into the environment. Since the facility now operates at a very reduced capacity, the existing system was greatly oversized.

Powerhouse analyzed the facility and provided two (2) new, high efficiency, low emission 800 HP fire tube portable boiler rooms to handle the entire steam load. The two new units operate at 82% efficiency and only release a combined 55 lbs/day of NOx into the environment. Due to the lower fuel consumption and operational costs of the new boilers, Duke Energy estimated that they have saved approximately $1.8 million in only two years of operation.

ArcelorMittal Steel is the largest steel producer in the world. One of their facilities, located in Steelton, PA has an existing steam plant with five (5) 100,000 lb/hr water tube boilers. This plant no longer operates at maximum capacity, and thus, the boilers have been mostly decommissioned over time. One of the processes that are still in full operation at Steelton is steel degasification, part of the purifying process involved in manufacturing high quality steel. During this process, steam is vented across the molten steel at high pressure and high velocity. The velocity of the steam creates a venturi vacuum that draws gasses and other impurities out of the molten steel. This process needed approximately 65,000 PPH of steam and the facility was left to operate a seventy year old 100,000 PPH boiler to generate the steam. At that rate, the existing boiler was operating well below 50% efficiency with emissions in the 120 PPM NOx range.

Powerhouse provided the facility with a new 75,000 lb/hr watertube boiler and new deaerator that operated at approximately 80% efficiency with emissions of 30 PPM NOx. With the higher efficiency and low-NOx technology, Powerhouse was able to reduce the NOx emissions by over 50%! Additionally, due to the lower fuel consumption and operational cost of the new boiler system, the Steelton facility saves over $200,000 a month compared to their original system.