Next target for coal conversion: boilers designed for gas/oil

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:6948113

Almost any gas/oil-fired boiler can be made to burn coal. But fuel flexibility does not come cheap and it may involve substantial derating Almost 12,000 MW of oil-fired, coal-capable, generating capacity in the US have been converted back to coal. About 10,000 more megawatts are in the process of conversion, and maybe another 12,000 are under consideration. In fact, almost two-thirds of the utility boilers that were converted to oil or gas during the 1950s and 1960s may eventually burn coal again. But here the US swing to coal almost stops. Most of these retrofits have been done on relatively old boilers in eastern states. Meanwhile, oil and gas consumption by utilities in 10 western states has remained steady or has risen. A 1980 DOE survey identified 245 utility boilers that were designed for oil and were now burning oil. Half of these units are over 400 MW and most of them are under 20 years old. If even a relatively small fraction of them were converted to coal, this would do more for energy independence than all the reconversions completed so far.

• OSTI ID: 6948113
• Journal Information: Power; (United States), Journal Name: Power; (United States) Vol. 127:11; ISSN POWEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
014000 -- Coal
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42 ENGINEERING
421000* -- Engineering-- Combustion Systems
BOILERS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUEL GAS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
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GASES
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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PUBLIC UTILITIES
RETROFITTING
SURVEYS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA