ANALYSIS OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE FLUE GAS DESULFURIZATION PROCESS AT THE UGLJEVIK MINE AND THERMAL POWER PLANT

Abstract

The flue gases from coal fired thermal power plants, contain combustion gases (SO₂, NOₓ, CO, CO₂) and fine particles of fly ash. The concentration of sulfur oxides in the flue gas depends on the sulfur content in the coal. The flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process at TPP Ugljevik utilizes a wet scrubbing method, where a limestone suspension serves as the absorbent medium for sulfur oxides, with gypsum as a byproduct. Comparative analysis of emission levels before and after the FGD system installation indicates that the applied desulfurization technology is highly effective. The efficiency of the desulfurization plant ranged from 83.91% to 100%, depending on the inlet concentration of SO₂ in the flue gas. Estimates show that the FGD plant, depending on the intensity of operation, can annually remove between 7,000 and 55,800 tons of sulfur, with by-product gypsum production ranging from 3,660 to 29,280 tons. The implementation of this flue gas purification process significantly reduces the impact on the environment and ambient air pollution caused by sulfur oxides. For economic reasons, the plant is unfortunately unable to operate continuously.
Keywords: Flue gases, SO₂ emissions, desulfurization, wet scrubbing process.