In this project, The University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), in cooperation with the Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W), Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), and Louisville Gas & Electric Companies (LG&E), as joint participants, will concentrate on demonstrating mercury control technology options for achieving >90% reduction from baseline mercury removal.

The project focuses on determining the impact of sorbent enhancement additive (SEA) injection alone or in combination with powdered activated carbon (PAC) sorbents to substantially enhance the ability to remove mercury from coal combustion gases to achieve a high level (>90% from baseline) of cost-effective mercury control.

Full-scale testing of the SEA technology will be executed at KCP&L's Hawthorn Unit 5 (HAW5) located near Kansas City , Missouri, and LG&E's Mill Creek Unit 4 (MC4) located near Louisville, Kentucky . The speciated mercury concentrations will be measured at several locations in each system using the Ontario Hydro (OH) wet chemical sampling method and continuous mercury monitors (CMMs). At HAW5, OH and CMM sampling will take place at the SDA inlet and the stack. At MC4, OH sampling and CMMs will be located at the ESP inlet and wet scrubber outlet or the stack. Both sites will utilize advanced mercury control technology to ensure optimum mercury co-benefits are attained with SCR and scrubber systems.

The results of this effort will be applicable to virtually all utilities that burn subbituminous and bituminous coals in the United States. The technology has the potential to reduce mercury emissions in scrubbed systems by over 90%.