The Boiler MACT Rule & Assistance Program
The big buzz in the industry lately has been all about the Boiler MACT Rule. The Boiler MACT Rule was introduced by the EPA in March 2011, requiring emissions control technologies to be implemented for all industrial and commercial boilers by March 2014. The rule was created to ensure compliance with the EPA’s strict air requirements, aimed at reducing emissions of hazardous air pollutants (including PM, Hg, HCI, and CO) from boilers and process heaters. This new requirement affects industries of all kinds, specifically companies who are labeled as major sources of emissions by the EPA. (Major sources are facilities that emit 10 tons per year or more of any single air toxin or 25 tons per year or more of any combination of air toxins).
The Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Application Center’s have devised a plan, the Boiler MACT Assistance Program, to help the more than 650 facilities affected by the Boiler MACT Rule. The program has been created to provide technical assistance to these facilities by promoting cleaner, more efficient boilers and presenting cost-effective clean-energy strategies for compliance. To learn more about the Boiler MACT Assistance Program, click here.
The Boiler MACT Rule has not only been a hot topic in industry, but also in Washington. Some in Congress claim the rule as a “job killer” and debate that there are insufficient domestic manufacturing resources to comply within the time frames set by the EPA. The American Boiler Manufacturer’s Association (ABMA) has diligently worked to educate politicians and the public on the truth about the Boiler MACT and a new website, www.boilermactfacts.com, has been developed to list the associations stand on the rule.
Despite claims, the Boiler MACT can be achieved with existing, affordable, state-of-the-art, technologically-advanced and fuel-flexible products, along with innovatively-designed-and-engineered application solutions, provided by members of the ABMA to meet boiler facilities that will be impacted. As stated online, “Implementation may not be cheap or easy, but it's entirely doable – and critically important for long-term public health, environmental quality and business stability.” ABMA members have the combined experience in meeting tough air-quality regulations with real-world solutions and are ready to help those affected by these rules to comply with them in a timely and affordable manner. While doing so, jobs will be generated not only for the boiler and pollution control technology industry, but also for small businesses that install, repair and tune-up boilers and boiler systems.
Resources are available to assure compliance with the boiler MACT rule in an affordable and timely manner, and the members of the ABMA, including Nationwide Boiler, are here to help.
Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.
1 Operate Boilers At or Close to Design Capacity. This decreases fuel consumption per unit of production and can result in an estimated energy savings range of 1 percent to 5 percent. Likewise, if your facility or plant requires excess capacity, visit the Nationwide Boiler website to obtain a current list of boilers for rent or for sale. Nationwide Boiler provides new and used boilers that can ship immediately, anywhere around the world (conditions apply, contact Nationwide Boiler for details).
2 Reduce Combustion Excess Air. Measure and control air-fuel ratio or oxygen and carbon monoxide content of flue gases from process heating equipment such as furnaces, ovens, and boilers for the entire range of operation. This has an estimated energy savings range of 2 percent to 15 percent. Think about installing a standard low NOx / low excess air burner (compared to an ULN / high excess air burner) on your boiler. Complemented with a Nationwide CataStak™ Selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR), a new burner retrofit and SCR installation will not only provide immediate energy savings, but will also reduce NOx emissions and decrease your carbon footprint.
3 Clean Heat Transfer Surfaces. Cleaning heat transfer surfaces lowers flue gas temperature and increases efficiency by improving heat transfer. Doing so can save an estimated 1 percent to 5 percent at a moderate cost.
4 Reduce Radiation Losses from Openings. Reducing radiation losses can save an estimated 1 percent to 2.5 percent at a relatively low cost.
5 Use Proper Oven, Furnace or Boiler Insulation to Reduce Wall Heat Losses. Reducing wall losses produces energy savings of 1 percent to 2 percent with only a moderate investment.
6 Insulate Steam Lines Leaving the Boiler as well as Air- or Water-Cooled Surfaces Exposed to the Oven or Furnace Environment. With an estimated energy savings range of 1 percent to 5 percent, piping insulation can be completed for a moderate investment.
7 Install Air Preheaters or Other Heat Recovery Equipment. This type of equipment recovers available heat from exhaust gases and boiler blowdown and transfers it back into the system by preheating. The potential energy savings range id from 1 percent to 25 percent, depending on process temperatures and other variables. Consider a Nationwide Boiler EconoStak Economizer or a Heat Recovery (HR) Blowdown Pak to recover valuable heat that can be reused, allowing you to save money in the long-term.
Adapted from Process Heating Magazine, March 21, 2012.
- Periodically monitor flue gas composition and tune your boilers to maintain excess air at optimum levels.
- If there is a continuous blowdown system in place, consider installing a heat recovery system.
- If there is a non-continuous blowdown system, then consider converting it to a continuous blowdown system coupled with heat recovery.
- Reduce operating costs through maximizing the return of hot condensate to the boiler.
- If a condensate return system is absent, estimate the cost of a condensate return and treatment system (as necessary) and install one if economically justified.
- Repair steam distribution and condensate return system leaks.
- Insulate condensate return system piping to conserve heat and protect personnel against burns.
- Review your blowdown practices to identify energy saving opportunities.
- Examine operating practices for boiler feedwater and blowdown rates developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Considerations include operating pressure, steam purity, and deposition control.
- Consider an automatic blowdown control system.
Taken from http://www.process-heating.com/Articles/Feature_Article/2afcce64fe4fd010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____
When time is of the essence and you need a reliable boiler right away, look no further than Nationwide Boiler. With manufacturer’s lead times ranging between 12-24 weeks, Nationwide Boiler can provide a new or reconditioned boiler immediately and typically at 60% of the cost of a new boiler. We stock a variety of boilers, each unit carrying the same guarantee as a new unit and warranted for 6-12 months (contact Nationwide Boiler for specific terms and conditions).
Nationwide regularly updates our New and Used Equipment Inventory List online with the most up to date equipment details and photos.Once a boiler is selected, prospective buyers can visit Nationwide’s facility in Fremont, CA for a visual inspection of the unit. We assure that every boiler is ASME code certified and meets or exceeds the current industry standards for emissions and controls. In addition all units are internally inspected and hydrostatically tested, with all systems checked prior to final delivery. If you are looking for a new or quality reconditioned boiler system, contact Nationwide Boiler today or visit our website to view our latest equipment offerings.
If you don’t see what you are looking for, we are happy to assist you find a solution that best suits your specific needs.
This month’s equipment spotlight: 700 hp Low NOx Skid-mounted Boiler (3 in stock for immediate delivery)
