Flue Gas Desulfurization Revenues to Exceed $7.6 Bil. in 2013

July 25, 2012

Sales of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems will exceed $7.6 billion in 2013, according to the latest forecast in FGD World Markets published by the McIlvaine Company. The forecast includes

Sales of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems will exceed $7.6 billion in 2013, according to the latest forecast in FGD World Markets published by the McIlvaine Company.

The forecast includes both wet and dry scrubbing processes, which remove sulfur dioxide from power plant exhaust stacks. It does not include revenues for scrubbers used in conjunction with industrial boilers using coal combustors to generate steam for process uses. It also excludes scrubbers used to remove sulfur dioxide from the stacks of vessels burning bunker and other high-sulfur fuels (Forecasts for these industrial markets are included in a separate report.)

Over 60 percent of the market next year will be in East Asia. The report shows the majority of the sales in this region will be to power plants in China. Most of the Chinese sales will be for new power plants, but there will also be some retrofits to old power plants without FGD. China has more scrubbers than any other country, but also more power plants without scrubbers than any other country.

There is competition among technologies. McIlvaine says wet scrubbers using limestone and making wall-board-quality gypsum as an end product will be the most popular. Dry and semi-dry systems using lime will carve out a significant but minor share. In the U.S., dry-injection system revenues will be substantial. These lower capital cost systems will be purchased for older power plants for which the higher operating cost is preferable. Many of these power plants may be retired in the next 10 years, so the expense over the remaining lifetime will be much less than if the expected life were 25 years, MciIlvaine says.

Sulfur, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate and other products can be produced with SO2 scrubbers. There will be relatively small numbers of these systems purchased. The opportunities will be limited to sites where there is a nearby consumer of the product.

For more information on FGD World Markets, click here.

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