MATS Compliance has been improved by URS Technology. URS has introduced a mercury control technology, HBS Injection, to help US power plants comply with the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard regulation issued by the EPA.
Recent full-scale testing of the technology at a Midwestern power plant has demonstrated up to 75 percent reduction in stack mercury emissions. The patented process injects halogen salt solutions into the flue gas to effectively oxidize mercury so that it can be easily captured in downstream pollution control equipment. As a result, the need for costly activated carbon injection or mercury oxidation catalyst can be avoided, significantly reducing MATS compliance costs, the company says.
The new process can be installed as a stand-alone mercury oxidation technology or combined with the successful SBS Injection process to achieve reductions in mercury emissions of up to 90 percent, the company says. The halogen solutions can also be injected in a variety of locations, ranging from the boiler outlet to the air preheater outlet, allowing it to be tailored to the specific configuration and needs of the power plant and avoid corrosion-related concerns.