Colorado Springs, Colo.-A new compact, lower-cost coal-burning power plant emissions control system that also produces the chemicals for making fertilizer is being tested with what Colorado Springs Utilities officials are describing as astonishing results. At this point the utility isn’t concentrating on scaling up trial runs of the Neumann Systems Group’s Purestream system, and no details were available on the fertilizer or on cement, which could be another byproduct. But they claim that the Neumann development overcomes the main problems of existing coal emissions systems because it’s significantly cheaper to install, more than ten times smaller, and consumes two thirds less power to operate. Utility officials report that early tests on a small unit at their Drake plant produced a 99.7 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide and an 80 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide. Tom Black, the utility’s chief energy officer, is giving the system rave reviews. He was quoted in the local press as saying, “Purestream so far is exceeding all our expectations. We believe the capability will be better than anything in the market.” He reported that in addition to SO2 and NOX it removes troublesome particulates, such as unburned coal and ash. Testing is now being conducted at the two-megawatt level, and by next June is expected to be upgraded to 20 megawatts. Black said the unique part of Purestream is that it is modular and could be adapted to the plant’s 254-megawatt capacity ?Çô or go even larger by just adding units. Neumann’s chief officer, David Neumann, is a former Air Force Space Command and Air Force Academy physicist. His small firm, also located in Colorado Springs, has put $6 million in grants into the technology, and the city has added another $1 million in exchange for a share of the profits.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain