POSCO Energy, First Domestic Power Producer to Launch Zero Air Pollution Demonstration Project

Joint Demonstration of Nitrogen Oxide Reduction Using 'Plasma Vaporizer'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] "We opened our power plant to a venture company that was looking for a place to demonstrate eco-friendly reduction technology. This is true win-win cooperation for technological collaboration."

POSCO Energy, which operates the Incheon LNG Combined Power Plant, is jointly demonstrating the first-ever 'NOx (nitrogen oxides) reduction using plasma vaporizer' in a domestic power company, together with the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials and the environmental venture company Jisco.

The plasma vaporizer is an eco-friendly facility that rapidly vaporizes nitrogen oxides generated during the initial startup of LNG combined power generators by utilizing a high-temperature plasma heat source, thereby reducing atmospheric emissions to zero. POSCO Energy plans to be the first domestic power company to apply the plasma vaporizer and proactively respond to the government's strengthened environmental regulations and comprehensive fine dust measures.

The LNG combined power plant operates as a peak load power generator that produces electricity upon receiving urgent power supply instructions when there is a shortage of electricity, resulting in more frequent startups and shutdowns compared to other power plants. The plasma vaporizer can process nitrogen oxides generated during generator startup faster and more effectively than existing methods, which is expected to bring a revolutionary change to eco-friendly facilities at power plants in the future.

There were many difficulties before the plasma vaporizer could enter the demonstration phase. The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials and the venture company that jointly developed this technology had completed development but had been unable to find a place for demonstration. For demonstration, it must be installed in the environmental facilities of a power plant, but most power plants have been unable to decide on applying new technology from venture companies.

POSCO Energy stepped up for them. Based on POSCO Group's management philosophy of 'Corporate Citizenship Growing Together,' POSCO Energy decided on win-win cooperation for technological collaboration and readily opened the Incheon LNG Combined Power Plant as a site for demonstration research.

Jung Ki-seop, President of POSCO Energy, said, "As the importance of the environment grows recently, power companies are making great efforts to create cleaner energy for future generations. POSCO Energy decided to pursue technological collaboration with a venture company while considering the proactive adoption of technology for operating eco-friendly power plants in response to these social demands."

Meanwhile, POSCO Energy plans to complete the installation of the plasma vaporizer in the power plant's environmental facilities by early September and conduct the demonstration by October. After the demonstration is completed, it will proceed with the procedures for full-scale technology adoption.

Currently, the Incheon LNG Combined Power Plant manages atmospheric emissions at about 5 ppm, approximately 25% of the standard management concentration of 21.3 ppm, operating as the most eco-friendly power plant in the region. It is expected that if the plasma vaporizer demonstration is successfully completed, it will become a representative model for managing atmospheric emissions at power plants. Subsequently, through business model creation, POSCO Energy plans to expand the business to domestic and overseas LNG combined power plants and industries to lead the eco-friendly market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.