Background Notes
The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) has granted approval to PanCanadian to construct a 105 MW gas fired power plant on the northeast corner of Calgary. The plant will emit 485 tonnes per year of nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the air. This level of emissions represents a 35.5% increase in industrial source NOx emissions in the local area. According to Pan Canadian's own reports, this new facility will push maximum predicted ground level concentrations of NOx to greater than 80% of the Alberta Air Quality guideline.
The proposed Calpine Corporation facility would generate 250 MW of power and produce only 80.3 tonnes per year of NOx because of the use of SCR technology.
Selective Catalytic Reduction is a tail gas clean-up technology that is used extensively in the United States. SCR can reduce NOx emissions from gas-fired power plants by about 90% compared to standard dry low-NOx burner technology. This is accomplished by routing combustion gases through an SCR unit containing a catalyst bed and gaseous ammonia. The ammonia compounds react with nitrogen oxide (NO) compounds to produce nitrogen (a normal constituent of air) and water. The remaining 10% of NOx molecules and a small quantity of ammonia are released unreacted to the atmosphere.
The Pembina Institute is an independent, citizen-based environmental policy development and advocacy organization specializing in fields related to energy development and environmental protection. The Energy Watch program of the Institute is the key advocacy arm of the Institute focusing on the environmental impacts of conventional energy and oilsands development, air quality issues in Alberta, and the development of provincial and national energy and air quality protection standards and regulations. The Institute operates from offices in Drayton Valley, Calgary, and Ottawa.
For more information contact:
Tom Marr-Laing
Director, Energy Watch Program, Pembina Institute
Cell: 780-621-2472
Email: thomasml@pembina.org
Chris Severson-Baker
Environmental Policy Analyst, Energy Watch Program
Office: 403-269-3344 ext.10