Abstract:
The electric power sector is regarded globally as the major contributor to local air quality degradation and to global environmental impacts such as acid rain and greenhouse phenomenon. Several mitigation technologies are available to reduce the different emissions, mainly sulfur dioxide, from power plants. The most pronounced ones are switching to low-sulfur fuel oil, filtering stack emissions using flue gas desulfurization systems, and shifting to natural gas as an alternative fuel for thermal power plants. The objective of this paper is to present an economic model that can be used for evaluating and comparing the three alternatives under consideration, so as to determine the most economically feasible option taking into account various cost parameters. This evaluation will incorporate assessment on the environmental damages caused by these emissions and an economic model representing uncertainties in different parameters involved. A case study was conducted on an existing power plant including a sensitivity analysis to examine the impact of different parameters with high levels of uncertainty. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.