We present the concept of a novel thermal power plant process in conjunction with low-temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR). This process can be employed to achieve modern standards for NOx emissions and solve problems related to post-gas cleaning processes, such as thermal fatigue, catalyst damage, and an increase in differential pressure in the boiler. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the performance of a novel flue-gas cleaning process for use in a thermal power plant, where a low-temperature SCR is implemented, along with the existing SCR. We developed a process model for a large-scale power plant, in which the thermal power plant was divided into a series of heat exchanger block models. The mass and energy balances were solved by considering the heat transfer interaction between the hot and cold sides to obtain the properties of each material flow. Using the process model, we performed a simulation of the new process. New optimal operating conditions were derived, and the effects that the new facilities have on the existing process were evaluated. The results show that the new process is feasible in terms of operating stability and cost, as well as showing an increase in the boiler thermal efficiency of up to 1.3%.

This study investigates the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission characteristics of using torrefied biomass (residual wood and wood chip) as co-firing materials in coal-fired power plants, based on life cycle assessment techniques. We quantify the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of substituting coal with biomass under different torrefaction temperatures, biomass types, and co-firing ratios. Results indicate that higher co-firing ratios significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. Torrefaction at 270 °C was identified as optimal, balancing high energy yield and minimized emissions, while 310 °C torrefaction showed limited mitigation benefits due to lower mass yields and higher carbon content. Pelletization and torrefaction enhanced biomass properties, but the energy intensity of these processes affected the overall emission balance. This study underscores the potential of biomass to replace imported coal and contribute to carbon neutrality, while highlighting the importance of optimizing biomass processing conditions. Future work should focus on refining torrefaction parameters and assessing other biomass characteristics to enhance operational efficiency in coal-fired power plants.

The farming sector like any other industry needs to be decarbonized. Hence, it is essential to meet the energy demands of the farms by adopting energy systems with a low-carbon footprint. Depending on the weather conditions, heating or cooling is needed. Within this context, this study presents a new hybrid renewable decentralized energy system that is designed to satisfy the requirements for heating, cooling, and electricity of a smart farm in South Korea. The under-investigation energy system comprises solar PV arrays, heat pumps, thermal energy storage tanks, and a wood pellet boiler. This study is the first to conduct an inclusive techno-enviroeconomic assessment of such a hybrid energy system by utilizing actual meteorological data on an hourly basis. This enables the model to be dynamic and facilitate accurate and reliable assessments. The modelling efforts have been performed in Aspen Plus and MATLAB to investigate the thermodynamic behaviour of the system. The investigation shows that the proposed system has achieved a daily average temperature of around 23.9C inside the farm throughout the year with a standard deviation of 2.16C. For the economic assessment, the levelized cost of energy has been selected as the main economic indicator, and this has been estimated at $0.218/kWh. It is found that the PV panels and the biomass boiler dominate the capital expenditures, and the biomass feedstock is the major contributor to the operating expenditures. Further, the proposed energy system reduces CO₂ emissions, by up to 88.94, when compared to conventional fossil-based energy systems. The outcomes of this study represent a holistic evaluation for such a low-carbon hybrid energy system when applied to greenhouses in Korea and in similar locations.

In this study the NOx reduction capability of reburning three biomasses (i.e., wood pellet, torrefied biomass, and empty fruit bunch) via 12 cases (i.e., four reburning ratios for every biomass) is investigated in a 1 MW_th-scale pilot-scale furnace. These reburning cases are compared with 12 cofiring cases presented in the Part 1 paper on a consistent basis. It is found that, for every cost to purchase and prepare biomass, reburning technology provides significantly better NOx abatement performance than cofiring (up to 3.4 times). NOx reduction effectiveness as high as 4.9 could be achieved by reburning, which means the percent of NOx abatement could be 4.9 times higher than the percent of reburning ratio. It is found that the highest NOx reduction per thermal unit of biomass happens at the lowest reburning ratio, and increasing the reburning ratio leads to a reduction in NOx abatement effectiveness in an exponential decay manner. Unlike cofiring technology, reburning was found to have little dependence on the fuel characteristics, such as fuel ratio or fuel-N, when it comes to NOx abatement potential.