Chemithon Engineers successfully commissions India's first dual flue gas conditioning system at Gujarat Electricity Board

Mumbai, March 20, 2003.

Chemithon Engineers Pvt. Ltd. (CEPL), a joint venture with Chemithon Enterprises Inc., USA, world leaders in the environmental equipment has successfully commissioned India's first dual flue gas conditioning system at Unit No. 4 of Gujarat Electricity Board's Ukai thermal power station. The particulate emission has reduced within the compliance limits specified by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and is under 150 mg/M3. The plant is a demonstrator for Chemithon's SO3 conditioning and the Heavy Water Board's (HWB) indigenous ammonia conditioning technology.

Mr. S. N. Trivedi, Managing Director, Chemithon Engineers Pvt. Ltd. said, "The successful execution of India's first dual flue gas conditioning system at Gujarat Electricity Board is indeed a glorious moment for us at Chemithon as well as at Heavy Water Board. We have fruitfully commercialized the indigenous technology developed and patented by the Heavy Water Board for control of particulate emission from TPS. This leading edge technology will enable the TPS across the country to control the particulate emission levels and comply with the Central Pollution Control Board's norms and provide a better ambient air quality in the vicinity of the TPS. The technology has an export potential to the neighboring countries in South East Asia and China."

Mr. Trivedi further added, "As per current estimates, the number of TPS requiring particulate emission control systems is around 38 and the total number of units which need this technology number around 108. The business potential for FGC in India is estimated at over Rs. 200 crores. The dual flue gas conditioning technology offers cost effective solutions as the investments for the ammonia based dosing system is in the range of Rs. 1 lakh per MW and for SO3 conditioning in the range of Rs. 1.5 lakh per MW. These investment costs are substantially lower than those required for retrofitting the ESPs or installation of bag filters."

Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of HWB said, "The valuable tie-up between Chemithon & HWB is a demonstration of a productive working relationship between a private sector and a public sector company for translation of environmental friendly Greenfield technology for the benefit of the country. For HWB, the effective transformation of technology will facilitate an increased interaction with the private sector for contributing to environmentally friendly "green technologies". The future plans of Chemithon and HWB include the in-situ generators for ammonia and expanded activities in the field of air pollution control equipment. The unique partnership between Chemithon & HWB will continue to develop technologies and equipments for a cleaner environment."

Particulate emissions from TPS pose a serious health hazard and have a substantial impact on the environment. Indian coals, which have low sulfur, limit the performance capabilities of the electrostatic precipitators (ESP), which are designed for collecting the particulate emission and minimizing the emissions. Dosing of the flue gases with sulfur trioxide and/or ammonia results in improved electrical properties of the ash particles, enables them to agglomerate better and results in an improved collection efficiency at the ESP. The dual FGC technology is based on sulfur trioxide (SO3) conditioning technology of Chemithon and the ammonia (NH3) conditioning technology developed indigenously by the HWB.

The ammonia flue gas technology developed in-house by HWB (patent applied for) for their captive thermal power station at Manuguru has been successfully commercialized by CEPL at thermal power stations in West Bengal and Punjab. Flue gas conditioning (FGC) plants are under construction at Punjab State Electricity Board's Bathinda TPS Unit Nos. 3 & 4 x 110 MW each and at West Bengal Power Development Corpn. Ltd.'s Kolaghat TPS Unit No. 2 x 210 MW. These orders have been secured after demonstrating the ability to control particulate emission using ammonia as a conditioning agent. Trials are in progress in Maharashtra and are planned in Chattisgarh and Jharkhand in the coming months.

The use of ammonia for flue gases can also be used for various other industrial applications where coal fired boilers are used. Ammonia helps in agglomeration of the particles and enhances the collection efficiency of mechanical collectors too. Field trials are planned jointly by Chemithon with the Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, IIT-Bombay for extending the applications of the technology. In India, the technology users could cover TPS who have particulate emissions exceeding the compliance limits specified by the Central and State Pollution Control Boards. For new TPS the technology offers a solution for controlling SPM levels in two digits. The technology has been evaluated at power plants in Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western India and provides a cost effective solution for addressing a major environmental concern of particulate emissions.

Chemithon Engineers Ltd. (CEL) is a part of Chemithon Enterprise Inc., a privately held group of technology companies offering process development, engineering, plant equipment manufacturing and a full range of services to customers. Surfactants from Chemithon's sulfonation plants are key ingredients in detergents, shampoos, toothpaste, oil additives and other consumer and industrial products. Chemithon also designs and fabricates custom process equipment for various process industries; design and manufacture pollution control systems for the power generation industry; and provide equipment, process and supplies to the surface finishing and printed circuit board industries. Chemithon, US has been in the flue gas conditioning business since 1972 and has supplied over 200 plants to thermal power stations in the US, South Africa, England, Singapore and Korea. Chemithon has collaborations with Geoenergy and EPSCO, two leading US based consultants for the design of air pollution control equipments which will be manufactured by Chemithon for Indian Consumers.