Aug 27, 2018
American Technology Powers Thermal Plants Across sub-Saharan Africa
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which coordinates the U.S. Government’s Power Africa program, led a delegation to visit American companies in Ohio and Michigan that are helping Power Africa achieve its goal of doubling access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa through private investment. Power Africa is creating more opportunities for U.S. companies to sell their products overseas, while also working to bring electricity for the first time to the more than 600 million people in Africa without electricity access. The Power Africa team, which includes representatives from several U.S. Government agencies and U.S. Congressional staff, visited The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) and Detroit Stoker Company.
To better understand these American technology offerings, B&W hosted Power Africa at its offices in Barberton, Ohio on Tuesday, July 10. At this meeting, Power Africa launched its official partnership with B&W, as the company committed to develop 4,560 MW of coal, solar and biomass power across sub-Saharan Africa.
In the world of electricity production, the term “thermal power plant” include those that use fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil, and also renewable fuels, such as concentrated solar power (CSP), biomass, and waste that produce power from heat.
This heat is then used to drive a steam or gas turbine, and the turbine is then used to power a generator — hence the term “power generation” or electricity production. Similarly, solar thermal power generation systems collect and concentrate sunlight to produce the high temperature heat needed to generate electricity.
Both B&W and Detroit Stoker Company are pursuing opportunities across sub-Saharan Africa to develop cleaner coal, biomass, waste-to-energy, and, in the case of B&W, solar power, as well.
B&W, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a global leader in advanced energy and environmental technologies and services for power, industrial and renewable markets. The company provides market leading technology in thermal power, such as coal, biomass, waste-to-energy, and concentrated solar power (CSP). Product and service offerings include utility steam generation equipment, waste-to-energy and biomass steam generating equipment, industrial boilers, environmental solutions, wet and dry cooling systems, and aftermarket retrofits, parts and services.
“To be a part of a movement to help the African economy and infrastructure by providing the power generation and environmental technologies for which we’re known is in complete alliance with our mission, too,” said Mark Low, senior vice president of B&W’s Power segment. “We have products and services that could make an important difference in this region of the world, and partnering with Power Africa and its established industry resources may help us more easily gain access to influential decision makers on any coal and renewable energy projects we elect to pursue there. In particular, we see opportunities to retrofit low NOx burner, flue gas desulfurization (FGD), and particulate control technologies as well as new build coal circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) and biomass boilers.”
Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz commented, “we are thrilled to welcome B&W as a Power Africa partner, a company with a proven track record of delivering technology-driven solutions and services to energy and industrial customers across sub-Saharan Africa.”
In South Africa, for example, B&W is providing a range of different technologies across solar, biomass and coal. The company is a key technology provider to the country’s national utility, Eskom, as well as South Africa’s largest integrated energy and chemical company, Sasol, as both companies strive to meet new air pollution regulations.
B&W is also supplying technology to the Kathu Solar Park (KSP), a 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project, with parabolic trough and molten salt storage technology, that was developed under South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Program (REIPPPP).
Just two and a half hours north of B&W’s Barberton, Ohio office is Detroit Stoker Company, located in Monroe, Michigan. Detroit Stoker manufactures and supplies combustion equipment for the production of steam used in heating, industrial processing, and electric power generation worldwide. Detroit Stoker products include stokers/grates, burners, rotary seal feeders, double flap airlocks, ash handling systems, fuel distributors, overfire/secondary air control systems, grate drives, and replacement parts. The company also provides maintenance, repair, inspection, and upgrade services.
During a tour of the Detroit Stoker manufacturing floor and warehouse, Power Africa saw first-hand how American ingenuity can play a key role in turning the many forms of waste across sub-Saharan Africa into productive use while supplying much needed baseload power generation for businesses and households. Detroit Stoker’s combustion systems generate power from various waste products, such as bagasse, bark, grain waste, municipal solid waste (MSW), refuse-derived fuel (RDF), palm waste, poultry litter, sawdust, and sunflower hulls, proving versalite enough to meet a range of renewable energy applications in Africa.
Tom Giaier, President of Detroit Stoker Company saw plenty of opportunities for collaboration with Power Africa, stating that:
“Power Africa can help support Detroit Stoker Company’s effort to provide innovative technologies to aid in the electrification of sub-Saharan Africa and expand the development of sustainable solutions in the energy markets.”
About Babcock & Wilcox:
Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) is a global leader in advanced energy and environmental technologies and services for power, industrial and renewable markets, with operations, subsidiaries, and joint ventures worldwide.
For more information about Babcock & Wilcox
Address: 20 South Van Buren Avenue, Barberton, OH 44203–0351 USA
Website: http://www.babcock.com/
Twitter: Babcock & Wilcox Twitter
About Detroit Stoker Company:
Since 1898, Detroit Stoker Company has been a leading supplier of combustion systems and equipment which have been used worldwide. Detroit® Combustion Systems have been used for the production of steam used for heat, industrial processing and electric power generation. These systems have been fired by coal, biomass, municipal solid waste and many other fuels. Detroit® has taken a leadership role in the development of environmentally responsible systems that make power generating plants good neighbors in their communities.
For more information about Detroit Stoker
Address: 1510 East First Street , Monroe, MI 48161
Website: http://www.detroitstoker.com/
