DENVER—Xcel Energy is testing a new system at its coal-fired power plant in Hayden that was designed to improve the plant’s efficiency and reduce its emissions footprint.
Xcel Energy and GE Energy worked to develop a software platform to decrease slagging and fouling, or mineral waste that is created when coal is burned.
The waste products decrease efficiency, requiring more coal to produce the same amount of electricity. That in turn can lead to several million dollars of lost revenue due to decreased loads, periodic shutdowns to clear out the waste, and the use of more coal, Xcel said.
The system that Xcel is testing collects data that a plant operator can use to recommend operational changes to reduce mineral waste. Xcel Energy began testing in July and will continue until December. The company said preliminary results show the system is working.
In the next phase of the project, Xcel Energy will concentrate on reducing nitrogen oxide levels.
