Uo cm AD-A280 581 ofEngineers Co cdon EngineeringIIIIIIRiesearch Laboratories An Economic Analysis of Converting Large Gas- and Oil-Fired Heating Plants to Coal

Defense to increase the use of coal at its facilities in the United States. This study investigated the cost effectiveness of burning coal (versus gas or oil) in 88 large heating plants located at 55 Army installations in the continental United States. Non-coal-fired plants with capacities greater than 50 MBtu/hr were selected, and the USACERL-developed Central Heating Plant Economic Evaluation (CHPECON) program was used to estimate the life-cycle costs (LCC) of new plants of equal capacity burning gas, No. 2 oil, No. 6 oil, or coal using the following technologies: stokers, coal water slurries, coal-oil mixture, micronized coal, and fluidized bed combustors. The study concluded that building new coal-fired plants to replace aging gas- or oil-fired plants would be cost effective in only one location, where coal was competitive with gas. However, • D I C retrofitting heavy oil plants for coal firing may) 14- " TIC increase coal consumption and provide potential G.-L TE cost savings for 38 heating plants. Calculated to savings ranged between $8 million and $239 million over the 25-year plant life. More detailed engineering studies were recommended to.. confirm the projected savings at 15 of the Army heating plants studied. 594-19505 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 94 6 2 3 152 The contents of this report ae not to be used for advatising, publication, or promotional purposes. Citaion of trade names does not constitute an official ed m t or approval of the use of such commea products. 1U fn gs of this epit are not to be constued as an official Department of the Army position, unless so designated by other authorizd documents