Power plant operators will order flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems worth $53 billion over the next 8 years according to a report by McIlvane Co.
The Americas will provide the biggest market, at $30 bn. Asia will spend nearly $13 bn while Europe and Africa will spend less than $10 bn. The figures reflect investment in new systems but exclude cost of ownership and operation of existing systems which would boost 8-year expenditure to over $120 billion.
In the USA retrofitting is expected to take place at 200 000 MW of existing coal-fired capacity as a result of environmental legislation. However the scale of the programme is so large that power plant companies have questioned the ability of suppliers to build the required systems in time.
Worldwide, the expansion of FGD systems is expected to require close to $5 bn worth of corrosion resistant materials and nearly $1 billion worth of auxiliary equipment..
