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EPA Intends to Make Changes to Draft PREPA Re-Powering Permit

Release Date: 01/20/2000
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(#00015) San Juan, Puerto Rico -- In response to public concerns and new information about the best way to control nitrogen oxide emissions from oil-fired power plants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to make changes to a proposed permit for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's (PREPA) re-powering project in San Juan. The draft permit, released in March 1999, would allow PREPA to increase the electric generating capacity at its San Juan Power Plant and lower total emissions by replacing two, decades-old, 44 megawatt boilers with two 232-megawatt combined cycle turbines. The intended changes to the draft permit will require PREPA to replace one of the two nitrogen control technologies proposed for installation on the new turbines with special burners to be installed on four old boilers that will remain in service. While this change will increase nitrogen oxide emissions over the levels under the original draft permit, the emissions will still be at lower levels than those from the old plant. "An additional benefit of making this change in the control technology requirement is that there will be a decrease, from the original proposed permit, in two pollutants of particular concern in the San Juan area - sulfuric acid mist and fine particles," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Region 2 Administrator. In its draft permit, proposed in March 1999, EPA included Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), which uses an ammonia injection system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and steam injection. However, new data indicate that, on oil-fired turbines, SCR cannot consistently achieve the expected reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions. As a result, EPA is removing the SCR requirement and will instead require PREPA to install special burners, called "low NOx burners," on the four old boilers at its facility. PREPA would still use steam injection on its turbines. "After carefully considering the feasibility of using SCR on an oil-fired plant and reviewing public comments, the choice was clear," said Jeanne M. Fox, EPA Regional Administrator. "We want to ensure that PREPA uses the most reliable pollution controls. Steam injection systems and low NOx burners are both tried and true nitrogen oxide controls."