How Evonik’s P84® polyimide fibers contribute to less CO2 emissions

A HARSH EASTERLY WIND

Coal-based power generation is a time-honored technology. It will be replaced by renewable energy from wind, solar or biogas sources sooner or  later, but as long as it maintains the energy supply as a bridge technology, its emissions must be kept as low as possible. The highly efficient filter media  made of polyimide fibers P84® from Evonik keep exhaust gases released from  coal-based power generation below emission limits.

Approximately 70 km before the famous shrine of Czestochowa, drivers on the  Polish north-south highway connection  from Gdansk to the Czech Republic see  a scene on the right side of the road that  is representative of the energy transformation currently underway. Near the  small town of Belchatov, the smokestacks and cooling towers of the world’s largest brown coal-fired power plant line the  horizon alongside large wind power plants that were set up on the excavation piles  from coal extraction.

The Polish government,  along with 194 other countries, signed  the Paris Agreement on global emission reductions in December 2015. It will  certainly take a few decades until the  5,420 MW power plant disappears from  the horizon. Until then, the public sector  will make efforts to curb the large carbon  dioxide emissions.

FILTER MEDIA FOR EFFICIENT FLUE GAS CLEANING

Filter materials for flue gas cleaning –  for example those made of the hightemperature-resistant polymer by Evonik –  reduce the emissions of coal-based power plants to a standardized level.

P84® polyimide fibers stand for their high  filtration efficiency thanks to their multilobe design. They retain a much higher  permeability throughout their lifecycle. As a result, they reduce the energy  consumption significantly in comparison  to other filter bags available on the market.

Filter media made of P84® polyimide  fibers by Evonik therefore not only cut back on flue gas emissions, but also  reduce energy costs.

Worldwide, more than 120 coal-based power plants are cleaned with P84®  filter bags. Based on the energy savings resulting from the use of P84® filter  media, these reference plants of Evonik  save a total of approx. 30,000 metric tons  of CO2 emissions per year.