Orders worldwide for flue gas desulphurisation systems are likely to increase from $3 billion in 2001 to around 6 billion by 2006 according to analysts McGilvaine Co. By far the largest contribution to this will come from the US market, whose share will rise from 18 per cent to 50 per cent. And it is the two driving forces of the American market, environmental legislation and expansion in coal firing capacity, that will power the expansion worldwide.
While there is a modest retrofit programme in the UK and Eastern Europe, it is the USA which is providing the bulk of the retrofit opportunities. The new administration is emphasising the need to keep all existing plants running while a power shortfall continues; at the same time everyone agrees that coal fired stations must be fitted with SO2 removal systems.
The market in general will continue to be healthy while countries with substantial coal firing build programmes such as China and Vietnam continue their good record in equipping new plant with FGD equipment.
