Nalco subsidiary Nalco Mobotec signed a one year contract with the US city of Springfield to reduce mercury emissions at the Dallman Power Station in Illinois, US.

The contract has two one-year options, which will aid the City of Springfield Office of Public Utilities known as City Water Light and Power (CWLP) to reduce mercury emissions.

The emission regulation will help the city comply with the Illinois EPA’s 2009 mercury emissions regulations which include increased mercury capture requirements through 2013.

CWLP conducted tests to assess Nalco Mobotec’s patented MERCONTROL technology’s effectiveness in conjunction with CWLP’s existing air quality control equipment.

The tests showed that the Nalco technology captured 90% of the total mercury without the use of activated carbon, which will enable Dallman Station unit 33 to meet the Illinois EPA’s regulatory limits of less than 0.008 lbs./GWhr.

Also the MERCONTROL 7895 did not degrade the integrity of CWLP’s fly ash by-products, which are a revenue source for the utility.

CWLP’s superintendent of production for the Dallman Station Gregg Finigan said Nalco’s technology in both water and air technologies provided the utility to improve its mercury control strategy.

"Nalco and Nalco Mobotec’s knowledge, research capabilities and testing resources helped demonstrate improved results for mercury capture in flue gas and mercury removal in FGD (flue gas desulfurization) wastewater." Finigan said.