N.J. Admin. Code § 7:27-19.20

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 12, June 17, 2024

Section 7:27-19.20 - Fuel switching

(a) The owner or operator of a combustion source included in a plan for fuel switching is authorized to comply with the plan if the Department approves the plan pursuant to this section and N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.14. The owner or operator's compliance with the plan is in lieu of causing the combustion source to comply with the emission limit under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10 that would otherwise apply to the combustion source.

(b) A combustion source may be included in a fuel switching plan only if it will be deriving from a cleaner fuel a greater percentage of its total heat input than it derived in the base year.

(c) An owner or operator seeking approval of a plan for fuel switching shall submit an application to the Department by June 22, 1995, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.14(a), (b) and (c). In addition to the information required under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.14(c), the owner or operator shall include in the application the following information regarding each combustion source that is to combust a cleaner fuel seasonally:

1. Information sufficient to identify the combustion source, including a brief description, (for example, "dry-bottom coal-fired boiler serving an electric generating unit" or "oil-fired simple-cycle combustion turbine"), its location, its permit number, its company stack designation, any other identifying numbers, and any other information necessary to distinguish it from other equipment owned or operated by the applicant;

2. The maximum gross heat input rate of the combustion source, expressed in million BTUs per hour;

3. The type of fuel or fuels combusted in the combustion source;

4. The maximum allowable NO[x] emission rate for the combustion source, determined under (d) below, together with the calculations made to determine that rate;

5. The method to be used to measure the actual NO[x] emission rate of each combustion source;

6. A statement that the owner or operator will operate each combustion source included in the plan in accordance with the requirements of (g) below;

7. The name and business telephone number of the individual responsible for recordkeeping and reporting required under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.19; and

8. Any other information that the Department requests, which is reasonably necessary to enable it to determine whether the source operations and items of equipment subject to fuel switching will comply with the requirements of this section.

(d) The maximum daily and annual NOx emission rate for a combustion source included in the fuel switching plan is determined as follows (except that for a coal-fired, wet-bottom boiler serving an electric generating unit that uses the tangential or face firing method, only (d)1 through 3 apply):

1. Establish the base year. The base year is calendar year 1990, unless the Department approves the use of calendar year 1991, 1992 or 1993 as the base year. The Department shall approve the use of 1991, 1992 or 1993 as the base year only if the owner or operator demonstrates that the alternative year is more representative of the normal operation of the combustion source;

2. For each fuel that the combustion source combusted during the base year (established under (d)1 above), determine the heat input (in MMBTU) that the combustion source derived from the combustion of that fuel during the base year;

3. Determine the maximum allowable NO[x] emissions rate (in lb/MMBTU) for the combustion of each fuel, under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10, as applicable;

4. For each fuel, multiply the heat input in the base year (determined under (d)2 above) by the maximum allowable emissions rate (determined under (d)3 above);

5. Add all of the amounts determined under (d)4 above;

6. Divide the total determined under (d)5 above by the sum of all of the heat inputs that the combustion source derived from the combustion of each fuel (determined under (d)2 above). The result is the maximum allowable NO[x] emission rate, expressed in lb/MMBTU, provided, however, that the maximum allowable NO[x] emission rate shall not be greater than the rate under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10 that would apply if the combustion source were combusting the primary fuel that it had used in the base year;

7. The calculations under (d)4, 5 and 6 above can be expressed in the following equation:

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where:

i. M is the maximum allowable NO[x] emission rate, in lb/MMBTU;

ii. HI[1] is the heat input that the combustion source derived from the combustion of Fuel 1 during the base year, expressed in MMBTU;

iii. L[1] is the maximum allowable emissions rate (in lb/MMBTU) for the combustion of Fuel 1, under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10, as applicable;

iv. HI[2] is the heat input that the combustion source derived from the combustion of Fuel 2 during the base year, expressed in MMBTU;

v. L[2] is the maximum allowable emissions rate (in lb/MMBTU) for the combustion of Fuel 2, under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10, as applicable;

vi. N is number of fuels combusted during the base year;

vii. HI[N] is the heat input that the combustion source derived from the combustion of Fuel N during the base year, expressed in MMBTU; and

viii. L[N] is the maximum allowable emissions rate (in lb/MMBTU) for the combustion of Fuel N, under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10, as applicable.

(e) The Department shall approve a plan for fuel switching only if the application satisfies all requirements of (c) above and N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.14. A plan for fuel switching shall be deemed to meet these requirements if it provides for a combustion source to attain compliance with the emission limits under (g)3, 4 and 5 below partly through combustion of cleaner fuel and partly through the use of other NO[x] control measures, and satisfies all other requirements of (c) above and N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.14.

(f) Any owner or operator seeking to comply with this subchapter by fuel switching in accordance with this section shall obtain the Department's written approval of the application pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.14 before May 1, 1995, and maintain that approval in effect.

(g) Beginning in calendar year 1995, the owner or operator shall operate each combustion source included in the plan in compliance with the following:

1. All conditions of the Department's written approval of the fuel switching plan shall be met;

2. From May 1 through September 30 of each year, the combustion source shall combust the cleaner fuel exclusively, or derive a higher percentage of its total heat input from cleaner fuel than the percentage it derived from May 1 through September 30 of the base year;

3. During each calendar day from May 1 through September 30 of each year, the combustion source shall emit NOx at an average rate no higher than the maximum allowable NOx emission rate determined under (d) above; provided however, that a coal-fired, wet-bottom boiler serving an electric generating unit that uses the tangential or face firing method, the maximum allowable NOx emission rate shall be 1.0 lb/MMBTU;

4. During the 30-day period ending on October 1 of each year, and each 30-day period ending on each subsequent day thereafter until April 30 of the following year, the combustion source shall emit NO[x] at an average rate no higher than the rate under N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.4, 19.5, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9 or 19.10 that would apply if the combustion source were combusting the primary fuel that it had used in the base year; provided however, that a coal-fired, wet-bottom boiler serving an electric generating unit that uses the tangential or face firing method shall emit NO[x] at a rate no higher than 1.5 lb/MMBTU; and

5. During each calendar year, the combustion source shall emit NO[x] at an average rate no higher than the maximum NO[x] emission rate determined under (d) above; provided however, that a coal-fired, wet-bottom boiler serving an electric generating unit that uses the tangential or face firing method shall emit NO[x] at a rate no higher than 1.5 lb/MMBTU. Compliance with this requirement shall be determined based on averaging over each calendar year.

(h) The owner or operator shall determine the NO[x] emissions from each combustion source included in an approved fuel switching plan in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.15(a).

(i) The owner or operator shall demonstrate compliance with this section as follows:

1. Each calendar day from May 1 through September 30 of each year, the owner or operator shall determine whether each combustion source included in the plan is in compliance with the applicable daily NO[x] emission limit under (g)3 above. The owner or operator shall perform the calculations necessary to verify compliance and make a record of them within three working days after the date that is the subject of the calculation;

2. For the 30-day period ending on October 1, and for each 30-day period ending on each subsequent day until April 30 of the following year, the owner and operator shall determine whether each combustion source included in the plan is in compliance with the applicable 30-day NO[x] emission limit under (g)4 above; and

3. By January 15 of each year, the owner or operator shall determine whether the total actual NO[x] emissions from each combustion source included in the plan (determined under (k) below) complied with the limit on annual NO[x] emissions (determined under (j) below) during the preceding calendar year.

(j) The limit on annual NO[x] emissions is calculated as follows:

1. For each fuel that the combustion source combusted during the year, determine the heat input (in MMBTU) that the combustion source derived from the combustion of that fuel during the year;

2. Add all of the amounts determined under (j)1 above;

3. Multiply the sum determined under (j)2 above by the maximum NO[x] emissions rate determined under (d) above. The result is the limit on annual NO[x] emissions, expressed in pounds;

4. The calculations under (j)2 and 3 above can be expressed in the following equation:

L = M x (AHI[1] + AHI[2] + .... + AHI[N])

where:

i. L is the limit on annual NO[x] emissions, in pounds;

ii. M is the maximum allowable emissions rate determined under (d) above;

iii. AHI[1] is the heat input that the combustion source derived from the combustion of Fuel 1 during the year, expressed in MMBTU;

iv. AHI[2] is the heat input that the combustion source derived from the combustion of Fuel 2 during the year, expressed in MMBTU;

v. N is number of fuels combusted during the year; and

vi. AHI[N] is the heat input that the combustion source derived from the combustion of Fuel N during the year, expressed in MMBTU.

(k) The actual annual NO[x] emissions from the combustion source are calculated as follows:

1. Determine the heat input (expressed in MMBTU) that the combustion source actually derived from each fuel it combusted during the year;

2. Determine the average rate (in lb/MMBTU) at which the combustion source actually emitted NO[x] when combusting each fuel listed in 1 above, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.15(a);

3. For each fuel combusted during the year, multiply the heat input (determined under (k)1 above) by the average rate of NO[x] emissions (determined under (k)2 above);

4. Add all of the amounts determined under (k)3 above;

5. The calculations under (k)3 and 4 above can be expressed in the following equation:

AE = (AHI[1] x AR[1]) + (AHI[2] x AR[2]) + .... % 8f (AHI[N] x AR[N])

where:

i. AE is the actual NO[x] emissions during the year from the combustion source, expressed in pounds;

ii. AHI[1] is the heat input that the combustion source actually derived from the combustion of Fuel 1 during the year, expressed in MMBTU;

iii. AR[1] is the average rate at which the combustion source actually emitted NO[x] when combusting Fuel 1 during the year, expressed in lb/MMBTU;

iv. AHI[2] is the heat input that the combustion source actually derived from the combustion of Fuel 2 during the year, expressed in MMBTU;

v. AR[2] is the average rate at which the combustion source actually emitted NO[x] when combusting Fuel 2 during the year, expressed in lb/MMBTU;

vi. N is number of fuels that the combustion source actually combusted;

vii. AHI[N] is the heat input that the combustion source actually derived from the combustion of Fuel N during the year, expressed in MMBTU; and

viii. AR[N] is the average rate at which the combustion source actually emitted NO[x] when combusting Fuel N during the year, expressed in lb/MMBTU.

(l) For each combustion source included in the approved plan, the owner or operator shall comply with the recordkeeping and reporting requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:27-19.19.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:27-19.20

New Rule, R.1995 d. 214, effective 4/17/1995 (operative May 23, 1995).
See: 26 New Jersey Register 3298(a), 27 New Jersey Register 1581(a).
Amended by R.2000 d.204, effective 5/15/2000 (operative June 6, 2000).
See: 31 New Jersey Register 1671(a), 32 New Jersey Register 1808(a).
In (g), substituted references to September 30 for references to September 15 in 2 and 3; and in (i), substituted a reference to September 30 for a reference to September 15 in 1, and substituted a reference to October 1 for a reference to September 16 in 2.
Amended by R.2005 d.343, effective 10/17/2005 (operative date of November 7, 2005).
See: 36 New Jersey Register 4228(a), 37 New Jersey Register 3976(a).
Deleted "utility" and added "serving an electric generating unit" throughout; in (c)1, substituted "combustion" for "gas"; in (g)4, revised date.