ASPIRE (Advanced Surface Protection for Improved Renewable Energy)

The utilisation of biomass fuels, fired in dedicated boiler plants or co-fired with fossil fuels, provides a method of generating continuous renewable energy and, combined with CO2 capture and storage, provides one of the means of reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere, whilst helping to ensure security of power supply. However, biomass combustion products can be challenging, particularly in terms of the risks of excessive rates of metal loss of high temperature boiler components due to fireside corrosion. It is considered that the development and use of effective corrosion resistant coatings would enable power plant to operate at higher temperature & efficiencies and utilise lower grade fuels. The proposed project is intended to build on the knowledge gained from the TSB co-funded ASPECT project, which was concerned with the development and evaluation of coating materials for advanced fossil fuel plants, and to address issues related to biomass derived flue gas chemistries.