Coso Case Study: 22 Years of Reliable Sulfur Removal

December 7, 2019

Coso Operating Company LLC operates a 300-megawatt electric generation facility at the China Lake Naval Weapons Station. The geothermal steam wells at the Coso facility provide a renewable source of energy. The non-condensable vapors from the steam well cannot be vented to the atmosphere until small amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are removed. The LO-CAT® process has been successfully removing H2S at this site for the past 22+ years. Using LO-CAT® technology greatly reduced sulfur emission exceedances and operating costs relative to previously used technologies.

The facility has three LO-CAT® units. This paper analyzes over 500 hundred data points obtained during a 22-year period and calculates the current cost of removing sulfur at this facility. It also discusses typical operational issues including routine operator duties, H2S removal efficiency and long-term unit reliability (planned and unplanned shutdowns). The paper also explains how the solid sulfur product is used in agricultural applications.

Download our technical paper on 22 years of reliable sulfur removal with a liquid redox process.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.