Economics of mercury control (06-2008)

With mercury legislation now in place in Canada and under revision in the USA, and action being considered on a global scale, there is a flood of new technologies into the market place - from treatments for enhancing existing control technologies to completely new, mercury-specific, systems. Since there is currently no universal 'best available technique' for mercury removal, the approach at each plant is being determined on a case-by-case basis. This report summarises the regulatory situation regarding mercury emissions in different countries, the status of mercury control technology development, and the costs of emission reduction.Where possible, the economic evaluation includes any increased costs due to changes in waste disposal options for coal combustion by-products. The report also considers mercury control options during coal processing and preparation.