EES Featured in POWER Magazine: Ash Chemistry and Boiler Performance
EES’ approach to managing coal ash chemistry is featured in a new POWER magazine article, “Coal’s Revival Part II: Turning Ash Chemistry into Measurable Boiler Performance.” Published November 3, 2026, the article was written by P. Robert Santangeli, PE, EES’ Vice President of Engineering and Operations.
The article examines a three-week CoalTreat® demonstration on a 500-MW-class coal-fired unit burning high-sodium Powder River Basin and blended western coals. It describes how a treatment program adjusted to fuel and furnace conditions helped change hard, glassy deposits into weaker material that was easier to remove.
Reported results included approximately 50% lower superheater spray demand and 53% lower reheat spray demand under comparable trial conditions. The unit also operated throughout the demonstration without a slag-related forced outage, derate, or cleaning shutdown. These findings illustrate the connection between ash behavior, heat transfer, and operating availability.
Fuel Treatment Tailored to Plant Conditions
CoalTreat is EES’ customized fuel treatment technology for mitigating furnace slagging and heat transfer surface fouling in coal-fired utility and industrial boilers. Applied to coal before combustion, the treatment is tailored to the plant’s fuel characteristics and operating objectives.
For operators evaluating different coal sources or blends, ash-related constraints are an important consideration alongside fuel cost. CoalTreat supports a broader fuel management approach by helping plants address deposit formation and maintain effective heat transfer. EES also offers its modular CoalTreat On Demand delivery system for facilities requiring treatment during periods of elevated slagging risk.
The POWER article provides a closer look at the demonstration, including operating trends, deposit observations, and the conditions surrounding the reported results.
Read the full article in POWER magazine.
To explore EES’ approach to fuel treatment, learn more about CoalTreat.