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<br />W <br />"-l <br />Ul, <br />(:J <br /> <br />TheiBCT system was also selected for a preconceptual evaluation of <br />the,use of agricultural wastewater from the New River, located in <br />California's Imperial Valley, to cool a 50-megawatt geothermal plant <br />[16]. The study, based on cost comparisons among the BCT system, <br />conv,entional wet cooling, and high wet/dry system, concluded that the <br />BCTisystem yielded the least cost. <br /> <br />~~ . <br /> <br />Questions on long-term reliability of the BCT system remain, however, <br />considering the cumulative effects of corrosion, scaling, and foul- <br />ing. Demonstration in the southwestern United States of a saline <br />wat~r cooling tower as part of a new powerp1ant installation or <br />retr;ofit is needed to address the equipment reliability issue. <br />Several past research programs related to advanced cooling processes <br />have been supported by the DOE, EPRI (Electric Power Research Insti- <br />tut~), and the EPA. A saline water cooling tower demonstration <br />program might require a similar interagency effort. <br /> <br />Fin~lly, it should be recognized that the saline water cooling tower <br />must be viewed in context with other cooling options under evaluation <br />for ;future use by utilities. EPRI is presently sponsoring a,3-year, <br />$15 million demonstration program in 8akersfield, California, to <br />eval!uate advanced concepts of dry/wet cooling for power generating <br />plants [17]. <br /> <br />3. Use of Water for Coal Transport <br /> <br />In the ;immediate study areas near saline water sources in Wyoming, Utah, <br />Coloradp, and New Mexico, enormous reserves of bituminous and subbitu- <br />minous toal are found. Virtually all these coal reserves have a low <br />sulfur ~ontent and are generally located in environmentally sensitive <br />areas f'ardi stant from the major energy demand centers of the West <br />Coast [~]. Present coal production rates, demonstrated reserves, and <br />signifitant air quality coal-burning characteristics are indicated in <br />table 11 for the four States of immediate interest: <br /> <br />Table 11. - Present coal production, reserves, and quality <br /> 1979 Demonstrated <br />State production reserves Average qual ity <br /> (mi 11 i on tons) (mill i on tons) % sulfur % ash <br />Co'l or ado 18 14,869 0.5 8 <br />New Mexico 13.7 4,394 0.6 10 <br />Utah 8.9 4,042 0,5 11 <br />Wyomi ng 71.8 53,336 0,5 11 <br /> <br />IV-21 <br /> <br /> <br />j, <br />