Analysis of Effective Factors on Technology Selection and Ranking of Nitrogen Oxide Emission Reduction Technologies(Case study: Iranian Thermal Power Plants)

Thermal power plants with significant consumption of fossil fuels play a major role in the production of air pollutants. Nitrogen oxides are among these pollutants. So far, none of Iran's thermal power plants have been equipped with technologies to reduce and control nitrogen oxide emissions. Considering the necessity of reducing pollutants caused by fuel combustion in the country's power plants, and imposing excessive social costs due to the excessive emission of pollutants, this article aims to provide a solution to analyze the factors affecting the selection of reducing technologies. Nitrogen oxides with the origin of power plant activities and also their prioritization and selection with the approach of investing in technologies to reduce the emission of this pollutant in Iran's thermal power plants has been done.

In this research, first, with the widespread knowledge of the researches conducted in this field, the existing technologies in the world and also the most important criteria influencing their effectiveness have been identified and in the next step, in order to adapt these criteria to the conditions of Iran, Fuzzy Delphi technique was used to finalize the criteria. In order to weigh the criteria and then rank the existing technologies, the new SECA ranking technique is used.

The results showed that IFGR technology, OFA, Flameless Combustion, LNB and FR(Fuel reburning) were the first to fifth priority of technology selection,  respectively.

The sum of these technological assessments will help to create more suitable and sustainable environmental conditions and less vulnerability of ecological systems.