The FutureGen Alliance is to carry out further site studies this summer after selecting Morgan County in Illinois, USA as the preferred location of its carbon dioxide (CO2) storage site.
The studies will include work to determine the suitability of the site’s rock formations for CO2 storage as well as to test the legal and public acceptability issues.
The site was chosen because of its high quality geology as well as strong community support for the project, says the Alliance. It will have to securely store 1.3 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year from the FutureGen 2.0 project for at least 30 years, and also needs to be capable of accepting CO2 from other power and industrial sources in the future.
“We had an exceptional portfolio of sites from which to choose,” said Kenneth K. Humphreys, chief executive officer of the FutureGen Alliance. “Ultimately, the Alliance selected the site that best supported the overall mission of the project cost-effectively.”
According to the Alliance, the Morgan County site was also selected because of its close proximity to Meredosia, where the FutureGen power plant will be built. CO2 from the plant will be transported to the storage site by pipeline.
The Alliance has identified two alternative sites in case any concerns arise about the suitability of the Morgan County site.
The Alliance signed an agreement with the US Department of Energy in 2010 to build the pipeline and CO2 storage facility for the FutureGen 2.0 project. It is also planning to construct a visitor centre as well as research and training facilities.
The US government has committed $1 billion in Recovery Act funding for the FutureGen 2.0 project, which will involve repowering an Ameren Energy Resources power plant in Meredosia, Illinois, with an oxy-combustion plant equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
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