The USA is accelerating its efforts to develop clean coal technology through a range of initiatives funded partly by federal economic stimulus money.
The Department of Energy (DOE) says it has allocated $800 million for the expansion of its existing Clean Coal Power Initiative, and $1.43 billion for the development and deployment of industrial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
The funds are a key part of the US administration’s programme to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy security and stimulate economic growth. The DOE has also announced plans to establish a National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) to test emerging CCS technologies.
The DOE is planning to issue a competitive solicitation for large-scale CCS from industrial sources such as power plant, cement plants and refineries. The solicitation will also include innovative concepts for the reuse of captured carbon dioxide (CO2).
“To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must accelerate our efforts to capture and store carbon in a safe and cost-effective way,” said US Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This funding will both create jobs now and help position the United States to lead the world in CCS technologies, which will be in increasing demand in the years ahead.”
The government’s plans have been widely welcomed by the US coal industry, which supplies virtually all of the coal used in the country. “These investments are vital in bringing carbon capture and storage to the marketplace,” said Joe Lucas of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.
“The continued funding and support of these projects must be a robust part of this country’s drive to ensure that coal is America’s most abundant and affordable energy resource, is part of our energy portfolio even as we develop and implement strategies to reduce carbon dioxide.”
In expanding the existing Clean Coal Power Initiative, the funding will allow researchers to increase the range of technologies, applications, fuels and geologic formations that are tested.
The DOE has also allocated $50 million for the study and characterization of geological formations in the US, and $20 million for training and education in the geological sciences field.
“It will take a significant commitment from both public and private sectors to bring CCS to the marketplace, but this same type of partnership has paid dividends for the American public in the form of cleaner air, increased energy independence and affordable, reliable energy,” said Lucas.
The creation of the NCCC is designed to focus national efforts in the CCS field, says the DOE. The facility will provide a flexible test bed for emerging CO2 capture technologies, and will be managed and operated by a subsidiary of Southern Company.
The new centre, located in Wilsonville, Alabama, will enable testing and analysis of new technologies at a scale large enough to provide meaningful data under real operating conditions. A major benefit will be the ability to offer multiple slip stream capabilities as well as test different ranks of coal, biomass and other fuels.
“The management of CO2 from coal-fired processes is considered by many to be the single most important component required for successful development of advanced coal-fired power systems,” said Dr. Victor K. Der, Acting Assistant Secretary for the DOE’s Fossil Energy unit. “The creation of a national research center focused on carbon capture from fossil-fueled power plants bolsters US efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while taking advantage of America’s vast coal resources.”
Other participants in the NCCC project include American Electric Power, Luminant, the Electric Power Research Institute, Arch Coal, Peabody Energy, and RioTinto. The facility will be built at the Power Systems Development Facility, which was established by Southern Company and the DOE and which is already equipped with a coal gasifier and combustor.
Linkedin
