EPRI to study adding carbon capture to existing coal power plants
Project will evaluate retrofitting capture systems at five diverse sitesPALO ALTO, Calif. - (January 27, 2008) - The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) announced today that five electric utilities in the United States and Canada have joined EPRI to host studies of the impacts of retrofitting advanced amine-based post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology to existing coal-fired power plants. In addition to the five host site companies, 15 other companies and organizations, including six from Canada and one from Australia, have joined the project.
The five host companies and sites include Edison Mission Group’s 1,536-megawatt (MW) Powerton Station, operated by Midwest Generation, in Pekin, Ill.; Great River Energy’s 1,100-MW Coal Creek Station in Underwood North Dakota; Nova Scotia Power’s two 160-MW units at its Lingan Generating Station in Lingan, Nova Scotia; Intermountain Power Agency’s 950-MW Intermountain Generation Station in Delta, Utah, and the 176-MW circulating fluidized bed boiler Unit 1 at FirstEnergy's Bay Shore Plant in Oregon, Ohio.
As global demand for electricity increases and regulators worldwide look at ways to reduce CO2 emissions, post-combustion capture (PCC) for both new and existing units could be an important option. However, retrofit of PCC to an existing plant presents significant challenges, including limited space for new plant equipment, limited heat available for process integration, additional cooling water requirements and potential steam turbine modifications.
“EPRI’s analyses have shown carbon capture and storage will be an essential part of the solution if we are to achieve meaningful CO2 emissions reductions at a cost that can be accommodated by our economy,” said Bryan Hannegan, vice president of Generation and Environment at EPRI. “Projects such as this, in which a number of utility companies come forward to offer their facilities and form a collaborative to share the costs of research, are critical to establishing real momentum for the technologies that we will need.”
Each site offers a unique combination of unit sizes and ages, existing and planned emissions controls, fuel types, steam conditions, boilers, turbines, cooling systems, and options for CO2 storage. The variety of data from the studies will provide the participants with valuable information applicable to their own individual power generating assets.
These five studies will be conducted in 2009 and a report for each site will:
EPRI’s CoalFleet for Tomorrow® program already is conducting technical and economic assessments of ways to reduce CO2 emissions in new, advanced coal-based generation. This new program will apply that knowledge to assess the suitability of retrofitting advanced amine PCC to plants currently in operation and to guide the design of plants under development.
“Knowledge gained from the EPRI study will allow us to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of reducing carbon emissions from existing coal-fired plants that provide nearly half of this country’s electricity,” said Edison Mission Group CEO Ron Litzinger. “The challenge of achieving a low-carbon future requires multiple approaches, from developing more renewable energy, to increasing energy conservation, to developing technology for new coal plants, to maintaining the viability of existing energy facilities.”
“The ultimate purpose of this research is to help our nation meet the growing demand for energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rick Lancaster, Great River Energy vice president of generation. “Our interest is in learning how we can capture CO2 from our existing coal plants, and thus continue to have a fleet of power plants that is productive, cost-effective and fulfills our duty to be good environmental stewards.”
About Great River EnergyGreat River Energy is a not-for-profit cooperative which provides wholesale electricity to more than 1.7 million people through 28 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. With more than $2 billion in assets, Great River Energy is the second largest utility in the state, based on generating capacity, and the fifth largest generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative in the United States. Great River Energy’s member cooperatives range from those in the outer-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities to the Arrowhead region of Minnesota to the farmland of southwestern Minnesota. Great River Energy’s largest distribution cooperative serves more than 120,000 member-consumers; the smallest serves just over 2,400. For more information, visit www.greatriverenergy.com.
Edison Mission Group (EMG) is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and manages the competitive power generation business of Edison International, an electric power generator and distributor, and an investor in infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
Nova Scotia Power Inc. is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera Inc. (TSX-EMA), a diversified energy and services company. Nova Scotia Power provides more than 95% of the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical power to 478,000 customers in the province. The company is focused on new technologies to enhance customer service and reliability, reduce emissions and add renewable energy. Nova Scotia Power has 1,700 employees and $3 billion in assets.
Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) is the owner of the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) located in the great basin of western Utah. IPP generates an average of more than 13 million megawatt-hours of energy each year from its two coal-fired units. The energy is delivered over the project’s AC and DC transmission systems to 36 participants in the project that principally serve Utah and Southern California.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services. Its seven electric utility operating companies comprise the nation’s fifth-largest investor-owned electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served within a 36,100-square-mile area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control more than 14,000 megawatts of capacity.
The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to 40 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.
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Media contacts:Clay C. Perry
202-293-6184
clperry@epri.com
Heather Lynch-Hansen
650-855-2017
hlhansen@epri.com
