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Date: 2013-04-26
In Canada, the Federal opposition NDP says if the Saskatchewan provincial government doesn't demand that RCMP investigate a troubled carbon capture project at the University of Regina, it will. The NDP's outrage concerns an untendered contract between IPAC-CO2 Research Inc. at the University and a company called Climate Ventures Inc.
The NDP says it has obtained a report that claims CVI used assets paid for with public money to do work for other, private sector clients.
The Federal government says the report sparked a forensic audit into the issue and that the report
found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. (Source: CBC News, 24 April, 2013) Contact: IPAC-CO2, www.ipac-co2.com; Climate Ventures Inc., (866) 569-0222, [email protected], www.climateventuresinc.com
Tags Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2013-04-15
SCOTTISH scientists from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde universities have uncovered vital clues on how to develop safe carbon capture technology by studying an ancient underground reservoir of CO2. The researchers analysed a natural well of the greenhouse gas near the Green River in Utah, in the United States, to see just how much leaks out over millennia. Crucially, they found man-made leakages, such as from abandoned oil wells, transmit higher CO2 levels than natural faults in rock.
According to Edinburgh University's Neil Burnside, "Studying an ancient natural CO2 reservoir has given us enormous insight into how man-made storage sites could behave in the long term. This work further highlights well-bore leakage as the largest risk to geological storage projects."
Scotland hopes to be at the forefront of carbon capture with proposals to use emptied oil wells to store CO2 generated by power stations.
(Source: Herald Scotland, 15 April, 2013)
More Energy Overviews Carbon Capture news, Carbon Storage news,
Date: 2013-04-03
In the UK, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills commissioned Element Energy to update cost data on carbon capture and storage (CCS) for industrial applications.
The update found that there are insufficient studies on the costs of industrial CCS, so cost estimates are highly uncertain, with the most expensive capture plants estimates ranging from £30 to £330/tCO2, and that the costs vary significantly by location, due to transport distances and ability to share transport and storage with other users, and by site due to issues such as availability of waste heat to use in the capture process.
Access full review at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/175504/bis-13-745-the-costs-of-carbon-capture-and-storage-for-uk-industry-a-high-level-review.pdf (Source: Gov't. UK, March 28, 2013) Contact: Gov't UK, www.gov.uk
Tags CCS news, Carbon Emissions news,
Date: 2013-03-27
Energy companies across the UK are extracting gas from shale rock using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques, and the UK has seen lowered carbon emissions as the result. However, the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London (Grantham) say that the belief that fracking can cut carbon emissions is short-term thinking. According to Grantham, emissions can be cut short-term by gas-fired power stations only if they replace existing coal-fired power stations and not nuclear plants or renewable energy sources. Gas-fired power stations only work in moderation and, some experts claim that if too many new stations are built, it will undo the benefits. Grantham claims it is only when fitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology that gas-fired power stations should function at all. Otherwise, experts warn, carbon targets will not be met and gas-fired power stations will have to be shut down.
The UK government is hoping to implement CSS technology, but the industry is still in its infancy and CCS efforts are currently on hold. Even so, government support is also a critical factor in full implementation.
Other countries besides the UK are evaluating fracking. Shale gas is prevalent in Poland, Australia, and China. Saudi Arabia also wants to explore the possibility of fracking and plans to drill test wells for shale gas. (Source: The Green Optimistic, BLOG, Leigh Kim, 27 Mar., 2013)
More Energy Overviews CCS news, Carbon Emissions news, Fracking news,
Date: 2013-03-27
Today, the European Commission is slated to launch proposals to address the slow development and funding problems of CCS. It is hoped that the EC's proposals will kick-start the commercialization of CCS.
A draft copy of the Commission plan reportedly shows that the EU has considered requiring carbon intensive businesses or fossil fuels suppliers to purchase CCS certificates to match their emissions. The draft also supposedly proposes a mandatory emissions performance standard for all new investments, limiting a fixed amount of emissions per unit.
The EU's CCS communication will be unveiled alongside a paper on post-2020 greenhouse gas emissions targets, a consultation on a new international climate deal and a progress report on renewable energy. Draft copies of the post-2020 paper set out proposals for a new carbon target requiring a 40 percent reduction in emissions against a 1990 baseline and plans for a 30 percent target for renewables by 2030.
The CCS industry received a major setback in 2012 when no projects won a share of the NER300, an EU fund to stimulate CCS and renewables, after member states failed to provide the required financial guarantees.(Source: European Commission, EuroActiv, 26 Mar. 2013)
Contact: European Commission, ec.europa.eu
Tags Climate Change news, CCS news,
Date: 2013-03-25
According to the American Chemical Society (ACS), a new process that releases the energy in coal without burning -- while capturing carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas -- is a step closer to possible commercialization. The ACS journal Energy & Fuels describes results of a successful 200-hour test on a sub-pilot scale version of the technology using two inexpensive but highly polluting forms of coal. The technology involves separating and collecting carbon dioxide before it leaves smokestacks. A research team has been working for more than a decade on two versions of carbon capture termed Syngas Chemical Looping (SCL) and Coal-Direct Chemical Looping (CDCL). Both technologies involve oxidizing coal, syngas or natural gas in a sealed chamber in the absence of the atmospheric oxygen, which is involved in conventional burning. Metal compounds containing oxygen added to the chamber provide the oxygen for oxidation, and take up the coal's energy and release it as heat in a second chamber then recirculate it for another run in the first chamber.
The project research was funded by the U.S. DOE and the Ohio Department of Development.
(Source: American Chemical Society 20 March, 2013)
Contact: American Chemical Society, (202) 872-4600, www.acs.org
Tags CCS news, Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2013-03-15
Researchers at the University of South Florida and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have discovered a more efficient, less expensive and reusable material for CO2 capture and separation. The material, called SIFSIX-1-Cu, is a crystal whose atoms form a 3D lattice with holes that snare molecules of CO2 but allow other molecules in air to pass.
SIFSIX-1-Cu is an adaptation of a material created more than 15 years ago and is named after the chemical component that leads to the special properties; its chemical name is hexafluorosilicate. SIFSIX materials are built with a mix of inorganic and organic chemical building blocks from a class of materials known as metal organic materials.
The materials effectiveness in the presence of water vapour offers advantages over other methods, where water vapour normally interferes with CO2 capture and contributes to the cleaning process in clean-coal plants consuming around 20 to 30 percent of the plants' power output.
According to the research team, the new material has the potential to improve the efficiency of the cleaning process and allow more power to be put into the grid.
The team is hoping to collaborate with engineers to determine how the material can be manufactured and implemented for real world uses. (Source: University of South Florida,eureka, 13 Mar., 2013)
Tags Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2013-03-15
A new facility slated to open this year in Pixley, California will use emissions captured from the Calgren Renewable Fuels ethanol plant to make liquified carbon dioxide. The 450-ton facility will be the sixth carbon dioxide liquefaction plant in California built by Houston's Air Liquide Industrial -- the world's largest producer of gases for industry, health and environment.
Air Liquide, which has more than 140 industrial gas plants worldwide, expects the plant to be operational by the end of 2013.
The company recently announced the expansion of its carbon dioxide plant in Wilmington in Southern California. (Source: Air Liquide, TBJNow, Mar. 14, 2013) Contact: Calgren, Lyle Schlyer, Pres., (559) 757-3850, [email protected], http://www.calgren.com; Air Liquide, www.airliquide.com
Tags Air Liquide news, Calgren Renewable Fuels news, Carbon Dioxide news, Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2013-03-08
An international research team, led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, is working to increase the efficiency of photo-catalytic reduction, a process that uses solar energy to convert CO2 into fuels like methane and methanol. Carbon produced when the "clean fuel" is used is converted back into energy through a "closed loop" system. Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, director of the Center for Innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), is leading the project in the UK. The research team includes engineers and chemists based in Taiwan, the US, Canada and China.
According to Maroto-Valer, this novel process could unlock a significant source of carbon-neutral fuel. Existing photo-catalytic reduction processes do not produce enough fuel to make them financially viable, but if they can make the process successful on a commercial scale the scientists estimate the process could offset up to 700 million tpy of CO2. The project will involve developing new, highly efficient photo-reactors, with conversion rates that can be scaled-up to a commercial process.
The project received £1.2 million in grant funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). (Source: E&T Mag., 7 March., 2013) Contact: Center for Innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), University of Edinburgh, www.eps.hw.ac.uk
Tags Methane news, Methanol news,
Date: 2013-03-08
Charlotte, North Carolina-headquartered Babcock & Wilcox Company subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc.and the FutureGen Industrial Alliance will begin initial engineering and preparations for full front-end engineering and design work on the U.S. DOE's FutureGen 2.0 carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
B&W's complete scope of work for FutureGen 2.0 includes the design of the near-zero emissions plant's oxy-coal combustion system, air quality control systems, boiler, steel and other control systems. B&W and the FutureGen Industrial Alliance will begin project Phase II-A for the 167 MW (gross) power plant in Meredosia, Ill. During this time, B&W and the Alliance will continue to negotiate additional contracts to proceed with full front-end engineering and design work.
The FutureGen 2.0 project aims to upgrade an existing power plant located in Meredosia with B&W's oxy-coal combustion process to separate and capture more than 90 percent of the CO2 generated during the combustion process. Oxy-coal combustion uses oxygen mixed with recycled flue gas to replace the normal combustion air in a coal-fired boiler. As coal is burned, the resulting flue gas consists primarily of CO2, which is well-suited for compression and storage. (Source : Babcock & Wilcox, PR, Financial Post, Mar. 7, 2013) Contact: Babcock & Wilcox, Ryan Cornell, (330) 860-1345, [email protected], www.babcock.com; FutureGen Industrial Alliance, www.futuregenalliance.org
Tags Babcock & Wilcox news, FutureGen 2.0 news, CCS news, FutureGen Industrial Alliance news,
Date: 2013-03-08
Chemists at the University of South Florida (USF) and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have discovered a more efficient, less expensive and reusable material for CO2 capture and separation. The breakthrough could have implications for a new generation of clean-air technologies and offers new tools for controlling carbon.
The international group of scientists has identified a previously underused material -- known as SIFSIX-1-Cu -- that offers a highly efficient mechanism for capturing CO2. The material is reported to be highly-effective at carbon capture even in the presence of water vapor, a standard that other materials have not been able to meet. This makes it a promising candidate for real-world applications. The discovery addresses one the biggest challenges of capturing CO2 before it enters the atmosphere: energy costs associated with the separation and purification of industrial commodities currently consumes around 15 percent of global energy production. The demand for such commodities is projected to triple by 2050, the researchers note.
The USF-KAUST group believes the material has three potentially significant applications: carbon-capture for coal-burning energy plants; purification of methane in natural gas wells; and the advancement of clean-coal technology. Some 20 to 30 percent of the power output at a clean-coal plant is consumed by cleaning process. The new material could make those plants more efficient and put more power into the grid, the scientists predict.
The USF-KAUST team plans to collaborate with engineers to determine how the materials can be manufactured and implemented for real-world uses.
(Source: Eurekalert, Green Building Elements, Mar. 6, 2013) Contact: KAUST: www.kaust.edu.sa
Tags Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2013-02-27
The province of Alberta and Swan Hills Synfuels LP have jointly announced the cancellation of their CCS project in oil-rich western Canada canceled plans to develop a CCS project in Alberta. This is the second CCS initiative to be scuttled in the Canadian province in less than a year. In their joint statement, the province indicated that it has withdrawn $285 million in previously committed project funding to closely-held Swan Hills Synfuels.
The project was intended to convert underground coal into synthetic gas while capturing the carbon dioxide produced in the process. The CO2 would have sold to the the expansive Alberta oil industry for use in enhanced oil recovery operations. The falling price and ready availablity of natural gas has made Swan Hill's syn-gas uncompetitive, the company said.
Swan Hills in central Alberta was one of four CCS projects the provincial government had agreed to fund with $2 billion in financing. The projects aimed to offset emissions from Alberta's fossil fuel industry, including coal, gas and vast oil sands. The province imposes a levy of $15 per metric ton of CO2 on large emitters that exceed individual targets. The proceeds are added to the province's research and innovation fund.
Alberta's carbon capture target for the four projects was pegged at five million tpy by 2016. Now The target is now closer to 2.6 million tpy through two remaining projects: the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line and Shell Quest. (Source: Province of Alberts, Swan Hills Synfuels, Others, Feb. 26, 2013) Contact: Swan Hills Synfuels, (403) 648-1160, http://swanhills-synfuels.com
Tags Synfuels news, CCS news, CO2 news, Enhanced Oil Recovery news,
Date: 2013-02-25
In Oct. 2009, the US DOE created it's Large-Scale Industrial Carbon Capture Storage Projects program and backed it with $575 million out of American Recovery and Reconstruction (ARRA) funds. A little more than a year later the DOE weeded out all but three projects for the second phase of the program. Besides Leucadia Energy and Archer Daniels Midland , the DOE tapped Allentown, Penna.-headquartered Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. to move forward with design and construction of their carbon capture schemes.
Air Products is building a system to concentrate CO2 from two steam methane reformer (SMR) hydrogen production plants located in Port Arthur, Texas. The two plants are being retrofitted with vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) technology to separate CO2 from the gas streams coming out of the SMRs. After capture the CO2 will be concentrated to 97 percent purity and shipped to the West Hasting oil and gas fields in Texas for enhance oil recovery operations.
In January 2013, the DOE pronounced Air Products Port Arthur project to be operational and declared the project a success. According to Air Products, as much as 90 percent of the CO2 can be removed from the gas stream and apparently in the initial weeks of operation the yield reached as much as 97 percent.
The Port Arthur project had a $430.0 million price tag, for which the company received $284.0 million in ARRA grant funds. Air Products estimates that approximately 1.0 million metric tons of CO2 will get removed from the atmosphere and an incremental 1.6 million barrels of oil will result from the injection and storage stage. (Source: Air Products, AltEnerg Stocks, 23 Feb., 2013) Contact: Air Products, (610) 481-4911, www.airproducts.com
Tags Air Products news, CCS news, Enhanced Oil Recovery news,
Date: 2013-02-13
As ice melts in the Arctic it can expose the ancient carbon captured in the once-hidden permafrost to the sun's rays and release it into the atmosphere more quickly than previously thought, according to new research study published on Feb. 11 in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Studies have shown that rising Arctic temperatures are causing ice and organic matter-rich permafrost to melt and expose new layers of soil to the sun, increasing bacterial conversion of organic matter into CO2 gas by 40 percent compared with carbon that remains frozen and unexposed to sunlight. The study found that when ultraviolet rays in sunlight break down carbon and make it more suitable for microbial consumption and, at the same time, stimulate soil-dwelling bacteria which turn organic matter into CO2 at an accelerated rate.
The researchers findings suggest that thawing Arctic soils could function as a "positive feedback" that amplifies climate change, whereby warming soils release more carbon dioxide that helps drive up temperatures, melting even more soil. (Source: Douglas Main, Mother Nature Network, Feb. 11, 2013)
Tags Carbon Dioxide news, CO2 news,
Date: 2013-02-11
Burlington, Mass.based Aspen Technology, Inc., a provider of software and services to the process industries, announced that Technology Center Mongstad (TCM) is using AspenONE® software at the world's largest industrial-scale facility for testing and improving CO2 capture technologies.
TCM uses Aspen Plus® software and Aspen InfoPlus.21® software for planning, follow-up and verification of test programs and results. TCM's use of the Aspen Plus and Aspen IP.21 product families shows that process manufacturers can reduce carbon emissions more economically, resulting in lower plant operating costs and reduced environmental impact. TCM is owned by the Norwegian Government and leading global energy companies.
TCM's goals are to: test, verify and demonstrate CO2 capture technology owned and marketed by vendors;) reduce costs, technical, environmental and financial risks; encourage the development of the market for CO2 capture technology, and; aim at international deployment.
AspenONE software enables process industry companies to optimize their engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations. As a result, the world's leading manufacturers are better able to increase capacity, improve margins, reduce costs and become more energy efficient. (Source: Aspen Technology Inc., 11 Feb., 2013) Contact: AspenTech, (781) 221-8385, www.aspentech.com; Technology Center Mongstad, www.tcmda.com
Tags Technology Center Mongstad news, Carbon Emissions news, Aspen Technology news, Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2013-02-11
A pilot project intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and enhance the extraction of usable methane was announced last week in Buchanan County, Virginia. The project will test the potential of using coal seams that can not currently be mined as storage sites for carbon dioxide. The project is a partnership of the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research and the Cecil Township, Pa.-based Consol Energy. It is being funded by the U.S. DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Under the plan, Consol Energy will donate the use of three coalbed methane wells in the pilot project to be conducted by Virginia Tech's Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering section of the College of Engineering. 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide will be pumped into underlying coal seams during a one-year period begining this fall. The test builds on the recently completed 1,000-ton injection test that took place in neighboring Russell County in 2009. It is expected that the coal seam will absorb the carbon dioxide and potentially release even more methane for collection and use, as occurred in the smaller scale test in Russell County.
(Source: Virginia Tech, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 10 Feb., 2013) Contact: Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research, www.energy.vt.edu; Consol Energy, Steve Winberg, GM, R&D,(724) 485-4000, [email protected], www.consolenergy.com
Tags Virginia Tech news, Consol Energy news, Coalbed Methane news, Carbon Sequestration news, news,
Date: 2013-02-08
The Linde Group and Seattle-based Summit Power Group, a developer of low-carbon power projects, have teamed up to develop commercial-scale natural gas-fired power plants that will capture up to 90 percent of the CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted. The new plants will combine natural gas-fired power plant technology with carbon capture technology.
Presently, both Summit and Linde are developing power projects with CO2 capture capabilities where the CO2 can be either geologically sequestered in depleted gas fields and deep saline formations, or injected into depleting oilfields.
Summit is developing two major coal gasification projects that will capture 90 percent of the CO2 they produce -- the Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP) in the U.S. and the Captain Clean Energy Project (CCEP) in the U.K.
The companies have identified several suitable U.S. locations where the ultra-low carbon electric power can be sold to utilities and large consumers, and suitable geological sequestration sites are available.
An announcement of the first project is expected soon. (Source: Summit Power, Linde, Electric Light & Power, 7 Feb., 2013) Contact: Linde North America, (800) 232-4726, www.linde.com; Summit Power, Tom Cameron, Senior VP Project Development, (509) 448-7589, www.summitpower.com
Tags Summit Power news, Linde Group news,
Date: 2013-02-04
CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) on Thursday announced the formation of an international test center network for carbon capture test facilities to accelerate the commercialization of CCS technology.
The key aims of the CCS Test Centre Network are to share knowledge of technological developments, construction and operational experience, establish performance indicators, and promote technology standardization. In effect, the network will help establish a level playing field that will help technology vendors reduce costs and the technical, environmental and financial risks associated with CCS.
The center is comprised of two CO2 capture plants each with a capacity to capture approximately 80,000 tons of CO2 from the nearby refinery or 20,000 tons from a gas fired power plant. In addition the center has available space and infrastructure to sustain more technologies to be tested in the future.
The Test Center Network's founding members include; CO2 Technology Center Mongstad (Norway); National Carbon Capture Center (Alabama, US); Southern Company's 25 megawatt CCS demonstration facility (Alabama, US); J-Power (Japan); ENEL Engineering and Research (IT); E.ON (Germany) and DOOSAN Power (UK).
The Network is open for further large CCS test centers and therefore publicly invites them to join.
(Source: Technology Centre Mongstad, Jan. 31, 2013) Contact: CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad, Tore Amundsen, Managing Director, +47 900 51 222, http://www.tcmda.com/en
Tags CCS news, CO2 news, Technology Center Mongstad news,
Date: 2013-02-01
The reinsurance firm Swiss Re has released its Building a Sustainable Energy Future report which includes an economic analysis of six different scenarios, and how each could affect the world's power supply mix and climate by 2050. The reports discusses the effect of carbon emissions on climate change and the impact of low-carbon energy sources, including wind, solar and biomass, plus coal and coal and gas-fired plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. It also cites technologies designed to reduce energy consumption, such as retrofitting building envelopes, energy-efficient lighting, electric vehicles and increased efficiency in manufacturing.
Swiss Re says annual losses across these technologies were about $19.5 billion in 2010 and about $900 million was attributable to renewable energy -- a figure that is expected to increase by 2050.
Engineering risks affecting the energy sector and included in the SCC analysis include property, liability and business interruption. "In insurance terms, these risks translate into a potential economic loss of assets, such as physical damage to property caused by natural or man-made catastrophes, liabilities for negligent acts, missed profits due to production downtimes or damage incurred by society at large," according to the report. Annual losses in 2030, depending on scenario, could be $25.6 billion and increase to $41.7 billion by 2050 in the "greenest" scenario examined in the SCC. "Much of this increase is due to higher investments in newer and less mature technologies, including renewables," according to the report. However, Swiss re noted the risks "are relatively small" compared to the total investment forecast in green energy of up to US$3.1 trillion.
Access the full report at http://media.swissre.com/documents/Scenarios_for_Climate_Change.pdf (Source: Canadian Underwriter.ca, 23 Jan., 2013)
Date: 2013-02-01
Allentown, Penna.-headquartered Air Products reports that a $400 million demonstration project to capture CO2 from a steam methane reformer at the Valero Port Arthur Refinery in Texas is now up and running. The demo project was partially funded by a $283 million DOE grant, through its Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage program, as part of the DOE's efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change.
For this project, CO2 removal equipment was retrofitted to the steam methane reformers, which produce hydrogen to help make cleaner transportation fuel. Air Products plans to add more carbon capture equipment in a second phase of the project. The project will capture approximately one million tons of CO2 annually. The carbon will be used in an enhanced oil recovery project in Texas.
Air Products specializes in atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases.
(Source:Air Products, FuelFix, 29 Jan., 2013) Contact: Valero, ww.valero.com; Air Products, (610) 481-0700, www.airproducts.com
Tags Greenhouse Gas news, Climate Change news, Air Products news, Valero news, CCS news,
Date: 2013-01-28
Described by the US DOE as a milestone in it's Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage (ICCS) program, Air Products announced today that Phase One of its two-stage carbon capture project in Port Arthur, Texas is now onstream. Ultimately, the project will capture approximately one million tpy of carbon dioxide (CO2) to be recovered, purified by Air Products, and transported by Air Products via a pipeline owned by Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas, LLC for injection into the Denbury Onshore operated West Hastings Unit, an enhanced oil recovery project in Texas.
Air Products designed, built, and is now operating Phase One of a state-of-the-art system to capture CO2 from one of its steam methane reformers (SMR) located within the Valero Port Arthur Refinery. The CO2 removal technology has been retrofitted to the SMR, which produces hydrogen to assist in the making of cleaner burning transportation fuels by refinery customers on Air Products' Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline network. Phase Two, involving a second Air Products' SMR at the site, is to be onstream in April 2013.
The DOE funded 66 percent of over $400 million project. In June 2010, Air Products was selected to receive $253 million in funding from DOE through the National Energy Technology Laboratory under the ICCS Program, which is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The company later received an additional $30 million from DOE through the ARRA for final engineering, design, construction, and project operation through September 2015.
Air Products' project was the only industrial gas company-led undertaking selected by DOE, and one of only three projects receiving additional funding towards a commercial demonstration project. (Source: air Products, PR, Jan. 28, 2013) Contact: Air Products, www.airproducts.com
Tags CCS news, Enhanced Oil Recovery news, Air Products news,
Date: 2013-01-25
According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the Norwegian Sea could have storage capacity for about 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide -- 100 times more than Norway's total 2012 GHG emissions. The agency says six geological formations in the region that could be used to store CO2 discharges from offshore fields already been identified in the agency's latest CO2 Storage Atlas. The agency previously estimated that the region could sequester around 70 billion tonnes of CO2.
The atlas is working to survey the storage capacity of the country's entire continental shelf as part of the climate-focused government's carbon capture and storage effort to curb CO2 emissions.
Around 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from the Sleipner field have been stored annually in the Utsira formation, while the Snohvit gas field in the Barents is also being used for storage of large volumes, according to the ministry. To date there have been
no signs of leakage.
The Norwegian government is looking at possible storage sites in geological aquifers as well as abandoned oil and gas fields, along with those expected to be shut down over the next few decades. (Source: Upstream, Jan., 25, 2013) Contact: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, http://www.npd.no/en
Tags CCS news, Carbon Storage news, CO2 news,
Date: 2013-01-25
The Canadian federal government is investing $4.7 million in CO2 Solutions, a Quebec City-based company which is working on a $7.5 million carbon capture technology project for use in oil sands production. The company's carbon capture system uses naturally occurring enzymes.
The government investment was made through Ottawa's ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative. Additional grant funding will come from Alberta's Climate Change and Emissions Corp., the company and its partners.
(Source: CO2 Solutions, Times Colonist, Jan., 24, 2013)
Contact: CO2 Solutions Inc., Glenn Kelly, CEO, (418) 842-3456, www.co2solutions.com
Tags CO2 Solutions news, Carbon Capture news, Oil Sands news,
Date: 2013-01-18
RWE reports that it has captured the first tonne of carbon at its Aberthaw coal plant pilot project in Wales. The two-year project will test retrieving carbon emitted by 3 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity and, at the same time, capture data on the viability of carbon capture technology and to help determine whether it can be expanded to a full-scale coal-fired power plant. The technology used at Aberthaw was developed by Shell-owned, Montreal-headquartered Cansolv Technologies and can capture around 50 tpd of carbon.
RWE will be working with the UK's Environment Agency to track the impact of the carbon capture process on the power station's immediate surroundings.
Britain last year shortlisted four projects with full-scale carbon capture technology which also bury the carbon retrieved for a £1billion funding competition. (Source: RWE, Reuters UK, Jan. 17, 2013)
Contact: Stephanie Schunck, RWE AG, +49 (0) 201 122-2088, www.rwe.com; Cansolv Technologies, (514) 382-4411, [email protected], www.cansolv.com
Tags RWE news, CCS news, Cansolv Technologies news,
Date: 2013-01-09
Korean research institution KAIST and Saudi Aramco, the world's top oil developer, signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday that will see them work to develop commercially viable processes for carbon capture and storage (CCS) as well as carbon utilization. The center will be financed equally by the two sides, without specifying the amount. Their collaboration will run initially for six years and could be extended. (Source: KAIST, Korean Herald, Jan. 9, 2013) Contact: KAIST, President Suh Nam-pyo, www.kaist.ac.kr; Saudi Aramco, Khalid A. Al-Falih, Pres. www.saudiaramco.com
Tags Saudi Aramco news, CCS news,
Date: 2013-01-09
The Southern Research Institute (SRI) has been awarded $1.5 million from the U.S. DOE to produce liquid fuels from coal and biomass mixtures. SRI, DOE, and research partners Southern Company Services and Nexant will test a new method for producing liquid transportation fuels from coal and biomass in order to improve the economics and lifecycle impacts of coal-to-liquid (CTL) and coal-biomass-to-liquid (CBTL) processes. The research includes evaluating the impact of adding moderate amounts of biomass to coal on CBTL products and process economics, and comparing the carbon footprint of CBTL processes with petroleum-based fuel production processes.
The research team will use an existing demonstration scale coal gasifier at the DOE's National Carbon Capture Center -- an air-blown transport gasifier operated by Southern Company Services -- as the source of both coal and coal-biomass derived synthetic gas. (Source: EPA, Fierce Energy, Jan. 8, 2013) Contact: SRI, Dr. Santosh K. Gangwal, (205) 581-2000, www.southernresearch.org; Southern Company, www.southerncompany.com
Tags Southern Research Institute news, Biomass news, Coal-to-Liquid news, Southern Company Services news, Nexant news,
Date: 2013-01-09
UK-based international construction specialist Costain Group Plc has won Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) funding to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, the firm announced today. Costain has received funds from a £20 million DECC programme to find ways to reduce the costs CCS projects. The firm will now work on two projects with Edinburgh and Leeds University.
Working with Edinburgh University the firm will investigate the use of cheaper absorber columns for use in post-combustion carbon capture in coal and gas power plants, as well as consider an improved oxyfuel capture technology with the both universities.
Costain is currently developing next generation carbon capture technology with the Energy Technologies Institute. The project is expected to improve efficiencies and reduce cost for power generation in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle power plants while delivering a carbon capture rate of 95%.(Source: Costain, New Civil Engineer, Jan. 8, 2013) Contact: Costain Group, +44 (0) 1628 84 2444, www.costain.com; DECC, www.decc.gov.uk
Tags Costain Group news, CCS news, DECC news,
Date: 2012-12-21
A joint project between Japan and Australia to test a new technology to capture and store CO2 produced from coal-burning thermal power generation has been launched in Biloela, Queensland, Australia. The new oxyfuel technology was developed by Japan's Electric Power Development Co., better known as J-Power, and heavy machinery maker IHI Corp.
The technology removes nitrogen, which accounts for about 80 percent of the air, from the equation, so the coal is only fired with oxygen. As a result, waste gases produced after the coal burning are mostly CO2, which is then liquefied by cooling and stored deep underground. This method is easier and safer than other carbon capture methods, according to sources involved in the Callide Oxyfuel Project. The oxyfuel test project will cost $241 million (AUS) Australian dollars ($253 million). The Australian government's Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund will provide $50 million and the Japanese government $17.5 million. Private sector participants include Australia's CS Energy and trader Mitsui & Co.
The biggest hurdle for the commercialization of the technology is how to reduce costs involved. Under the Callide Oxyfuel Project, carbon dioxide recovery costs are estimated at about ¥2,000 per ton and costs for its transportation and storage at ¥3,000.
Meanwhile, the Australian government introduced a carbon dioxide tax this year, imposing AU$23, or about ¥2,000, per ton. (Source: Japan Times, Dec. 20, 2012)
Tags CCS news,
Date: 2012-12-19
Two UK tidal power projects have been named among the 23 European renewable energy schemes to win a share of £1 billion from the NER300 funding program. Kyle Rhea, an 8MW array of tidal turbines between the Isle of Skye and Scottish mainland, will receive up to £15.0 million (€18.4 million). A 10 MW deep water array in the Sound of Islay was awarded up to £16.8 million (€20.7 million).
The European Commission confirms that no carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects received funding, however, saying most had not been confirmed by member states.
The NER300 pot, from the sale of 300 million emission allowances in the new entrants reserve (NER) of the EU Emissions Trading System, will provide up to half the "relevant costs" of each project. Relevant cost is defined as the costs over and above proven technologies. (Source: EU, Utility Week, Dec. 18, 2012)
Tags Tidal Power news, CCS news, EU ETS news,
Date: 2012-12-19
The Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Market 2013-2023 -- The value of the global CCS market will be $7.78 billion in 2013. This report looks into the opportunities that the global CCS market offers and its application to various industries that emit CO2 besides large power plants, and examines various government policies and initiatives that are stimulating industries to implement clean or low carbon technologies by adopting CCS technologies. Among those policies considered are carbon tax, prospects of carbon emission trading schemes (ETS), direct funding for carbon capture and storage and other awards for innovations. A report Executive Summary and free sample pages are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/gd256330-carbon-capture-storage-ccs-coal-fired-plants.html
Global Carbon Management Software and Services Market 2011-2015 -- The global market for carbon management software and services (CMSS) is forecast to grow at a 35.9% CAGR through 2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing shift toward green concepts. The Global CMSS market has also been witnessing increased number of governmental rules and regulations. However, lack of awareness regarding CMSS could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. Key vendors dominating this market space include Enablon North America Corp., Enviance Inc., Hara Software Inc., and IHS Inc. Other vendors mentioned in this report include Advantage IQ Inc., Accenture plc, PE International GmbH, IBM Corp., Summit Energy Services Inc., Greenstone Carbon Management Ltd., CarbonSystems Pty Ltd., Carbonetworks, Deloitte Inc., Foresite Systems Ltd., Intelex Technologies Inc., Perillon Software Inc., ProcessMAP Corp., TRIRIGA Inc., Verisae Inc., and Verteego. An Executive Summary and free sample pages are available at http://www.giiresearch.com/report/infi245872-global-carbon-management-software-services-market.html
(Source: Global Information Inc, Dec. 18, 2012) Contact: Global Information Inc., http://www.giiresearch.com
Tags CCS news,
Date: 2012-12-14
Australia's first carbon capture plant, the $200 million Callide OxyFuel Project, is set to be launched tomorrow in central Queensland. The project is a joint venture between the Japanese and Australian governments as well as several industry groups. The pilot plant will capture greenhouse gas emissions at CS Energy's 47-year-old "Callide A" coal-fired power station, but at this stage will not store carbon dioxide. It will be the first carbon capture facility in the world to be retro-fitted onto an existing power station, and the second largest to use the OxyFuel process, which burns coal with pure oxygen as opposed to air which contains around 78 per cent nitrogen.
The facility is backed by the Commonwealth of Australia, Queensland and Japanese governments and was built by Japanese firms IHI Corporation, J-Power and Mitsui, as well as Xstrata Coal and Schlumberger Limited.
(Source: ABC, Dec.14, 2012) Contact: CS Energy, www.csenergy.com.au; Xstarta Coal, +61 2 9253-6700, www.xstrata.com;
Schlumberger Carbon Services, (281) 285-1300, www.slb.com
Tags Carbon Capture news, CCS news, CS Energy news, Xstrata Coal news, Schlumberger news,
Date: 2012-12-14
According to a report from Industrial Info Resources, Europe's efforts to be the world leader CCS technology has just about collapsed after ArcelorMittal, the last candidate for a share of a €1.5 billion ($1.85 billion) development fund, dropped out of the race. The steel maker's decision to withdraw from a CCS project at the Florange steel mill in north-east France means that the European Commission's New Entrants Reserve 300 funding programme has no takers for the €1.5 billion fund. (Industrial Info Resources, Dec. 14, 2012) Contact: ArcelorMittal, +352-352-4792-1, www.arcelormittal.com
Tags ArcelorMittal news, Carbon Capture news, CCS news,
Date: 2012-12-03
Although currently negligible in prominence, carbon capture and storage (CCS) could be the technology that makes the world's carbon emission reduction targets achievable, according to energy expert GlobalData.
CCS techniques, such as enhanced oil recovery, have been extensively used in the energy sector but only recently has the concept of long-term carbon storage been viewed as a viable tool for reducing the amount of carbon released from power plants into the atmosphere. Correspondingly, only 238 MW of CCS capacity was installed globally at the end of 2011. A more substantial 10 GW is, however, expected to come online by 2020.
China, the US, Australia, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands and the UK have invested heavily in CCS R&D and are the global leaders in the industry. Even so, there are currently no active large-scale CCS projects for coal-fired power plants.
(Source: ESI-Africa, Dec. 3, 2012) Contact: Global Data, (646) 395-5477, www.globaldata.com
Tags GlobalData news, CCS news, Carbon Emission Target news,
Date: 2012-11-28
St. Louis-based Akermin Inc. has licensed its carbon management technology to Huntsville, Ala.-based CFD Research Corp., the company behind the "Bio-Battery" fuel cell. The Bio-Battery can harvest energy from sugars, alcohols or even blood to convert them to electricity by using enzymes that oxidize glucose and other fuels and release electrons to generate energy.
In July, Akermin signed an agreement to install and operate a pilot plant at the National Carbon Capture Center as part of a two-year project partially funded by a DOE grant. The pilot plant aims to demonstrate the efficiency of Akermin's CO2 capture technology.
Akermin is developing the most energy-efficient and cost-effective system for carbon dioxide (CO2) management. The company's technology uses nature's perfect catalyst, the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, to enable the use of carbonate chemistry to develop economically-advantageous and environmentally-friendly CO2 solutions for multiple industrial applications. Akermin uses a multi-discipline approach to efficiently integrate a biocatalyst within a proprietary delivery system that can be readily incorporated into a traditional chemical absorption process. The company's proprietary biocatalyst delivery system solves the issue of enabling the enzyme to effectively work as a biocatalyst for extended periods in harsh industrial environments.
Akermin is currently transitioning from laboratory research to field demonstrations and establishing industrial partnerships for commercial delivery. Initial commercial sales are expected in 2014 using a license and consumables business model that shares capital investment with well-capitalized owners and operators, equipment manufacturers and engineering firms. The company is targeting multi-billion dollar industrial CO2 applications including natural gas, fertilizer, gasification, industrial hydrogen, oil sands and power plants. (Source: Akermin, St. Louis Journal, Nov. 26, 2012)
Contact: Barry Blackwell, Akermin, (314) 824-1950, [email protected], www.akermin.com; CFD Research, (256) 726-4800, www.cfdrc.com; National Carbon Capture Center, www.nationalcarboncapturecenter.com
Tags Enzyme news, Carbon Capture news, Akermin news, CFD Research news,
Date: 2012-11-21
Britain's prospects of meeting legally binding CO2 emissions targets have significantly improved after a government task force report ruled that Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology cost-effective on a large scale. According to Energy Secretary Ed Davey, the report paved the way for Britain to become a world leader in CCS technology, adding that "deployment at scale will bring investment and jobs.
The report, the first to confirm CCS commercial viability, found coal and gas-fired power plants fitted with the technology could generate electricity at £88 to £106 per megawatt hour by 2020. This compares to £92 - £103 for onshore wind, £139 for offshore wind, £85 for nuclear and £116 - £122 for biomass. (Source: The Independent, 20 Nov., 2012)
Tags CCS news, CCS UK news,
Date: 2012-11-09
The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) has given three U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) projects high marks as an important advancement toward commercialization and large-scale deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. The projects were officially recognized for making significant contributions to the development of global CO2 mitigation technologies. With CSLF recognition, these cutting-edge projects will gain enhanced global visibility and widespread knowledge-sharing opportunities.
CCUS involves separating CO2 from the emissions produced by power plants and other industrial processes and putting it to beneficial use or permanently storing it in geologic formations. The two processes may even be combined, as in Enhanced Oil Recovery.
The three DOE projects, which are managed by the Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, include the large-scale CCUS demonstration project Illinois Basin Decatur Project in Illinois, an Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. CCUS project in Allentown, Pe., and the Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage Project, also in Decatur.
The CSLF is an international climate change initiative focused on the development of technologies to cost-effectively capture, utilize, and store CO2. Member countries include the U.S, the European Union, and 23 other countries that together account for 75 percent of all global anthropogenic CO2 emissions and aim to collaborate on mitigation efforts (Source: US DOE, 8 Nov., 2012)
Contact: US DOE,
Jenny Hakun, FE Office of Communications, (202) 586-5616, [email protected], www.hq.doe.gov; Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum , www.cslforum.org
Tags CCS news, US DOE news,
Date: 2012-11-07
Following on our March 22 coverage, Summit Power Group, LLC and Petrofac Ltd have been selected by the the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) for Captain: The Clean Energy Project (Captain CEP) and will advance to the next stage of DECC's CCS for power plants competition. Captain CEP is one of four proposed CCS projects consisting of:
Captain CEP's 90+ percent carbon capture rate will allow electric power to be generated with less than 10 percent of the CO2 emissions of a conventional coal-burning power plant, and about 25 percent of the CO2 emissions of a high efficiency natural gas-fired power plant.
Summit is a U.S.-based developer of wind, solar, and carbon capture power plants, including another proposed coal gasification power project with 90+ percent carbon capture known as the Texas Clean Energy Project, which has won substantial funding and other financial support from the U.S. DOE.
Petrofac is major oilfield services provider, oilfield facilities operator, and design engineering and construction contractor for onshore and offshore petroleum and petrochemical facilities, including major oil installations and sub-sea reservoirs in the North Sea. The two companies have joined together to develop Captain CEP, with support from the National Grid Carbon as owner and operator of the onshore CO2 transport system and from Siemens as a key technology provider for the project's gasifiers and high-hydrogen combustion turbine and other power generation equipment. (Source: Summit Power, heraldonline.com, 5 Nov., 2012) Contact: Summit Power Group, (206) 780-3551, [email protected], www.summitpower.com; Petrofac, www.petrofac.com
Tags Summit Power news, CCS news, Petrofac news,
Date: 2012-11-07
The World Bank has launched an analytical and advisory assistance program in China and has awarded Geneva, Switzerland-headquartered Foster Wheeler a contract for carbon capture and transportation consulting services in China. The World Bank program aims to build China's understanding and application of CCS technology. The program is financed by the World Bank CCS Trust Fund.
Foster Wheeler's role is to strengthen the CCS and transportation know-how of the China Power Investment Corporation (CPI), one of the country's largest power producers. The scope of Foster Wheeler's work
is expected to be completed in June 2013. (Source: Foster Wheeler, Hydrocarbon Processing, 6 Nov., 2012)
Contact: Foster Wheeler, +41 22 741 8000, Scott Lamb, Investor Relations, (908) 730-4155, [email protected], www.fwc.com
Tags Foster Wheeler news, World Bank news, CCS news,
Date: 2012-11-05
In the UK, three low-carbon energy trade associations have written a joint letter urging Secretary of State Ed Davey to uphold his commitment to combating climate change by decarbonizing the energy sector by 2030. Renewable UK, the trade body for the wind and marine sectors, along with the Nuclear Industry Association and the Carbon Capture & Storage Association, warn that failing to commit to such a target would mean missing out on a number of job opportunities.
Energy secretary Davey is meeting with chancellor George Osborne, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and chief secretary to the treasury Danny Alexander this week to discuss plans for the forthcoming energy bill. The UK is tied to a legally-binding obligation to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, and decarbonizing the energy sector is seen as crucial to reaching this goal. However, many government officials, including Osborne, have voiced their concerns over this transition, claiming that it could be too costly to undertake.
Osborne's views on the matter were made clear in March his budget statement in which he championed gas as "the largest single source of our electricity in the coming years".
This so-called "dash for gas" was condemned by the government's climate change advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, which said that such reliance on gas would be incompatible with the UK's decarbonation and climate change targets.
Investment in clean, abundant energy sources -- wind, solar, marine and so on -- is therefore seen as vital in not only meeting these objectives, but also providing long-term, secure and affordable energy. (Source: Blue & Green Tomorrow, Nov. 5, 2012)
Date: 2012-10-29
Camarillo, California-based Cool Planet Energy Systems reports that by using a mechanical process and scaling approach it can produce high octane biofuel from biomass and, at the same time, remove carbon from the air at the cost of $1.50 per gallon without the need for subsidies. The company has successfully tested the technology internally as well as at Google's headquarters with its campus vehicle, GRide, that has driven 2,400 miles on the fuel. By running on a 5 percent Cool Planet carbon negative fuel blended with 95 percent regular gasoline, the test car blend met California’s 2020 Low Carbon Fuel Standard -- eight years ahead of schedule according to a Cool Planet statement.
A byproduct of producing the biofuel from biomass is the activated carbon, or biochar that can be used as a soil enhancer increasing land fertility while isolating the carbon captured from the atmosphere. According to Cool Planet, this carbon negative process results in up to a 150 percent carbon footprint reduction, which the company states is far more than any other biomass-to-fuel method.
Cool Planet is backed by Google, BP, GE, NRG, and others.
(Source: Cool Planet, Oct 26, 2012) Contact: Mike Rocke, VP, Business Development, Cool Planet Biofuels, (805) 484-2537, [email protected], www.coolplanetbiofuels.com
Tags Cool Planet Energy Systems news, Biomass news, Biofuels news,
Date: 2012-10-19
Danbury, Ct.-based FuelCell Energy (FCE), Inc. has begun the second phase of its $3 million carbon capture development project funded by the U.S. DOE. The project seeks to use the company's fuel cell technology to separate CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. FCE began the project in late 2011 and expects the research to last to 2015. The grant funding is awarded in phases; and by advancing to the second phase, FuelCell received $800,000 from the grant.
In other FCE news, the company reports the execution of a share purchase agreement for what will be the world's largest fuel cell park in South Korea.
The finalized agreement helps progress the 59 megawatt facility to completion by splitting ownership between South Korea's largest utility, financial investors, a gas distributor, and POSCO Energy, which is FuelCell's manufacturing partner in South Korea. (Source: Fuel Cell Energy, Hartford Business, Oct. 17, 2012) Contact: Fuel Cell Energy, Chip Bottone, Pres., CEO, (203) 825-6000, www.fce.com
Tags Fuel Cell Energy news, Hydrogen Fuel Cell news,
Tags Fuel Cell Energy news, CCS news,
Date: 2012-10-10
Shell has selected Irving, Texas-headquartered Fluor Corp as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for its flagship Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Quest project at the Athabasca Oil Sands project in Alberta, Canada. The Quest project is being built on behalf of the Athabasca Oil Sands Project joint venture owners (including Shell, Chevron and Marathon Oil) with support from the Canadian and Alberta governments. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the third quarter.
Fluor will provide full EPC services using its patented 3rd Gen Modular Execution approach for a 1.1 million tonne-per-year carbon capture facility at the Scotford Upgrader near Edmonton, Alberta. Captured CO2 will be transported 80 kilometers from the facility via underground pipeline to an underground storage site. Fluor has been providing preliminary services and front-end engineering and design for Quest since 2009. (Source: Fluor Corp, , Motely Fool, ( Oct., 2012) Contact: Fluor: www.fluor100.com, www.fluor.com.
Tags Fluor Corp news, CCS news, Shell news,
Date: 2012-10-03
With the projected closure of more than 200 coal plants in the next few years, and with 1,400 generators at 580 plants shutting down last year, coal industry groups are criticizing the EPA's increasingly stringent regulations.
According to the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), across 30 states 241 coal generators producing 36,000 MW of power will be shut down during the next three to five years. This accounts for 11 percent of America's current energy production. The coal industry see these potential shutdowns as further evidence that EPA is waging a war on coal, and a war on affordable electricity prices and jobs, according to a statement by ACCCE CEO and President Mike Duncan. The statement says " the EPA continues to ignore the damage that its new regulations are causing to the U.S. economy and to states that depend on coal for jobs and affordable electricity."
According to the ACCCE report, the states most heavily affected are Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and North Carolina, losing a combined 18,000 MW, approximately. These states are shutting down 103 coal generator units. However, political opposition to coal regulations may slow or halt future closures. On Sept. 21 the House of Representatives passed the Republican-backed Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012, which seeks to prohibit EPA control of greenhouse emissions, and restrict Department of Interior oversight of coal mining regulations. The bill passed by a 233 to 175 vote, with 19 Democrats supporting it and 13 Republicans voting against.
The middle ground on the War on Coal may be found in an innovation industrialists and politicians alike are embracing -- Clean Coal -- carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) that greatly reduces carbon emissions by capturing and processing the gasses before they go up the smokestack.
However, a major obstacle for Clean Coal implementation is the high cost of installing and retrofitting CCS technology at plants. Although some generators in existing coal plants on ACCCE's list will be converting to natural gas for power generation supply, most will be closing. (Source: ACCCE, Epoch Times. 2 Oct, 2012) Contact: American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, www.AmericasPower.org
Tags American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity news,
Date: 2012-10-03
Quebec City-headquartered enzyme-enabled carbon capture technologies innovator CO2 Solutions Inc. has been granted U.S. Patent 8,277,769, PROCESS FOR TREATING CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING GAS The patent broadly covers the use of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA), or an analogue thereof, for the efficient capture of carbon pollution from various gas streams with any aqueous solvent or solution. Significant industry applications of the patent for carbon management include power generation, oil refining, metals production, cement making, amongst others.
The issuance of this patent follows the previously announced allowance of U.S. Patent 8,192,531, CO2 ABSORPTION SOLUTION U.S. Patent 8,192,531 covers the use of CA for carbon capture with any secondary or tertiary amine solvent with significant near-term application in the treating of various industrial gasses, including natural gas processing.
Combined, these two patents increase the Company's reach into the growing opportunity for the management and beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide in the United States. This is particularly the case in large jurisdictions such as California, which are implementing cap and trade systems that impose penalties on carbon emissions and can provide economic opportunities for the capture of these emissions.
(Source: CO2 Solutions Inc, Oct.3, 2012) Contact: CO2 Solutions Inc., Glenn Kelly, CEO, (418) 842-3456, www.co2solutions.com
Tags CO2 Solutions Inc. news, Carbon Dioxide news, CCS news,
Date: 2012-09-24
Researchers have created a new material that could solve some of the problems currently plaguing carbon capture and storage. The material, made from aluminium nitrate salt, cheap organic materials and water, is non-toxic and requires less energy to strip out the carbon when it becomes saturated, according to the scientists who author a paper appearing today in Nature Chemistry. Carbon capture has not yet been proven on a commercial scale and pilot projects have been hindered by concerns that the ammonia-based materials, or amines, used to absorb carbon can themselves produce toxic emissions. They are also expensive and need large amounts of heat to boil out the carbon so it can be taken away and stored. The researchers say their new absorber, dubbed NOTT-300, could overcome all these problems. Dr Timmy Ramirez-Cuesta, who worked on the project at the ISIS research centre at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, says the new material could simplify carbon capture by using interchangeable filters. "When the material is saturated, the exhaust gases are diverted to the second container where the process continues," he says."The full container is disconnected from the system and the CO2 is removed using a vacuum and collected. The regenerated container can then be reconnected and used repeatedly." The team, which also included scientists from the University of Oxford and Peking University in China, say the new material captured close to 100 per cent of the carbon dioxide in experiments using a cocktail of gases. Although the rate could be lower in the "dynamic conditions" of a real power station, it should still be over 90 per cent, which is a key test for the viability of an absorber. The material can pick up harmful gases, including sulphur dioxide, in a mixture, allowing others like hydrogen, methane, nitrogen and oxygen to pass through. It does, however, absorb water vapour and the researchers are doing further work to overcome the problem, which could reduce its performance with CO2. Professor Martin Schroeder at the University of Nottingham, who led the research, says NOTT-300 could also be put to use in gas purification. Natural gas often contains 10 per cent of carbon dioxide impurity which needs to be removed before it can be used. The scientists say they are working with companies in the carbon capture business on commercialising the new material. (Source: ABC Science, 24 Sept., 2012)
More Energy Overviews Carbon Capture news,
Date: 2012-09-24
Following on our Sept. 4 Southern Company Plant Berry CCS coverage, the Savannah Ocean Exchange has recognized Southern Company's demonstration of innovative technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants with an Industry Excellence Award. The award was presented in Savannah, Ga. at the Savannah Ocean Exchange's second annual Solutions Exchange. The award honors corporations and organizations that are implementing tangible solutions that shape the future today by generating economic growth and increasing productivity while reducing waste and the use of natural resources.
Southern Company won the award for a project that is capturing carbon dioxide from Plant Barry near Mobile, Ala., in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., EPRI and others.
The captured CO2 is being supplied to the U.S. DOE's Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, which is transporting the compressed flue gas by pipeline to the Citronelle Oil Field, operated by Denbury Resources about 11 miles from the plant, where it will be stored in a deep saline geologic formation.
The overall project represents the world's largest power plant demonstration of start-to-finish carbon capture and storage technology. (Source: Southern Co., 21 Sept., 2012) Contact: Savannah Ocean Exchange, | Solutions Inspiring Action
www.oceanexchange.org; Southern Company, (404) 506-5000, www.southerncompany.com
Tags Southern Company news, CCS news,
Date: 2012-09-19
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, (MHI) Ltd . and Southern Company's joint carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) demonstration project has begun injecting CO2 emissions recovered from Southern Company's coal-fired power generation plant in Barry, Alabama. The project calls for the capture and compression of CO2 from the plant's flue gas and its sequestration in a saline formation at a depth of 3,000-3,400 meters in the Citronelle Dome geologic structure, approximately 12 miles west from the Barry plant.
The sequestration aspect of the project is being conducted as Phase III of the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships program sponsored by the U.S. DOE aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The volume of CO2 injection, which got under way following approval by the Alabama state government, has been progressively expanded and now reached the full-scale target of 500 mtpd. In the project MHI is responsible for basic planning, engineering, core equipment supply, and provision of technology support during the demonstration operation in CO2 recovery and compression.
The Plant Barry project began in June, 2011. last year. The CO2 capture facility, which was built jointly by MHI and Southern Company, is the world's largest in scale: 500 mtpd, with CO2 recovery efficiency above 90%. The facility consists primarily of a flue-gas scrubber, flue-gas CO2 capture/re-generation system, CO2 compression machinery, and electrical components.
For CO2 recovery the facility adopts the KM CDR Process, which uses a proprietary KS-1 high-performance solvent for CO2 absorption and desorption that was jointly developed by MHI and the Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. Compared with other CO2 capture technologies, the KM CDR Process uses significantly less energy.
(Source: MHI. Power Engineering, 14 Sept., 2012)
Contact: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., +81-3-6716-3111, www.mitsubishitoday.com; Southern Company, (404) 506-5000, www.southerncompany.com
Tags Mitsubishi Heavy Industries news, Southern Company news, CCS news,
Date: 2012-09-19
Wood for Good, the UK timber industry's sustainability and promotion campaign, is submitting an entry for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC's) £1 billion CCS program, according to the Timber Trade Federation. The trade organization unveiled plans for what it calls the cheapest, most efficient and effective carbon capture and storage system available: increased forest cover.
The organization is promoting increased forest cover as a means of capturing and sequestering the UK's carbon emissions and is calling on the Government to invest the available funds in new sustainable forests and commercial forestry practices. Sustainable forestry practices harvest trees at the peak of their growth and carbon sequestration ability and replant them with more trees in a continuous, renewable cycle. The carbon is stored indefinitely in the wood products harvested. These wood products in turn can substitute for a range of other higher carbon materials in manufacturing and construction. The by-products of production can also be used as substitutes for fossil fuels in energy production.
Europe's forests currently provide a carbon sink for 150-200 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, with an additional 500 million tonnes sequestered annually. In the UK alone, a mere four per cent increase in forest cover could deliver abatement equivalent to ten per cent of total GHG emissions.
A recent Independent Panel on Forestry report highlighted the importance of UK forestry in sequestering carbon emissions and its role in the green economy. The report recommended that the development of wood-based industries and technologies is a key priority for support from the Green Development Bank. (Source: Lesprom, Sept. 19, 2012)
Tags Reforestation news, CCS news, DECC news,
Date: 2012-09-19
Early Public Impressions of Terrestrial Carbon Capture and Storage in a Coal-Intensive State, a recent study by Indiana University found that the majority of Indiana residents think it's a good idea to address climate change by capturing carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants and storing it underground. Most Hoosiers, however admitted that they didn't know mush about the process before being contacted for the study. And, even after learning about it, a majority didn't have strong feelings or care about it -- suggesting they'd be open to persuasion by supporters and opponents of the technology. And, fully 80% of those contacted had never heard of CCS.
Respondents were more likely to support CCS if they believe that human activities contribute to climate change, support increased use of renewable energy or have an "egalitarian" worldview. Respondents who called themselves "political conservatives" were more likely to oppose CCS.
The study is the first state-level survey of perceptions of CCS and it is significant that it was conducted in a state that relies heavily on coal and where CCS facilities would probably be sited. The report suggests that as specific CCS projects are proposed, supporters and opponents are likely to step up their efforts to win over public opinion.
The study was funded by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. (Source: Indiana University, PR, Sept. 18, 2012)
Tags CCS news,
Date: 2012-09-19
SaskPower's annual sustainability report raises concerns about federal regulations for coal-fired power plants. The report says the proposed rules would stall work on carbon capture technology -- something that SaskPower has poured billions of dollars into.
But the report was written before SaskPower got a bit of breathing room from the federal government. Ottawa recently announced regulations that say all coal power plants must be shut down after 50 years -- the initial proposal was 45 years. More than 40 per cent of SaskPower's generating capacity in 2011 came from coal. The report says SaskPower needs to find better ways to keep using coal for fuel, since there's a 300-year supply in the province.
The utility is presently working on CCS storage and is spending $1.2 billion to turn one of its units at Boundary Dam, a coal-fired power plant, into a carbon capture unit.
(Source: SaskPower, CTV News, Sept. 18, 2012) Contact: Saskpower, (888) 757-6937, www.saskpower.com
Tags SaskPower news, Coal news, CCS news,