Factbox: New carbon capture projects in U.S. power plants
The Biden Administration’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity industry could force some coal- and gas-fired power plants to install CCS technology, which has had a rough past.
Petra Nova was the only CCS plant in the U.S. on a power plant that captured carbon to a large scale. It closed its doors in 2020. The plant pumped CO2 captured into an oilfield in order to push out crude, but it closed because of a drop in the price of petroleum during the COVID-19 epidemic. The plant had suffered from chronic mechanical issues before it shut down.
Mountaineer, a major CCS plant partially funded by government, was shut down in 2011 due to an economic recession.
Incentives and regulations are driving new plans as governments try to combat climate change.
The following are the major CCS projects that are currently in development at power plants:
PETRA NOVA, Richmond, Texas
JX Nippon is a Japanese energy firm that plans to reopen Petra Nova by June, after utility NRG (NRG.N), has completed work on an unit in the W.A. Parish coal plant, where the company is based. NRG sold its stake in the CCS plant recently to Nippon.
The U.S. Department of Energy had granted $190 million to the $1 billion CCS facility. The plant captured 3.8 millions short tons of CO2 in its first three-year period, which was less than the 4.6million tons expected by developers.
NET POWER, Odessa, Texas
The plant, which was announced in November and is expected to be operational in 2026 will burn natural gas with oxygen. The company claims that it will capture almost all of the emissions from the plant. Investors include the oil company Occidental, oilfield services firm Baker Hughes (BKR.O), and utility Constellation.
These projects, whose start dates are uncertain, could receive funding from the Department of Energy in the near future. The fund, which is worth nearly $190 millions, will be used to support studies that support integrated carbon transport, storage and capture:
EFFICIENT, Edwardsport, Indiana
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC (DUKIN.UL), EFFICIENT Project, proposes to add CCS to a combined-cycle power plant, allowing flexibility in fuels, including syngas from coal, gasified natural gas, and blends. Honeywell UOP technology is expected to be used in the project to capture approximately 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
LAKE CHARLES, Westlake, Louisiana
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd would be the technology provider for the proposed project at Entergy Services, LLC’s Lake Charles combined-cycle natural gas plant. The project claims to capture at least 95% of the CO2 emissions from 2.4 million tonnes of natural gas per year.
FOUR CORNERS PLANT, Navajo Nation
The project will capture at least 95% of the CO2 emissions from this coal-fired power plant, which is more than 10,000,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The project will use Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Americas’ technology, and Enchant Energy, LLC is the project developer.
CYPRESS CARBON CAPTURE, Hahnville, Louisiana
Project would add CCS at the Taft Natural Gas Plant. The project would prepare and store up to three million tonnes of CO2 each year or 90% of emissions.
POLK POWER STATION Mulberry, Florida
The project will add ION Clean Energy, Inc.’s CCS to the natural gas plant. The project aims to capture 95% of CO2 emission, which is equivalent to nearly 3.7 tonnes of CO2 per year.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Springfield, Illinois
The CCS project will be installed at the City Water, Light and Power plant in Springfield. The project would capture and store 2 million tonnes CO2 annually.
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