EC confirms backing for carbon capture projects

Brussels – The European Commission has confirmed its financial backing for Powerfuel Power Ltd’s pans to build a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at Hatfield, UK. The EC is providing Euro1 billion to six demonstration CO 2 capture and storage projects, which it says will help to drive economic recovery in the EU.

Powerfuel plans to establish a 900MW IGCC power plant as part of a Yorkshire Forward initiative that aims at developing a CO2 transport and storage infrastructure for the region. The CO2 is to be stored in an offshore gas field located around 175 km from the plant.

Two other proposed CCS projects in the UK, Kingsnorth and Longannet have been place on a reserve list of proposals to receive support.

The Kingsnorth proposal aims to demonstrate CCS post combustion technology on a newly built power plant. Storage is foreseen in a depleted offshore gas field. The action under the EEPR will mostly cover the costs of a large 270 km, 36” diameter steel pipe to transport CO2 from Kingsnorth to a gas field.

The Longannet project aims to demonstrate the full chain of CCS. CO2 capture is envisaged through retrofitting a part of the Longannet subcritical coal-fired plant. The goal is to capture 2 million tonnes CO2 per annum, equivalent to 330 MW electrical output. Storage is foreseen in an offshore saline aquifer. The transport concept foresees to use, for a significant part, already existing pipeline infrastructure.

The other CCS projects to benefit from the EU’s Euro1bn fund are:

Vattenfall Germany - Jaenschwalde

Demonstration of the Oxyfuel and the post combustion technology on an existing power plant site. Two storage and transport options are analysed.

Enel Ingegneria e Innovazione S.p.A. (Italy) - Porto-Tolle

Installation of CCS technology on a new 660MW coal power plant. The capture part will treat flue gases corresponding to 250 MW electrical output. Storage in an offshore saline aquifer nearby

Maasvlakte J.V. / E.ON Benelux and Electrabel (Netherlands) - Rotterdam

Demonstration of the full chain of CCS on a capacity of 250MW equivalent using post-combustion technology. Storage of CO2 in a depleted offshore gas field near the plant. The project is part of the Rotterdam Climate initiative that aims at developing a CO 2 transport and storage infrastructure for the region.

PGE EBSA (Poland) - Belchatow

Demonstration of the entire CCS chain on flue gases corresponding to 250MW electrical output in a new supercritical unit of largest lignite-fired plant in Europe. Three different saline aquifer storage sites will be explored nearby.

ENDESA Generacion S.A.(Spain)

Demonstration of the full CCS chain using Oxyfuel and fluidised bed technology on a 30MW pilot plant which to be upscaled by December 2015 to a demonstration plant of more than 320 MW. Storage in a saline aquifer nearby.