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Davey reveals £20m carbon capture project

Ed Davey has announced a £20m Energy Technologies Institute project to develop advanced carbon capture technology for gas-fired power stations.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change revealed the project in which the ETI has commissioned and funded a consortium to deliver a 5MW carbon capture demonstration plant, capable of capturing up to 95% of carbon dioxide emissions, by 2016.

ETI have suggested the technology created could reduce the typical cost of electricity by 13% when compared to current carbon capture storage (CCS) technology.

Across phase one of the project, ETI will invest £1.6m in a small scale demonstrator prototype, laboratory work and techno-economic assessment to confirm the projected benefits.

Once this stage is complete. the ETI then expects to invest up to £20m over three years in the detailed design, assembly and testing of a UK demonstrator plant.

It is hoped that large-scale deployment of the technology will occur by 2020, at a cost and performance level attractive to investors.

Mr Davey said: “CCS is a key part of our aim to reduce carbon emissions from gas and coal in our future energy mix. The UK is a leading nation in developing this new technology and the project announced today is another important step to our goal of a cost competitive CCS industry.”

CCS is a prime opportunity for UK manufacturing and I am delighted to see Scottish based companies like Howden and Doosan Power Systems, as well as MAST Carbon based in Basingstoke, seizing the opportunity to create jobs for skilled workers and growth for the economy.“

Dr David Clarke, Chief Executive, ETI, added: “We expect CCS to be a key component in a future affordable, secure, low carbon UK energy system. Given the potential it offers, the technology around CCS requires investment now to build its economic viability and help extend its role in any future UK energy system design.

“With a large and relatively young CCGT fleet in operation, and the prospect of new builds continuing into the future, we are likely to enter 2020 with 30GW of CCGT capacity, much of which will require retrofit with CCS by 2030 if we are to meet UK CO2 reduction targets.

“Newly developed technology which reduces costs and accelerates deployment for new builds and retrofits by 2030 is critical. Major developments such as this project will support job creation and growth in the energy sector.”

The consortium will be led by Inventys in collaboration with Howden, Doosan Power Systems and MAST.

Ian Brander, CEO of Howden Group, added: “The UK government’s initiative in creating the ETI to accelerate the development of low carbon technologies has in this case helped bring together an innovative gas separation technology developer with two world leading UK-based engineering companies; both of whom are well established within the global power generation industry.

“We have all become increasingly aware of the effects of climate change and the need to reduce CO2 emissions from energy intensive industries. As a consortium, we recognise that this need for change provides a proactive opportunity to use our knowledge and experience to develop products and systems that will help in meeting CO2 reduction targets, and in the longer term help position the UK as a leading provider of next generation low carbon technologies.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .