Scottish Power announced a feasibility study into converting Cockenzie and Longannet, its two largest power stations, to clean coal (supercritical) technology in 2007. The total generating capacity of the two stations is 3390 MW and the new technology would see CO¬2 emissions reductions of 20% at both stations. Operation is expected to start in 2012. The stations will also be designed to incorporate carbon capture technology, which is being developed at Longannet. It is planned that the captured CO2 would be used in Enhanced Coal-Bed Methane Recovery (allowing methane gas to be recovered from coal seams and the CO2 to be stored). For more information view the following press release
In 2007 Scottish Power announced a feasibility study
into converting Cockenzie and Longannet, its two largest power stations, to
clean coal (supercritical) technology. A consortium consisting of Shell, National
Grid and Aker Clean Carbon and led by Scottish Power is taking part in the
Government’s CCS competition and is developing the technical aspects
of their entry, which would see CCS technology implemented at Longannet. Plans
to adapt two of the four burners at the station to use CCS technology developed
by Aker are being worked on. The consortium is also investigating using a
rock formation under the North Sea to store the captured CO2. For more information
view the website
Teesside
(Centrica and Progressive Energy)
Coastal Energy Ltd, a joint venture between Centrica
and Progressive Energy, plans to build an 850 MW IGCC plant with pre-combustion
capture on a brownfield site on Teesside. The project is known as Eston Grange.
If built, around 85% of CO2 emissions will be captured and stored under the
North Sea. The plant could also be used to produce decarbonised hydrogen.
As part of the project a network for disposing of CO¬2 from other power
plants and industrial processes in Teesside and the North East could be created.
This network is being developed by COOTS Ltd, which is also a joint venture
between the two companies. For more information view the press
release and website
Ferrybridge
(Scottish and Southern Energy)
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is examining the options for replacing the present power station at Ferrybridge, which include a new 800 MW supercritical and ‘carbon capture ready’ plant. The company has said that a new coal-fired plant is unlikely to be commissioned before 2014. For more information view the following website
E.ON has proposed using pre-combustion capture in a feasibility study (announced in 2006) for a possible 450 MW IGCC plant to be built on a site next to the existing Killinghome Power Station. For more information view the following website
E.ON is proposing to construct two new 800 MW cleaner coal units at their Kingsnorth power station. These will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 20%. The units will be built ‘carbon capture ready’. Kingsnorth is the company’s entry in the Government’s CCS competition. Retrofitting with post-combustion capture would allow approximately 90% of emissions to be captured and subsequently stored in depleted gas fields under the North Sea. For more information view the following website, the original press release and a further press release
Peterhead
(Hydrogen Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy - Cancelled)
Peterhead, a joint project between Hydrogen Energy and
Scottish and Southern Energy, was planned to be a 475 MW natural gas-fired
plant with CCS. The plant was estimated to cost $1.9 billion and would have
captured 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 per year. The captured CO2 would have been
used (and stored) in an Enhanced Oil Recovery project at BP’s Miller
oil field in the North Sea, extending the life of the oil field for 15 to
20 years. Unfortunately the project was cancelled, but elements of it have
been taken forward in other schemes. For more information view the website
and the original press
release
Hatfield
(Powerfuel)
In 2003 planning permission was granted for a major re-development of the
Hatfield Colliery Site, which included permission to develop a new 900 MW
natural gas CCGT and coal IGCC power plant. The proposed plant has been designed
to facilitate a move to clean coal technology including carbon capture, based
on the long term availability of coal feedstock from the Hatfield Colliery.
The plant is expected to begin operation at the end of 2011 and could be available
for CCS by 2013. For more information view the following website
In 2008 Peel Energy and DONG Energy established Ayrshire
Power Limited as a joint venture to explore the possibility of building a
1600 MW power station at Hunterston in North Ayrshire. The proposed facility
would co-fire coal and biomass, and would use CCS. DONG Energy now act as
design partners. For more information view the following website.
Valleys Energy Ltd (a partnership that includes Progressive Energy) has developed a proposal to construct a new 450 MW IGCC plant with CCS at Onllwyn, near Drym. Approximately 85% of total CO2 emissions would be captured, which equates to about 2.4 million tonnes per year. The British Geological Survey and Valleys Energy Ltd investigated a number of potential CO2 storage sites for the proposed facility and identified the St George’s Channel Basin off the coast of Pembrokeshire as the most suitable. For more information view the project summary (pdf)
RWE npower and Shell have agreed contracts to build a 3MW post-combustion capture pilot plant at Aberthaw Power Station in Wales. The plant will be capable of capturing 50 tonnes of CO2 per day from a slipstream of the flue gas at Aberthaw. Subject to planning permission being granted, construction is expected to begin in January with commissioning expected in early 2011. View the press release.
In July 2009 Doosan Babcock opened the world’s largest ‘OxyCoal’ Clean Combustion Test Facility, designed to demonstrate the company’s ‘OxyCoal’ Clean Combustion system on a 40MWth burner. The project is a collaboration between Doosan Babcock, DECC and Scottish and Southern Energy, as well as Air Products, Drax, DONG, EDF, E.ON, ScottishPower, Vattenfall and UK Coal. View the press release.
RWE npower is currently running CO2 capture test facilities at Didcot Power Station. The facilities were commissioned in 2008 and test both post-combustion and oxyfuel capture methods. View the press release.
UK CCS Competition
View the latest press releases:
• E.ON
UK
• Scottish
Power
