A coalition of the largest electric utilities and coal companies in the United States announced they have created the FutureGen Industrial Alliance, a non-profit company that will partner with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to facilitate the design, construction and operation of the world’s first near-zero emissions coal-based power plant.
FutureGen will demonstrate advanced coal-based technologies and produce hydrogen to power fuel cells for transportation and other energy needs. The technology will also integrate the capture of carbon emissions with carbon sequestration.
A 275 megawatt plant will be developed through a public-private partnership led by the seven founding FutureGen Industrial Alliance members:
— American Electric Power
— BHP Billiton
— CONSOL Energy Inc.
— Foundation Coal Corporation
— Kennecott Energy Company, a member of the Rio Tinto group
— Peabody Energy
— Southern Company
The Alliance has opened membership to companies around the world and expects its membership to grow.
The Alliance is working with DOE to secure a final agreement for FutureGen. Once an agreement is reached, the process would proceed to site selection and plant design.
“Cutting-edge technology will be employed throughout this prototype plant,” according to FutureGen acting Chief Executive Officer Michael Mudd, American Electric Power’s Program Manager of Technology Development. “The facility is also expected to provide a platform for researchers to test new and innovative technologies.”
The plant will gasify the coal through a process that converts the coal’s carbon to a synthesis gas composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The synthesis gas will react with steam to produce additional hydrogen and a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide.
The hydrogen will be used as a fuel for electricity generation in turbines, fuel cells or hybrid combinations of these technologies. The captured carbon dioxide will be separated from the hydrogen and permanently sequestered in deep, unmineable coal seams, deep saline aquifers or other geologic formations. Carbon sequestration activities will be monitored over time to assess their effectiveness and potential applicability in various settings around the globe.
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