The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that it has restructred and reinstated the FutureGen program for developing carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology.
The Department issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to invest in multiple commercial-scale Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) or other clean coal power plants using CCS technology under the FutureGen program, from which the Bush Administration pulled support last February due to soaring costs.
Today’s solicitation is seeking multiple cost-shared projects to advance coal-based power generation technologies that capture and store the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2). The Department anticipates $290 million will be available for funding of selected projects through fiscal year (FY) 2009 and an additional $1.01 billion is expected to be available in subsequent years, subject to appropriations by Congress.
"The Department is committed to increasing the nation’s energy security and addressing CO2 emissions by ensuring coal, an abundant domestic resource, can be used to meet our growing energy demand in an environmentally responsible way," Under Secretary of Energy Bud Albright said.
The DOE announcement provides the evaluation criteria, terms and conditions of a model cooperative agreement, as well as cost-sharing required for public-private cooperation under the restructured FutureGen projects. Applications are due October 8, 2008 and the selection of projects is targeted for the end of calendar year 2008.
The restructured program aims to accelerate the near-term deployment of advanced "clean" coal technology by equipping new IGCC or other commercial power plants with CCS technology. By funding multiple projects DOE expects at least to double the amount of CO2 sequestered compared to the amount under the concept announced in 2003, which focused more spending on fewer projects.
Subject to compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the FOA envisions commercial operation of IGCC or other "clean" coal power plants equipped with CCS technology to begin as soon as the plants are commissioned by the end of 2015.
The FutureGen goal is 90% capture of carbon content in the syngas or flue gas. Projects must also remove at least 90% of the mercury emissions based on mercury content of the coal, and reduce sulfur, nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions to very low levels.
To ensure safe and permanent sequestration, DOE also includes in the FOA monitoring and verification performance requirements for FutureGen projects, including quantifying and assessing CO2 capture, transport, and storage during a 3-5 year demonstration of at least one million metric tons of CO2 injected per year in a saline formation; monitoring and reporting to DOE the plumes of injected CO2 for a minimum of two years after cessation of the injection demonstration; and developing information necessary to estimate costs of future CO2 management systems.
In related news, James Hansen, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told Congress on Monday that world leaders have only one or two years to act, before the Earth reaches a "tipping point" with major consequences to the global climate and species survival, according to a Reuters article.
"We have reached an emergency situation," Hansen said.
Hansen first warned Congress of the impending dangers of climage changes 20 years ago.
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