Alstom has made a further advance in its bid to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, through an agreement with Canada’s TransAlta to build a large scale CO2 capture and storage facility in Alberta.
The project will pilot Alstom’s chilled ammonia process, which both companies believe is one of the more promising and potentially lowest-cost solutions for CCS. TransAlta will retrofit the technology at one of its coal fired power plants near Edmonton to reduce CO2 emissions by 1 million tonnes/year.
Alstom has identified CCS as a key technology for development and has already signed agreements with several other companies, including AEP, Vattenfall, Statoil and E.ON to commercialise CCS.
The initial phase of the TransAlta project will cost EUR 7.5 million and will start this year. Subsequent phases are subject to partner and government funding, and are expected to culminate in 2012 when testing is expected to start.
“We think it is important to advance the science of CCS if Canada, and the world, are to effectively reduce CO2 emissions,” said Steve Snyder, president and CEO of TransAlta. “Over the long term, we believe CCS can be a source of competitive advantage for TransAlta and for Canada. These initial projects, however, are not commercially viable at this point, and will not proceed without industry and government partnerships.”
The initial phase will aim to advance and improve understanding of CO2 capture and storage technology. TransAlta has already begun working with the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE), part of the University of Calgary, to quantify the CO2 sequestration potential in the Wabamum area west of Edmonton.
“Our project with TransAlta is a key part of our objectives for the early deployment of the technology. We are aware of the favourable geological conditions in Alberta, Canada. That is why we have set this region as a priority for our development efforts,” said Philippe Joubert, Alstom executive vp and president of Alstom Power Systems.
