GE Energy, Bechtel Overseas Power Corp. and TransCanada Corporation have signed an agreement to develop the first polygeneration facility in Canada. The plant will use petroleum coke as feedstock and will incorporate carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
The proposed plant will produce hydrogen, nitrogen, steam and carbon dioxide for fertiliser production and enhanced oil recovery (EOR), as well as 300 MW of electricity. The facility is expected to enter commercial operation in 2013 if the project is deemed to be commercially viable and all the necessary consents are obtained.
The facility will use GE Energy’s gasification and flexible-fuel technology, including two Frame 7FB gas turbines designed to run on syngas with a high hydrogen content. It will be located in Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, Canada.
“GE’s gasification technology has the capability to capture carbon for use in processes such as EOR, which will help Saskatchewan meet its greenhouse gas targets,” said John Lavelle, General Manager of GE Energy’s gasification business. “The project plans to sequester over five million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually to increase local oil production, resulting in a drastic decrease of carbon emissions. In addition, gasification allows the project owners to use a byproduct of the refining industry for fuel, instead of natural gas.”
GE and Bechtel have completed the preliminary engineering step and will advance to the next phase in 2008. The detailed engineering design phase will then follow before construction begins.
