The Department of Energy commits US$1 billion in Recovery Act funding to FutureGen

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that it has formally committed US$1 billion in Recovery Act funding to build the FutureGen clean coal project.

A statement on the DOE’s website says that it has signed new agreements with the FutureGen Industrial Alliance and Ameren Energy Resources. They will now work to select an Illinois host community for the carbon storage site, as well as a geologic sequestration research complex and a craft labour training centre.

It is hoped that the FutureGen project will help to position the US as a leader in innovative technologies for reducing carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants, as well as bring around 900 jobs to Illinois and a further 1000 to suppliers across the state.

Energy secretary Steven Chu said in the statement: “Today's milestone will help ensure the US remains competitive in a carbon constrained economy, creating jobs while reducing greenhouse gas pollution.”

Ameren Energy Resources, Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), and Air Liquide Process & Construction Inc. are leading the project to repower Ameren’s 200 MW Unit 4 in Meredosia, Illinois, with advanced oxy-combustion technology. The plant’s new boiler, air separation unit, CO₂ purification and compression unit will deliver 90% CO₂ capture and eliminate most SOx, NOx, mercury and particulate emissions.

The FutureGen Industrial Alliance and the Ameren, B&W, and Air Liquide team are developing a technical cooperation agreement to ensure coordination among each element in FutureGen 2.0 and to provide the foundation for rapid commercial deployment for the technology once this facility is operational. 

The Alliance will also build a CO₂ pipeline network from Meredosia to the sequestration site. The pipeline and storage site will transport and store more than 1 million tpa of captured CO₂. The pipeline network, along with the storage site, which will be selected in early 2011, will help to lay the foundation for a regional CO₂ network. The Illinois storage site will be used to research site characterisation, injection and storage, as well as CO₂ monitoring and measurement.

US Senator Dick Durbin said: “If there was any remaining question as to whether FutureGen is really coming to Illinois, today we have the answer.”

The DOE’s announcement had been anticipated, as it needed to commit the US$1 billion in Recovery Act funding before 30 September 2010.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/30092010/doe_commits_us$1_billion_to_futuregen_project/