US DOE, energy companies to build $1-bil coal-fired power plant

Washington (Platts)--6Dec2005

A group of international energy companies on Tuesday said it had signed a
cooperative agreement with the US Dept of Energy to develop and build in the
US by 2012 what would be the world's cleanest coal-fired power plant. 

     The FutureGen Industrial Alliance Inc said the plant, which will have a
target of zero emissions, be capable of producing hydrogen and be able to
sequester carbon emissions, could cost as much as $1-bil. The alliance said it
and DOE are hoping to announce a site selection process in 2006, begin
construction within three years and commence operations in 2012.

     The group said the FutureGen initiative is a multiple year project
comprised of several budget periods. The first budget period, which will end
Jan 31, 2007, and cost $10.2-mil, will focus on establishing the configuration
and cost of the facility and developing a short-list of potential sites. The
facility configuration and siting process will take into consideration a full
range of US coal types, the group said. 

     The alliance is a non-profit corporation that represents a global
coalition of the world's largest coal and energy companies. Members of the
alliance have committed more than $250-mil to help fund project development
and include American Electric Power; BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng Group;
Consol Energy Inc; Foundation Coal; Kennecott Energy, a member of the Rio
Tinto Group; Peabody Energy and Southern Company. The US government would
invest about $700-mil in the project.

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http://electricityalert.platts.com.

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