Powerspan and the U.S. Department of Energy Team Up to Develop CO2 Removal Technology for Power Plants

POWERSPAN LOGO Powerspan logo. (PRNewsFoto)[JL] NEW DURHAM, NH USA 06/05/2001

    NEW DURHAM, N.H., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Powerspan Corp., a clean energy
technology company, and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy
Technology Laboratory (NETL) have entered into a cooperative research and
development agreement (CRADA) to develop a cost effective carbon dioxide (CO2)
removal process for coal-based power plants.  The regenerative process uses an
ammonia solution to capture CO2 in flue gas and release it for subsequent
sequestration; after regeneration the ammonia solution is recycled.  The CO2
removal process is expected to be readily integrated with Powerspan's multi-
pollutant control technology, called Electro-Catalytic Oxidation (ECO), which
uses aqueous ammonia to absorb high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides,
and mercury.  The scope of the three-year CRADA includes laboratory testing,
pilot testing, and detailed studies of the CO2 capture process economics.
    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000531/POWERLOGO)
    Powerspan has conducted initial laboratory testing of the subject CO2
absorption process, which demonstrated 90 percent CO2 removal under conditions
comparable to a commercial-scale absorber.  These test results confirm those
previously obtained by the Department of Energy under similar conditions.
Further testing at both the Department of Energy and Powerspan under this
CRADA will be conducted to fully characterize the process capability and to
optimize process efficiency.  The three-year agreement is expected to
culminate in a pilot test on an actual power plant that would confirm process
design and cost estimates.  Initial cost estimates indicate that the aqueous
ammonia process would cost less than half of the best CO2 capture technologies
currently available for use on coal-fired power plants.
    "The National Energy Technology Laboratory is proud of this cooperative
venture with Powerspan.  This CO2 absorption process was initiated in our lab.
It is appropriate to use the best of the Department's and commercial
industry's scientific resources on a technology that will address greenhouse
gas issues associated with fossil-fuel based energy production," said Rita
Bajura, NETL's Director.
    "Although CO2 emissions are not currently regulated, power companies are
searching for a CO2 removal technology that could preserve the value of their
coal-fired generating fleets in a carbon constrained environment.  A CO2
removal process that could be cost effectively retrofitted on existing air
pollution control equipment - such as would be possible with this new CO2
removal process and ECO - would provide the power company with a valuable
hedge against future regulatory risk," said Frank Alix, Powerspan chairman and
CEO.
    Ms. Bajura added, "The objectives of this project are tightly aligned with
our mission to develop comprehensive solutions to secure America's future
energy needs and mitigate potential environmental problems."
    Powerspan's ECO technology removes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides,
mercury, and fine particulate matter from the flue gas of coal-fired power
plants.  The technology has successfully completed pilot testing and is now
being commercially demonstrated in a 50-megawatt installation in southeastern
Ohio.
    Powerspan Corp., a clean-energy technology company based in New Durham,
N.H., is engaged in the development and commercialization of proprietary
multi-pollutant control technology for the electric power industry.  Visit
http://www.powerspan.com for more information.