WASHINGTON, Feb 23, 2006 /PRNewswire

 

The FutureGen Industrial Alliance today announced that Anglo American has joined the non-profit consortium of global electric utilities and coal companies working with the U.S. Department of Energy to site and develop FutureGen, the world's cleanest coal-fueled power plant.

Anglo becomes the ninth member of the Alliance, which is facilitating design, construction and operation of the first "zero-emissions" coal-fueled power plant and hydrogen production facility with integrated carbon capture and sequestration.

"Anglo American's participation adds to the Alliance's expertise and demonstrates growing international cooperation to meet long-term global energy challenges through clean energy from coal," said FutureGen Alliance Chairman Dr. Charles Goodman, Senior Vice President of Generation Policy for Southern Company. "FutureGen is continuing a steady march toward development with a powerhouse coalition of global energy partners spanning five continents."

Anglo American is one of the world's largest mining and natural resource groups. Anglo American is a global leader in platinum group metals, gold and diamonds, with significant interests in coal, base and ferrous metals, industrial minerals and paper and packaging. The group has operations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South and North America.

"We are very excited to join the FutureGen Industrial Alliance," said Tony Trahar, CEO of Anglo American. "Our participation is complementary to our existing projects in China and Monash Energy in Australia, and represents a further step in our commitment to participating in the development of clean coal technologies that ensure that coal remains an important and sustainable energy source for the future."

A siting process to select a host site for FutureGen in the United States is under way, and an aggressive schedule calls for beginning construction in three years with the plant operational by 2012. The project will be supported by ongoing coal research programs, which will be major source of technology for the prototype plant.

The FutureGen partners are contributing up to $250 million to help fund project development and include: American Electric Power; BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng Group; CONSOL Energy Inc.; Foundation Coal; Kennecott Energy; Peabody Energy and Southern Company. The U.S. government would invest $700 million.

The FutureGen Alliance member companies provide energy to tens of millions of U.S. and international residential, business and industrial customers. Member companies have global operations serving customers in Asia, Australia, Canada, Continental Europe, the People's Republic of China, South Africa and the United States, among other regions.

SOURCE FutureGen Industrial Alliance

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