PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis., Feb 27, 2008 -- BUSINESS WIRE
The first pilot project that uses chilled ammonia to capture carbon dioxide
(CO2) from coal-fueled power plants is expected to commence operation this
week, according to an announcement today from Alstom, the Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI) and We Energies.
Alstom designed, constructed and will operate the 1.7-megawatt system that
captures CO2 from a portion of coal-fired boiler flue gas at We Energies'
Pleasant Prairie Power Plant, a 1,210-megawatt coal-fired generating
station, should begin operations the first week of March. Alstom's process
uses chilled ammonia to capture CO2 and isolates it in a highly
concentrated, high-pressure form. In laboratory testing it has demonstrated
the potential to capture more than 90 percent of CO2 at a cost that is far
less than other carbon capture technologies. Once captured, the CO2 can be
used commercially or sequestered in suitable underground geologic sites.
"This pilot is a significant milestone in our ongoing partnership with We
Energies and EPRI," said Jean-Michel Aubertin, Senior Vice President of
Alstom's Energy and Environment Systems Group. "We Energies' operational
expertise and EPRI's financial and research collaboration support are
perfect complements to Alstom's leadership in CO2 capture research and
development. This plant will provide invaluable information in leading to
commercialization of CO2 capture technology."
The demonstration project will provide the opportunity to test the process
on a larger scale and to evaluate its potential to remove CO2 while reducing
the energy used in the process.
Gale Klappa, chairman, president and CEO of Wisconsin Energy, the parent
company of We Energies, called the pilot project a "critical step" in the
research and development of this process. "Developing cost-effective carbon
capture technology is one of the most important environmental challenges
facing the utility industry in the 21st century," said Klappa, "and it's
important that we take steps now to achieve a long-term technology
solution."
EPRI will conduct an engineering and environmental performance and cost
analysis during the project, which will last at least one year. Through
EPRI's collaborative research and development program, more than 30
organizations representing a large portion of the coal-fueled utilities in
the United States have committed to support this project.
"We are very proud of the partnership with We Energies, Alstom and 35 other
companies who worked together to advance this technology," said EPRI Senior
Vice President Henry A. Courtright. "EPRI's R&D model is built on the idea
that we can best achieve technological progress through collaboration. This
is especially true in carbon capture, and other generating and efficiency
technologies that must be part of our industry's climate strategy."
EPRI will conduct an extensive evaluation of the system's performance and
support the development of technological and economic analyses associated
with applying the carbon-capture process on a commercial scale, primarily to
larger coal-fueled power plants.
About ALSTOM
Alstom (http://www.alstom.com) is a global leader in the world of power
generation and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and
environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and
the highest capacity automated metro in the world, and provides turnkey
integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety
of energy sources, including hydro, gas, coal and wind. About 25 percent of
the world's electricity produced is generated by Alstom technology. The
Group employs 65,000 people in 70 countries, and had orders of euro 19
billion in 2006-07. The Pleasant Prairie facility is one of six ALSTOM pilot
projects already under way in Germany, the U.S., Norway, Sweden and France.
Other projects are being studied and will be announced later this year.
About We Energies
We Energies serves more than 1.1 million electric customers in Wisconsin and
Michigan's Upper Peninsula and more than 1 million natural gas customers in
Wisconsin. Our energy prices are approximately 10 percent below the average
for major U.S. cities. We Energies is the trade name of Wisconsin Electric
Power Company and Wisconsin Gas LLC, the principal utility subsidiaries of
Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC). Visit the We Energies Web site at
www.we-energies.com. Learn more about Wisconsin Energy Corporation by
visiting www.wisconsinenergy.com.
About EPRI
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research
and development on technology, operations and the environment for the global
electric power sector. EPRI is an independent nonprofit organization. EPRI
brings together members, the institute's scientists and engineers, along
with other stakeholders to meet the challenges facing the electric sector.
EPRI supports multi-disciplined research. EPRI's members represent more than
90 percent of the electricity generated in the United States, and
international participation includes 40 countries. EPRI has major offices
and laboratories in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.,
and Lenox, Mass.
SOURCE: Electric Power Research Institute
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