Dow to construct CO2 capture plant on coal-fired boiler

Carbon capture studies

EPRI to study methods to retrofit carbon capture to existing power plants ; and

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) discusses carbon capture research .

South Charleston, WV – Dow Chemical Company and Alstom are cooperating on a project to design and build a pilot plant to capture carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the flue gas of a coal-fired boiler at the Dow-owned facility. Alstom will design, construct and operate the pilot plant, which is expected to capture approximately 1,800 tons per year of CO 2 from flue gas using advanced amine technology. Dow will provide the site and utilities, as well as the chemicals and its amine technology expertise for this project. The pilot plant is expected to be operational by third-quarter 2009.

R&D on carbon sequestration, learn more

Calling it a “groundbreaking project in CO 2 capture,” Janet Giesselman, president and general manager of Dow Oil & Gas , says “This technology has immense potential—for the local community, industry, environment and our business. Developing advanced amine technology will provide sustainable energy solutions now and into the future.”

Philippe Joubert, president of Alstom Power, adds, “Coal, which represents over two-thirds of the world’s power generation, is and will continue to be an essential part of the world’s energy mix. But only by reducing its CO 2 output can coal remain a viable source of power generation.”

All the coal used in the pilot will be sourced locally in West Virginia. By constructing a facility capable of capturing CO 2 , Alstom and Dow hope to assure that coal remains an important and sustainable part of the United States’ energy security.

This project is an important element of Dow’s 2015 sustainability goals , according to Dow’s VP of sustainability, Neil Hawkins. “Dow is committed to providing solutions that improve energy efficiency, promote renewable energy, improve the environmental performance of our existing energy sources, and enable carbon capture and sequestration,” he adds.

In 2008, Dow and Alstom entered into a Joint Development Agreement to develop advanced amine technology for CO 2 capture. Currently, Alstom is working with Dow to develop a commercial offering of an advanced amine-based scrubbing technology for industrial sources that produce exhaust or flue gases containing CO 2 and high levels of oxygen. The new process will significantly reduce the amount of energy required for

In 2007 and 2008, Alstom announced agreements with AEP, Statoil, Vattenfall, E.ON, and PGE Elektrownia to test CO 2 capture technologies in the U.S. and Europe. To date, Alstom has started operation at three

Control Engineering covers sustainability technologies and trends. Search in the Zibb box on the top of this page, and subscribe to the eNewsletter using the link below.

Also see: Senators introduce industrial revitalization bill .

–Peter Welander, process industries editor Control Engineering news desk Register here and scroll down to select your choice of eNewsletters free .

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.