- Co-operation has been agreed – commercial application from 2020
90 per cent of CO2 to be removed from combustion gas
RWE Power, BASF and The Linde Group have agreed on the development of new processes for CO2 capture from combustion gases in coal-fired power plants today. The co-operation will comprise the construction and operation of a pilot facility at the lignite-fired power plant of RWE Power AG in Niederaussem to test new developments and solvents from BASF for the capture of CO2 – so-called CO2 scrubbing. Linde will be responsible for the engineering and the construction of the pilot facility.
“We are accepting the challenges of climate protection and want to be proactive in pushing all the available options for the reduction and avoidance of CO2. We are confident that, together with our partners, we will soon be developing the process of CO2 capture to commercial maturity so that this technology can be deployed in new and existing modern coal-fired power plants in the future,” said Dr. Johannes Lambertz, Board member of RWE Power with responsibility for fossil- fuelled power plants. “BASF conducts worldwide research on products to conserve resources and energy. By entering into this collaboration with RWE Power and Linde, we are contributing our wide-ranging expertise in CO2 capture technology. Our research is seeking to find a suitable solvent for the efficient capture of CO2,” said Dr. Stefan Marcinowski, research representative and Board member of BASF. “This promising co-operation of three responsible major companies can provide an important impetus to climate protection,” said Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the Executive Board of Linde AG. “It is the aim of the Linde Group to help reduce emissions wherever possible. Our activities include continuous efficiency improvements of our plant designs for the benefit of our customers, CO2 capture methods as well as expedient recycling systems and the production of environmentally friendly alternative fuels.”
The purpose of the planned pilot facility is the long-term testing of new solvents with a view to gaining an understanding of processes and plant engineering to improve CO2 capture technology. The goal is to apply CO2 capture commercially in lignite-fired power plants by 2020. The new technology should enable us to remove more than 90 per cent of CO2 from the combustion gas of a power plant and then subsequently to store this gas underground. Once we have successfully completed our pilot tests, we will decide on a subsequent demonstration plant in 2010. This will be designed to provide a reliable basis for the commercialisation of the new process. RWE Power has earmarked a budget of approximately EUR 80 million for the development project, including the construction and operation of the pilot facility and demonstration plant.
“There is agreement among experts,” says Lambertz, “that coal will continue to be an important pillar in the global energy supply for decades to come. This is why we have set up a long-range CO2 avoidance strategy: we are building the most efficient coal-fired power plants in the world, and we are developing a new generation of power plants for tomorrow, with an efficiency of over 50 per cent. We are already designing all our modern coal-fired power plants so that they can eventually be equipped with the CO2 capture technology that is currently being developed with BASF and Linde. The aim must be to set up not only highly modern plants from 2020, but also virtually carbon-neutral coal-fired power plants including storage.”
Apart from the so-called CO2-scrubbing method, RWE Power is also developing the first carbon-neutral coal-fired power plant with CO2 transport and storage, based on the integrated gasification combined-cycle process (IGCC). This large-scale 450-MW plant is due to come on stream in 2014, although no decision has yet been taken as to where it should be located. With a view to climate protection, RWE Power has also decided to expand renewable energies throughout Europe, with the focus on generating electric power from water, wind and biomass.
RWE and BASF have been involved in the CASTOR project since early 2004, a research project that is sponsored by the European Union (EU) and which seeks to find methods to remove CO2 from combustion gases and to store it. The project is also supported by a number of prestigious European universities, research institutions, public authorities and industrial enterprises, including several renowned power plant operators, oil and gas companies and plant manufacturers.
RWE Power is the largest German electricity producer responsible for the Group's generation of electric power in Germany as well as in Central/Eastern Europe. RWE Power uses a wide range of energy sources: lignite from open-cast mines in the Rhineland and nuclear energy for the base load, as well as hard coal, gas and renewable energies such as water, wind and biomass for medium and peak loads. RWE Power and its subsidiaries employ a workforce of over 17,000, both in Germany and abroad.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all industries, BASF’s high-value products and intelligent system solutions help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to meet the challenges of the future and open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. BASF has approximately 95,000 employees and posted sales of €52.6 billion in 2006. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
The Linde Group is a world leader in industrial gases, medical gases and engineering, with a workforce of around 49,000 in more than 70 countries worldwide. Following the acquisition of The BOC Group plc, the company’s sale of gases and engineering sales is approx. € 12 billion p.a. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. For further details, visit The Linde Group at www.linde.com.
RWE Power
Lothar Lambertz
Tel. +49(0)201 - 1223984
BASF
Financial press:
Ingrid Nienaber
Tel. +49(0)621 - 6099123
Trade press:
Klaus-Peter Rieser
Tel. +49(0)621 - 6095138
The Linde Group
Stefan Metz
Tel. +49(0)89 - 357571322
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