Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

Modules being assembled on site at Aberthaw during summer 2011. In order to meet the needs of energy consumers in the UK and to provide diversity of supply, coal and gas-fired generation is likely to be part of the future energy mix. Currently, when coal or gas is burnt to produce electricity, carbon dioxide is produced and released into the atmosphere. The Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) process separates the carbon dioxide from the flue gases produced during combustion and captures it in a form that allows it to be stored elsewhere.

RWE is actively engaged in assessing the technology and commercial risks and benefits of CO₂ capture from coal-fired plant. As part of RWE’s group-wide strategy RWE npower are investing millions of pounds in the construction and operation of a pilot carbon capture facility in the UK at Aberthaw Power Station in South Wales. This post-combustion process will capture 50t CO₂ per day, which is equivalent to the emissions from 3MW of Aberthaw’s 1.5GW capacity. Construction will be completed early in 2012, and, after a period of commissioning, a two-year test programme will begin.

The carbon capture test programme at Aberthaw will further our understanding of the effectiveness, reliability and costs of post-combustion carbon dioxide capture technology. It will also enable us to begin to understand the operations and maintenance implications for this technology and the associated integration issues. This is a joint project being undertaken between Cansolv Technologies Incorporated (CTI) and RWE npower.

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