Model of 1 MWe Post Combustion CO2 Capture Pilot Plant at Aberthaw Power StationIn order to meet the needs of energy consumers in the UK and to provide diversity of supply, coal-fired electricity generation is likely to be part of the future energy mix.

Currently, when coal 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. The favoured location for storage is rock formations deep underground in depleted gas and oil fields under the North sea. A study of possible storage options and sites will need to be carried out to find the best solution.

Lower Carbon Dioxide Generation

RWE npower is commited to working towards a future of lower carbon dioxide energy generation. We are at the forefront of investing in low carbon technologies including Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) in the UK, investing millions of pounds every year.

More detailed project information

Combustion Test Facility Amine Process

There exist two technological pathways to implement CO₂ capture for retrofit or new build pulverised coal plants. Oxyfuel combustion and post-combustion adopt different approaches to CO₂ capture and RWE npower is investigating both. In oxyfuel combuston, the fuel is burnt using oxygen instead of air to produce a highly concentrated CO₂ flue gas which can be directly compressed in preparation for storage. In post-combustion CO₂ capture, relatively low concentration CO₂ is chemically separated from the remaining flue gases.

RWE npower is evaluating both post-combustion CO₂ capture and oxyfuel firing at its Combustion Test Facility (CTF) at its Didcot power station located in England - UK.

The Combustion Test Facility Amine Process is rated at 0.1MWe and removes approximately 1 tonne of CO₂ per day. The absorber tower stands 8m tall and is 300mm in diameter. The desorber dimensions are similar to the absorber tower. The process is fully operational; tests have demonstrated greater than 90% CO₂ removal from the flue gas. RWE npower is the first company in the UK to demonstrate the capture of CO₂ from a replicated power station flue gas.

The CTF has also been modified to replicate oxyfuel combustion. Our oxyfuel programme will allow RWE npower to develop knowledge of the safety, operational and fuel options for the oxyfuel process. The plant will be used to test a range of process parameters in order to gain essential understanding of the technology.

RWE npower is also involved in a number of research programmes funded in part by UK Government or the EC, looking at a range of CO₂ capture and storage issues. For example, the CESAR project aims to increase the efficiency and reduce the costs of post-combustion capture, whilst the ECCO project aims to overcome the barriers to the storage of CO₂ by developing models for petroleum reservoirs and deep saline aquifers.

RWE npower plans to construct the first pilot facility in the UK processing flue gas from an operating coal-fired power station. The plant will be located at the Aberthaw site in South Wales. It will be used to assess crucial aspects of post-combustion capture technology that require greater understanding; many of the issues require extended periods of operation on a larger-scale facility before the technology is applied at full scale.

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