The Babcock & Wilcox Company and American Electric Power to Demonstrate New Clean Coal Technology for Capture of CO2 Emissions
15 März 2007 - 1:50PM
Business Wire
The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W), a unit of McDermott
International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR), and American Electric Power (AEP)
announced plans to pursue the commercial viability of a new
combustion technology to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
emissions from coal-fired power plants. Under the terms of a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement, the companies will
assess the application of oxy-coal combustion as a retrofit to an
existing AEP plant, and work toward the development of the first
oxy-coal commercial validation project in the United States.
Oxy-coal combustion uses pure oxygen for the combustion of coal in
electricity generating plants. In this system, nitrogen that comes
in with the air for the combustion process is eliminated. As a
result, the exhaust gas is a relatively pure stream of CO2 that is
ready for capture and sequestration or alternate uses such as
enhanced oil recovery. Use of this technology is expected to result
in near-zero emissions from coal-fired electric-generating
facilities. B&W has established a collaboration agreement with
American Air Liquide, Inc. for the continued development of the
technology. During the summer of 2007, B&W will complete a
pilot demonstration of the oxy-coal combustion technology at its
Clean Environment Development Facility (CEDF) in Alliance, Ohio.
The CEDF is a 30MWth combustion testing facility that simulates key
operating characteristics of a modern, commercial fossil fuel-fired
power plant and includes a pulverized coal feed system, furnace and
convection pass, an air heater, dry and wet scrubbers, baghouses
and an electrostatic precipitator. AEP will be among the utility
participants in B&W�s Oxy-Coal Combustion Advisory Group in an
effort to help bring the potential users of the technology into the
development process. In addition, as part of the MOU, B&W and
AEP will evaluate and select the most suitable existing AEP plant
location for the commercial application of the oxy-coal combustion
technology. B&W will also provide unit performance and design
approximations for potential carbon capture uses, perform
preliminary site equipment layouts, prepare a detailed scope of
work, and develop schedule- and budget-price estimates. �B&W
and AEP have a long history of working together to advance the
technology of electric power generation,� said Brandon C. Bethards,
president, B&W Fossil Power Group. �We expect that this study
will bring us even closer to identifying a viable carbon-reduction
solution for coal-firing power plants � one that is both economical
and environmentally sound.� The feasibility study is scheduled for
completion in the second quarter of 2008. In addition to the work
under the MOU with AEP, B&W�s Canadian subsidiary, B&W
Canada, is working with a major Canadian utility to develop a
supercritical pressure, pulverized coal-fired boiler and to assess
the feasibility of proceeding to the construction phase on a new,
near-zero-emissions, 300MW power station using the oxy-coal
combustion technology. In that unit, recovered CO2 would be sold
for enhanced oil recovery operations and eventually sequestrated
underground in stable geologic formations. Present in 72 countries,
Air Liquide provides industrial and medical gases and related
services and offers innovative solutions based on constantly
enhanced technologies. These solutions, which are consistent with
Air Liquide�s commitment to sustainable development, help to
protect life and enable customers to manufacture many indispensable
everyday products. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris stock
exchange and is a component of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices
(ISIN code FR 0000120073). American Air Liquide Inc. is Air
Liquide�s U.S.-based research and development company. For more
information, visit www.airliquide.com. American Electric Power is
one of the largest electric utilities in the United States,
delivering electricity to more than five million customers in 11
states. AEP ranks among the nation�s largest generators of
electricity, owning nearly 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity
in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation�s largest electricity
transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes
more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all
other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP�s utility units
operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and
West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana
Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma,
and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and
east Texas). The company is based in Columbus, Ohio. The Babcock
& Wilcox Company is a subsidiary of McDermott International,
Inc., an engineering and construction company with specialty
manufacturing and service capabilities focused on energy
infrastructure. McDermott�s customers are predominantly utilities
and other power generators, major and national oil companies, and
the United States Government. The Babcock & Wilcox Company is
located on the Internet at www.babcock.com.
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