Plant in the frame as firm goes for coal
SOUTH east Northumberland could become the base for a pioneering bid to produce almost emission-free electricity from coal without having to mine it first.
The project, if successful in a carbon capture and storage demonstration competition being run by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, would spark a dramatic upturn in the fortunes of the UK coal industry.
It would also transform coal from the dirtiest fossil fuel to the cleanest.
Rio Tinto Alcan's Lynemouth plant has been announced as a potential site for the cutting-edge technology being developed by B9 Coal.
The UK-based company says the 500-megawatt project would transform coal production from being a heavy-carbon industry to a low-carbon one, showing a way forward for the supply of cleaner energy.
The B9 technology would turn solid coal into a mixture of gases called 'syngas' by passing hot air through it.
The process does not involve burning coal and takes place underground, doing away with the need for mining.
The syngas – consisting of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen – is then processed, and the hydrogen extracted and used to power fuel cells, providing emission-free electricity. Carbon dioxide produced by the process would be stored without being released into the atmosphere.
"The north east's industrial background made it the perfect location for our ground-breaking project," said B9 Coal director Alisa Murphy.
"It will bring huge attention to the area, as well as creating a wealth of jobs and future opportunities," said B9 director Alisa Murphy.
"At a time when the government is expressing a desire to show global leadership on carbon capture and storage (CCS), we are offering a project that has the potential to become a world-leading template.
"Our combination of technologies is truly game-changing and offers CCS without inflated cost or loss of efficiency."
B9 Coal is bringing together a consortium of major corporations including the WSP Group, AFC Energy and Linc Energy to develop a project it says will put the UK at the forefront of CCS technology.
Neil Crumpton, a UK energy specialist working for the Bellona Foundation environmental group, said: "The B9 project is revolutionary and undoubtedly world-leading.
"An early successful demonstration at scale of AFC Energy's remarkable fuel cell and underground gasification with CCS would open up several strategic-scale opportunities to the UK in terms of variable power generation, energy security, climate policy and UK manufacturing jobs.
"As this project proposal becomes more widely noticed, power generators around the world, and even some governments, will start watching closely to see how the UK government responds to this unique and huge opportunity."
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Monday 21 May 2012
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