Powerspan has been developing a CO2 capture process, called ECO2 (R), since 2004 in conjunction with the U. S. DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under a cooperative research and development agreement. In December 2007 Powerspan announced it exclusively licensed a patent for the process from NETL. The ECO2 process is a post-combustion, regenerative process, which uses an ammonia-based solution to capture CO2 from the flue gas of a power plant and release it in a form that is ready for further compression, safe transportation, and geological storage. The technology is suitable for retrofit to the existing coal-based, electric generating fleet as well as for new coal-based plants. The CO2 capture takes place after the sulfur dioxide and fine particulate matter are captured. Once the CO2 is captured, the ammonia-based solution is regenerated to release CO2 and ammonia. The ammonia is recovered and sent back to the scrubbing process, and the CO2 is in a form that is ready for geological storage. Ammonia is not consumed in the scrubbing process, and no separate by-product is created. Powerspan has conducted extensive laboratory testing to establish the effectiveness of the process for CO2 capture and has initiated a pilot test program with FirstEnergy at the R.E. Burger Plant. A 1-MW pilot demonstration is scheduled to begin in 2008, which will produce approximately 20 tons of sequestration ready CO2 per day. The pilot will demonstrate CO2 capture through integration with the ECO (R) multi-pollutant control process. The pilot program will also prepare the technology for commercial scale (120-MW) CCS demonstration projects planned with NRG Energy for the WA Parish plant and with Basin Electric Power Cooperative for the Antelope Valley Station. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
