generation technologies

Coal Power’s Future
BEYONd INTEGRATEd GASIFICATION COmBINEd CYClE By mike mudd
Although the United States
has more than 250 years of coal reserves, it’s
becoming increasingly difficult to use that coal
to generate electricity. Compliance with new air
regulations will require an estimated $52 billion
investment on the current coal-fueled generation
fleet and the potential closure of smaller,
older coal-fueled power plants over the next two
decades. Companies also are facing increasing
pressure to address growing concentrations of
greenhouse gas emissions and their potential
impact on the world climate. Carbon capture
from the current coal-fueled generation fleet
would be prohibitively costly and significantly
reduce the power plant output.
At the same time, the United States is
becoming increasingly dependent on imported
energy sources to meet ever-growing
demands. Beyond the nation’s dependence on
foreign oil reserves, it is relying more and more
on natural gas imports as demand outgrows
domestic reserves.
If the United States is going to reduce its
dependence on energy imports and continue
taking advantage of coal, the country’s most
abundant domestic energy source, to fuel our
economy, it must redesign coal-fueled generation
to allow use of coal reserves with little,
if any, environmental impact.
The FutureGen Prototype
The FutureGen project is designed to shape
the future of coal-based energy generation.
Building on decades of collaborative research
and development between industry and the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), FutureGen
will bring the best technologies together to
create the world’s first near-zero emissions
electricity and hydrogen production facility
using coal by 2012.
The project will advance state-of-theart
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
(IGCC) technology to generate electricity
and produce hydrogen to power fuel cells for
transportation and other energy needs. The
technology also will integrate carbon capture
50 EnErgyBiz magazinE November/December 2005
and geologic sequestration to address concerns
about climate change.
The Team
Seven of the largest electric utilities and coal
producers in the United States have created
the FutureGen Industrial Alliance to partner
with DOE in an effort to design, construct and
operate FutureGen, a nominal 275-megawatt
prototype plant. The partners will contribute
approximately $250 million of the $950 million
project costs and provide technical expertise
and guidance. Battelle Memorial Institute, one
of the world’s foremost research and development
institutions, was instrumental in establishing
the Alliance and will lend its expertise in
the implementation of the project.
Current Alliance partners include American
Electric Power, BHP Billiton, CONSOL Energy,
Inc., Foundation Coal Corp., Kennecott Energy
Co., Peabody Energy, and Southern Company.
However, because of the global interest in
using coal to meet energy demands with an
enhanced environmental profile, the Alliance
is open to other U.S. and international
companies. For example, China Huaneng
Group, a large, coal-fueled power generator in
the People’s Republic of China, has expressed
interest in joining the Alliance.
“Tricked-Out” IGCC
The principal components of FutureGen
– coal gasification, electricity generation,
hydrogen production, near-zero emissions
and carbon capture – are all technically
feasible, but have not been integrated or
proven economic in an integrated system. The
goal of FutureGen is to take these technologies
to the next level – to demonstrate them
in an integrated power plant and determine
their real costs and operational capabilities.
Coal-gasification is a proven technology
that has been used for decades by the
chemical industry and, in more limited applications,
for power production. Gasification
converts the coal’s carbon to a synthesis gas
composed primarily of hydrogen and carbon
monoxide. The synthesis gas can react with
steam to produce additional hydrogen and a
concentrated stream of carbon dioxide.
FutureGen will use next-generation
gasification technology that involves more
advanced designs for the gasifier, fuel-feed
systems, gas clean-up systems and oxygen
production systems. It will also have a mechanism
to test other more advanced technologies
in a slip-stream.
The hydrogen produced at FutureGen will be
used as a clean fuel for electricity generation
in turbines, fuel cells or hybrid combinations
of these technologies. The carbon dioxide will
be separated from the hydrogen, captured and
permanently sequestered in deep unminable
coal seams, deep saline aquifers or other
geologic formations. Carbon sequestration
activities will be monitored over time to assess
their effectiveness and potential applicability
in various settings around the globe.
Critical Overhaul
With its $950 million price tag and
aggressive target operation date of 2012,
the 275-megawatt FutureGen plant won’t
be inexpensive or easy, but it is essential to
ensure that the United States continues to
support the country’s energy appetite with
abundant domestic coal resources. That’s
why both industry and government are willing
to provide the funds and expertise to make
FutureGen a reality.
FutureGen provides the opportunity for
the best minds in industry and government
to take the fleet of coal-based power plant
technology that is used today to the next
level — even more efficient, affordable and
near-zero emission coal-fueled plants to
serve generations to come.
Mike Mudd is acting chief executive
officer, FutureGen Alliance, and program
manager, technology development,
American Electric Power.