Energy Secretary Abraham Announces Pollution-Free Power Plant of the Future; U.S. to Take Lead on Carbon Sequestration Forum

2/27/2003

From: Jill Vieth, 202-586-4940 or Drew Malcomb, 202-586-5806, both of the U.S. Department of Energy or Susan Povenmire of the U.S. Department of State, 202-647-3486

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky announced that the United States is taking the lead in forming an ambitious new international effort to advance carbon capture and storage technology as a way to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Speaking at the Energy Department, Abraham said the United States will lead a $1 billion, public-private effort to construct the world's first fossil fuel, pollution-free power plant. The plant, known as FutureGen, will serve as a "living prototype" of new carbon sequestration technologies and produce both electricity and hydrogen.

Carbon sequestration is a rapidly advancing area of study that has been singled out by President Bush as one of the most promising approaches for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It encompasses a variety of new methods for capturing carbon dioxide from the energy plant exhaust or extracting it directly from the atmosphere, then permanently isolating it.

"FutureGen will be one of the boldest steps our nation has taken toward a pollution-free energy future," Abraham said. "Knowledge from FutureGen will help turn coal from an environmentally challenging energy resource, into an environmentally benign one. The prototype power plant will serve as the test bed for demonstrating the best technologies the world has to offer."

Virtually every aspect of the prototype plant will be based on cutting-edge technology. The government will ask an industrial consortium to design a plant that will turn coal into a hydrogen-rich gas, rather than burning it directly.

The hydrogen would be extracted for use in powering a turbine or fuel cell to generate electricity, or it could also be used in a refinery to help upgrade petroleum products. The plant could also serve as the model for future hydrogen-production facilities that would produce fuel for President Bush's initiative to develop a new fleet of hydrogen-powered cars and trucks.

Common air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides would be cleaned from the coal gases and converted to useable byproducts such as fertilizers and soil enhancers. Mercury pollutants would also be removed. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, would be captured and sequestered in deep underground geologic formations.

In addition to the FutureGen announcement, Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky, outlined plans for creating the "Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum," which will hold its first meeting in Northern Virginia in June.

The Forum will bring together Ministerial-level representatives to discuss the growing body of scientific research and emerging technologies for sequestering or otherwise storing carbon dioxide. It could also provide an international venue for planning future, multilateral carbon sequestration projects.

"International cooperation is an important component of President Bush's climate change policy, and these initiatives offer a way to mobilize the global community, including governments and the private sector," said Under Secretary Dobriansky.

"The Forum is designed to build upon the leadership this Administration has demonstrated in climate change science and technology. Our vision is based on the belief that scientific and technological advances will help enhance our ability to meet our energy needs while reducing the environmental impact," added Under Secretary Dobriansky.

Secretary Abraham said the United States will use the opening meeting of the Forum to invite other nations to join the FutureGen initiative.

"We have made remarkable progress in the last few years in understanding the science of carbon capture and storage and in conducting projects that apply our knowledge in real-life applications," Secretary Abraham said. "Research, however, is still in its infancy and because sequestration will likely be essential in limiting global carbon emissions, we need a global effort that will marshal the talents and resources available from around the world. The Forum is a first step to achieve this."