Pilot plant for CO2 capture at Maasvlakte with E.ON Benelux
Rotterdam, 24 November 2006 - The power plant of E.ON Benelux at Maasvlakte (Rotterdam) will host a pilot plant for CO2 capture from the flue gasses of industrial plants. The project is part of CATO, a Dutch initiative to cluster and improve knowledge about reduction of CO2-emissions.
The objective of the pilot project with E.ON Benelux is the testing of new methods and techniques for CO2 capture under the realistic process conditions of a coal fired power plant. Also the reliability of models, that were developed in the TNO laboratory, can be tested.
‘Post-combustion capture’
The project at E.ON focuses on ‘post-combustion capture’, where CO2 is separated from the flue gasses of the plant using membranes or solvents (amines). The project is co-ordinated by TNO. , also the most important contributor of knowledge for the project. The institute hosts the laboratory tests that in 2007 and 2008 will be tested at E.ON on a larger scale.
For the project, TNO and E.ON Benelux will build a pilot plant next to the coal fired power plant of E.ON at Maasvlakte, that enables accurate performance measurement of the various capture techniques. The procedure for environmental and building permits has been started recently. The construction will probably start in the spring of 2007. A half year later the installation will be started. Several types of membranes and solvents will be tested, utilizing a small part of the flue gasses of the power plant.
CATO
In the CATO-program knowledge is developed that is necessary for a strong reduction of CO2 emissions related to fossil fuels, especially in power plants and large industrial processes. Apart from CO2 capture, there are projects that deal with storage and transportation of CO2. The complete program costs around € 25 million. Approximately one half is financed by the Dutch government (Ministry of Economic Affairs). Because of the involvement of a large number of partners, such as TNO, universities, the industry and environmental organizations, CATO is the most important Dutch initiative in the field of clean fossil fuel in the Netherlands.
E.ON
With global sales of € 56 billion and approximately 80.000 employees E.ON is the largest investor owned energy company in the world. The company has a leading position in innovation. This includes E.ON Benelux.
On the road to sustainable energy supply, the world can not do without energy from fossil sources. Therefore E.ON’s research activities focus on efficiency and environmental performance of existing power generation, as well as improving the development of renewables .
For E.ON Benelux, the CATO-project is important, because at this moment the company has well advanced plans for building a new coal fired power plant (MPP3) at the Maasvlakte. This plant will be designed CO2 capture ready. At this moment, the technology for the capture of CO2 is not yet available on an industrial scale.
In this context, on 31 October 2006 E.ON has announced a worldwide technology initiative. The objective of this program is to speed up the development of low carbon coal fired power plants and renewables, like wind and biogas.
In Germany, a demonstration project is planned for a coal fired power plant with efficiency above 50 percent. In separate projects new materials are being developed to deal with the higher temperatures and pressures of this new generation of power plants.
In addition to this commitment, E.ON is a partner in the FutureGen-project in the United States. The goal of this program is to put into operation a zero-emissions power plant as early as 2012.
In the United Kingdom E.ON will build a new power plant where the carbon emissions would be stored under the North Sea.