Carbon capture technology would not be ready for several years: panel
First-generation carbon capture and sequestration technology on a commercially-deployable scale is not likely to be available until 2020, and will be expensive but not insurmountable, according to a panel that addressed carbon capture Tuesday at Platts Coal Marketing Days conference in Pittsburgh.
"We're a long way from home on doing this on a widespread basis," said Steve Moorman, the business development manager for Babcock & Wilcox, a manufacturer of scrubbers and other emission control systems.
"Technologically, we can make it work, but can we do it a cost we can afford, especially with gas at $4(/MMBtu) that looks pretty hard to beat," Moorman said.
The topic Tuesday was given more weight in light of the US Environmental Protection Agency's announcement Friday that new coal-fired power plants will need to limit carbon dioxide emissions to 1,100 pounds per megawatt-hour of power produced.
According to Tom Sarkus, a director with the National Energy Technology Laboratory, carbon capture and storage technology will likely increase the cost of electricity by 30%, based on an average of estimates produced by industry and scientific groups.
Roughly 70% of the cost is the actual capture of the carbon dioxide, with another 14% in compression, and 12% in storage. Transportation of the CO2 makes up the remaining 4%.
Sarkus said the costs, while high, can be reduced as the technology is improved, but he warned that it will be years before such improvements make it to the market.
"It takes 15, 20, even 30 years to progress from an idea's conception to full-size demonstration technology," said Sarkus. "You can't really leap frog ... because power plants tend to be large facilities, often in baseload configurations, so will take 15 to 30 years to implement."
Another significant hurdle is the amount of power carbon capture technology uses, said Moorman.
He said in current configurations, such technology will consume roughly 30% of a plant's electricity output.
"Now you have to find a source to replace this energy, which is a significant cost that has to be considered," Moorman said.
Speaking prior to the panel, John Pippy, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, said the EPA's new source performance standards present a formidable challenge to coal producers.
"It's pretty tough on our industry, and a lot of us will be out there fighting," said Pippy.
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