£20m for carbon capture projects
17 Sep 2013
The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) yesterday announced a £20 million funding scheme to help advance the development of carbon capture technologies.
The ETI’s request for proposals (RfP) is designed to support those organisations whose carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies could be installed at a number of gas-fired power stations across the UK.
Last year the ETI launched an initial Inventys-led project to develop its advanced carbon capture technology for gas-fired power stations, constructing and testing a 5MW carbon capture demonstration plant capable of capturing up to 95% of CO2 emissions.
This latest RfP is a continuation of the original 5MW project and offers organisations a chance to showcase the potential of their CCS technologies to an ETI assessment team and its partners.
An ETI spokesperson told Process Engineering that of the proposals submitted, a single “winner” will be selected to help advance CCS development within the UK.
It is important for there to be investment in a range of technologies in any future UK energy system design
ETI programme manager for CCS Andrew Green
Organisations applying through yesterday’s RfP will need to demonstrate that its technology has the potential to make a substantial reduction in capital and operating costs in the capture plant.
Advanced Power Generation Technology Forum chairman Philip Sarman said: “These [CCS] technologies must also help to drive down the cost of CCS to enable cost reduction targets to be met.”
Applicants must also be ready to catch the wave of CCS implementation in gas-fired power in the UK that is expected to occur during the 2020s and early 2030s, said the ETI.
In conjunction with the results recorded via the Inventys-led project, the ETI will undertake a detailed assessment of any proposals selected and then decide whether it will invest up to £20 million in the design, assembly and testing of a UK demonstration plant.
ETI programme manager for CCS Andrew Green said: “With CCS having the potential to play a key role in a future affordable, secure, low carbon UK energy system, it is important for there to be research into and investment now in a range of technologies to help build the economic viability and help extend the role of CCS in any future UK energy system design.”
Green also stated that by 2020, the ETI expect the UK to have 30GW of gas-fired power capacity – some of which will have CCS upgrades or retrofits to meet carbon reduction targets.
