North East & Yorkshire

‘Leading the way across the world’: UK’s first carbon capture plant opens

Carbon Capture Plant

The UK’s largest carbon capture plant has opened at SSE’s Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire.

The exciting development was designed by Doosan Power Systems and is the result of a collaboration between SSE, UK based Doosan Power Systems and Vattenfall. Supported by the Technology Strategy Board, DECC and Northern Way, it is the first carbon capture plant of its size to be integrated into a live power plant in the UK.

Each day, the plant will capture 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the equivalent five megawatts (MW) of coal-fired power generating capacity.

Jean-Michel Aubertin, Chief Executive Officer at Doosan Power Systems, explained: “The CCPiolot100+ plant which we have designed, built and commissioned using our advanced amine scrubbing technology is an essential step in the optimisation and proving of post-combustion capture of CO2, and will be the most significant project of its kind in the UK.”

Mark Bryant, Director of Carbon Capture for Doosan Power Systems, added: “I am very proud that we have been able to complete a project of this nature – the first of this kind – at the scale that we have. It is a major step forward for carbon capture and I think that whilst everyone who has been involved has recognised that it has been a difficult project, it is one that we are all very proud to see in operation. We see this exciting project as a stepping stone for larger, commercial-scale projects in the future.”

The plant represents a major step forward in proving that carbon capture technology is viable on a commercial scale, bridging the gap between various ongoing pilot-scale trials and the commercial-scale demonstrations envisaged by the UK government.

SSE Chief Executive, Ian Merchant, commented: “The development of viable carbon capture technology is central to the UK’s climate change and energy security objectives. We believe projects such as this will be absolutely crucial in establishing when and how the technology can be developed. What we have here today at Ferrybridge will provide an invaluable source of reference and learning for the industry as a whole.

“This pilot project is all about carbon capture on coal; however, if we are to be successful in reaching our carbon reduction targets, we also need it on gas, which is why SSE is seeking to develop a larger, commercial scale demonstration at our Peterhead gas-fired station.”

Industry regulators including the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive will also be able to learn from the project, enabling the UK to move closer to widespread deployment of CCS.

MP Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said: “This flagship test programme at Ferrybridge represents an important milestone in the UK’s plans to develop CCS and provides a critical bridge to meeting our long term aim of cost competitive CCS deployment by the 2020s.

“This is the first operating carbon capture plant attached to a power station at this scale in the UK and has benefitted from more than £6 million in public money. This investment will be invaluable to the wider commercial scale deployment of CCS by reducing uncertainty, driving down costs and developing the UK supply chain and skills.”

Local MP, Yvette Cooper, added: “This is a pioneering project supporting high skilled jobs here at Ferrybridge. Developing carbon capture is critical to cutting carbon emissions and this plant, supported by £6m announced by the last government, could lead the way across the world. This state-of-the-art technology is a vital opportunity for protecting the environment and for developing British science and technology.”

The original concept for the project was created in 2008 and the project formally started on 1st January 2009.

Doosan Power Systems designed, constructed and commissioned the plant and are now completing the final tests of the process performance. The EPC power company provides both after-market and new build service for the power industry, supplying a full range of products from boilers to air quality control systems and turbines.

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