GERMAN CARBON CAPTURE EXPERIMENT

Some greens think all "clean coal" technology is just denial. Others think it is worse than nuclear. Still others see it as a necessary part of the economic picture. And, finally, there are those who are trying to make the dream of carbon-capture a reality. It comes down to this: Either prove you can capture the CO2 and put it somewhere safe or start building giant offshore wind farms and concentrating solar arrays.

Carbon-Capture Test Begins at German Pilot Plant
Hardy Garupner, April 7, 2007 (Deutsche Welle)

WHO
Swedish-owned Vattenfall, Europe’s leading energy utility.

WHAT
A pilot plant for new carbon capture technology: At a cost of $67 million, the new plant will produce about 50 megawatts of electricity using “oxyfuel combustion” to burn the lignite in pure oxygen rather than air so that the only emissions are carbon dioxide and water vapour, easily be liquified and pumped underground. Environmentalists are not enthusiastic.

WHEN
The plant went into operation last week. Vattenall has not yet identified an underground storage site but expects to use available exhausted natural gas wells. If trial runs are successful, a 300 megawatt facility will begin by 2015. The first commercial CO2-emission-free lignite plant may go into operation by 2020.

WHERE
Jänschwalde, in the eastern German coal field state of Brandenburg

WHY
Burning coal to produce electricity without creating CO2 emissions would save the planet. And make those who own coal richer than Arab oil sheiks.
The present plant produces 1600-megawatts of electricity using 80,000 tons of lignite daily, creating 25 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

QUOTES
- Vattenfall board member Klaus Rauscher: “…the technology is intended to make coal-fired power generation cleaner until alternative energy sources will be ready for commercial use…We are sitting on enough lignite here that will last us for the next 30 to 40 years…But it’s acceptable to use this resource only if we get a grip on the huge greenhouse gas emissions. Our pilot plant is capable of resolving this problem."
- [Oxyfuel combustion] is said to be the most cost-effective method of capturing carbon dioxide.
- Environmentalist Manfred Fischdick, vice-president of the Wuppertal Climate Institute: "We will continue to need fossil fuels for a while but have to make their use more climate friendly…Carbon capture is one way of doing that."