CO2 clean-up clears the course for coal
Recognising that coal will continue to be a major long-term fuel for power generation, the Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) is investigating how best to clean up the emissions from coal-fired power generation plants.
Its latest investment is in collaboration with American Air Liquide Inc (AAL) looking at a new technology to help capture carbon dioxide (CO2).
Oxy-coal combustion utilises pure oxygen for the combustion of coal in electricity generating plants. In this system, nitrogen that comes in with the air for the combustion process is eliminated. As a result, the exhaust gas is a relatively pure stream of CO2 that is ready for long-term storage operations.
AAL will help B&W modify its existing 30MW Clean Environment Development Facility in Alliance, Ohio. AAL will provide engineering and chemistry know-how related to combustion, as well as proprietary equipment and sensors for the safe and efficient handling of liquefied oxygen. B&W will evaluate several types of coal, including coal imported from Saskatchewan, Canada, the site of a proposed near-zero emissions power plant that will use this technology at commercial scale.
For more information, visit www.babcock.com or www.airliquide.com
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