Rebecca Trager reported on October, 2015 that the world first large-scale power station equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology officially opened in Canada on 2 October, 2015, and it is expected to trap around 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. The International Energy Agency (IEA) called the development a historic milestone toward a low-carbon future.
The $1.4 billion (870 million Pounds) facility will capture carbon dioxide released from its coal-fired Boundary Dam power plant near Estevan, Saskatchewan and transport it by pipeline to nearby oil fields where it will be used for enhanced oil recovery. Any remaining carbon dioxide will be permanently stored deep underground and continuously monitored. Overall, the goal is to demonstrate the economic, technical and environmental feasibility for coal-fired power generation with CCS.
The carbon dioxide is captured by pumping the flue gas to a facility where it is passed through an amine solution. The carbon dioxide is then extracted from the solution and sent off for storage or for other uses. Storage sites are selected after undergoing a battery of tests to ensure that they have the proper rock formations to seal in the gas. Saskatchewan has access to a limestone basin several kilometers beneath several layers of solid rocks that seal in the gas. Sites must also be clear of volcanic and major earthquake activity and have enough capacity to store carbon dioxide for the long term.
Beyond CO2, there are opportunities to sell other by-products from the project. For example, sulfur dioxide will be captured, converted to sulfuric acid and sold to industry. In addition, fly ash, a by-product of coal combustion, will be sold for use in ready-mix concrete, pre-cast structures and concrete products.
The executive director of the IEA, Maria van der Hoeven, stated that the Boundary Dam project launch represents a momentous point in the history of CCS development.
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