A group of organisations have teamed up to investigate the capture of carbon from the emissions of coal-fired power stations.
The PICA research plant has been installed at AGL's Loy Yang power station near Traralgon in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria.
The 21 m high plant was built by IHI in Japan and will operate around the clock, capturing 150 to 200 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Currently, the cost and energy efficiency of carbon capture has been an impediment to wide-scale commercial implementation so the PICA research program is targeting a 40% reduction in energy use of current capture processes in order to overcome these challenges.
AGL’s Executive General Manager, Group Operations, Doug Jackson said the company had committed to decarbonisation by 2050 and technology innovation would be critical in the transition to a lower carbon emissions energy sector.
“The new age of power generation will require a range of innovative technologies,” Jackson said.
“AGL recognises that support for technology innovation is critical – this is true of both renewable and thermal generation. We are pleased to work with our PICA project partners to continue research into the potential for viable CCS.”
IHI Corporation’s Vice President of Energy and Plant Operations, Koji Yahagi also noted the importance of CO2 capture for continued operation of coal-fired power plants.
“Without doubt, this PICA project will be a great catalyst for the future of low-emissions technologies in both the Australian and Japanese coal and energy industries,” Yahagi said.
Apart from AGL and IHI, CSIRO and Brown Coal Innovation Australia (BCIA) are also partners in the project.
CSIRO Energy Director Dr Peter Mayfield said the project ties in well with the organisation's support of mitigation research efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure Australia’s energy security.
“CO2 capture can be applied to both energy generation and industrial processes,” Mayfield said.
“This research will complement our research in CO2 storage, and it’s a great example of globally-coordinated R&D on emissions management.”
BCIA Chief Executive Officer Dr Phil Gurney said to meet Australia’s commitment to limit dangerous climate change, emissions of CO2 from the use of coal must be reduced.
“BCIA has invested heavily in research and development to improve the efficiency of brown coal power generation and reduce the costs of carbon capture technologies,” Gurney said.
“The PICA project is a major step forward and will make a significant contribution to the broader roll-out of CCS for power generation and the manufacturing sector in the longer term.”
CSIRO's Aaron Cottrell (left) and IHI's Jun Arakawa at work on the PICA post-combustion capture project. Photo: CSIRO