FutureGen progress but Kyoto stalls
US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman has announced the creation of a new partnership between the FutureGen Industrial Alliance and the US Department of Energy for the purpose of financing construction and operation of FutureGen, a prototype power plant for generating hydrogen energy from coal with near zero-emissions. FutureGen is an initiative to build the world’s first integrated sequestration and hydrogen production research power plant. The +$1 billion dollar project is intended to create the world’s first zero-emissions fossil fuel plant. When operational, the prototype will be the cleanest fossil fuel fired power plant in the world.
The prototype plant will establish the technical and economic feasibility of producing electricity and hydrogen from coal (the lowest cost and most abundant US energy resource), while capturing and sequestering the carbon dioxide generated in the process. The initiative is a government/industry partnership to pursue an innovative ’showcase’ project focused on the design, construction and operation of a technically cutting-edge power plant that is intended to eliminate environmental concerns associated with coal use.
The project will employ coal gasification technology integrated with combined cycle electricity generation and the sequestration of carbon dioxide emissions. The project will be supported by the ongoing coal research programme, which will also be the principal source of technology for the prototype. The project will require 10 years to complete and will be led by an industrial consortium representing the coal and power industries, with the project results being shared among all participants, and industry as a whole.
On December 6 NMA President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz said: "The alliance of eight companies with the Department of Energy creates a powerful new initiative for technological innovation and continued utilization of the country’s most abundant and versatile energy resource — coal. FutureGen will help the nation meet its expectations for a cleaner environment and showcase our national commitment to a common goal of over-riding importance — securing abundant supplies of clean domestic energy for American industry and households. In an era of rising energy prices and growing import dependency, FutureGen is a far-sighted response that deserves wholehearted support from industry, Congress and the administration."
Sadly, all this has to be judged against the backdrop of the Kyoto talks in Montreal, Canada, which are making little progress, mainly because of the US disinterest. When it comes to solving global warming problems, the US motto seems to be ‘too little too late’.