28 April 2011 | Tierney Smith
Carbon, Climate Change, Construction, Energy, North America

 

The biggest carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to date has been approved in Canada.

The $1.24 project, for a commercial-scale demonstration plant in Saskatchewan province, will be built alongside the existing generating unit at Boundary Dam Power station, operated by state utility company SaskPower.

The federal government has provided $240 million worth of assistance for the project. With construction beginning immediately, operations are expected to commence in 2014, and the new unit will have the capacity to generate 110 megawatts (MW) of electricity. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around one million tonnes per year – the equivalent of taking 250,000 vehicles off the roads in Saskatchewan.

Canadian Minister for SaskPower said: “this project will forge an environmentally sustainable path for the production of coal-fired electricity in Saskatchewan. By proceeding with the carbon capture project at Boundary Dam, while continuing to add wind power and investing other renewable energy options such as biomass, SaskPower is helping to build a greener future for Saskatchewan.”

SNC Lavalin has been chosen to oversee the engineering and construction of the Boundary Dam project, while Cansolv, a subsidiary of Shell Global Solutions will supply the carbon capture process. Hitachi will supply the steam turbine for the plant.

As well as capturing CO2 to be sold to companies for use in enhanced oil recovery operations, the project will also capture sulphur dioxide to be used for sulphuric acid.

SaskPower president Robert Watson says the project will bring major economic gains to the Estevan area, as well as benefits to the rest of the province.

He said: “This will be one of the largest construction projects in the province’s history, creating hundreds of jobs and substantial business for companies in the province. In particular, the continued operation of the Boundary Dam and Shand power stations, as well as related businesses servicing the coal industry, will provide long-term benefits to the Estevan region.”

The Boundary Dam project is part of a programme of capital that will see billions of dollars invested in SaskPower’s power production, transmission and distribution systems over the next decade.

 

Image: Jayneandd | flickr
 

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