US DOE releases first phase of funding for CO2 capture

The US Department of Energy has released the initial phase of funding for industrial carbon capture and storage projects. This is the first of three stages of its US$ 1.4 billion plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the country.

Twelve projects from industrial sources, including cement plants, chemical plants, paper mills, refineries, and manufacturing facilities across the US were selected for the first phase of DOE funding. These projects will receive US$ 21.6 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and US$ 22.5 million in private funding. After the initial phase of the projects, they will be further evaluated in 2010 to receive additional funding.

The successful projects include trials by Cemex, Air Products and Chemicals, ConocoPhillips, Praxair and Shell.

In addition, the DOE is awarding the University of Utah nearly US$ 2.7 million to research capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. The money will be used to capture more than 1 million t of CO2 from industrial sources. It will be then transported in pipelines to Kansas to enhance oil recovery and be sequestered underground.

Cemex is the only cement producer to be selected to develop technology for capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions at one of its US cement plants. Cemex will work with RTI International and others to design a dry sorbent CO2 capture and compression system, a pipeline and an injection station, which may remove up to 1 million tpa of CO2.

The DOE will provide US$ 1.14 million and Cemex USA will provide 20% of the funding for Phase I of its project.

A further 16 projects have also been identified for possible support, and are now undergoing additional review and technical evaluation.

US Energy Secretary Stephen Chu said, "This is a major step forward in the fight to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from industrial plants. These new technologies will not only help fight climate change, they will create jobs now and help position the United States to lead the world in carbon dioxide capture technologies, which will only increase in demand in the years ahead.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/29102009/us_doe_releases_first_phase_of_funding_for_co2_capture/