FutureGen Project -- Big Research for Big Coal

DOE FutureGen Page

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 initiative is a response to President Bush's directive to draw upon the best scientific research to address the issue of global climate change. The production of hydrogen will support the
President's call to create a hydrogen economy and fuel pollution free vehicles; and the use of coal will help ensure America's energy security by developing technologies that utilize a plentiful domestic resource.

Additionally, other countries will be joining the U.S. to participate in the project.

The prototype plant will establish the technical and economic feasibility of producing electricity and hydrogen from coal (the lowest cost and most abundant domestic energy resource), while capturing and sequestering the carbon dioxide generated in the process. The initiative will be 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 utilization. This will be a 'living prototype' with future technology innovations incorporated into the design as needed.

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 program, 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 the FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc., a non-profit industrial consortium representing the coal and power industries, with the project results being shared among all participants, and industry as a whole.

FutureGen International Cooperation

FutureGen Alliance (Industrial Participants)

Alliance Members:
American Electric Power (Columbus, Ohio)
Anglo American llc (London, UK)
BHP Billiton (Melbourne, Australia)
China Huaneng Group (Beijing, China)
CONSOL Energy (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Foundation Coal (Linthicum Heights, Maryland)
Kennecott Energy (Gillette, Wyoming), a member of the Rio Tinto Group
Peabody Energy (St. Louis, Missouri)
PPL Corporation (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Southern Company (Atlanta, Georgia)

Technorati: Carbon Sequestration, Global Warming, Coal, Carbon Dioxide

US DOE Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum

Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum

The international Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) is a voluntary climate initiative of developed and developing nations that account for about 75 percent of all manmade carbon dioxide emissions.

Members engage in cooperative technology development aimed at enabling the early reduction and steady elimination of the carbon dioxide which constitutes more than 60 percent of such emissions – the product of electric generation and other heavy industrial activity.

CLS Forum Web Site

DOE "FactSheet" -- Notice Emphasis on Fossil Fuels

Here are more US Department of Energy materials and sites. Notice in this "FactSheet" that big emphasis is on coal. Again, the US economy (and a lot of other economies, including China) are becoming more dependant on coal as electricity usage soars, and oil importing from middle eastern countries becomes problematic. They really, really want to sequester CO2 from coal!

Fact Sheet

Fossil fuels will remain the mainstay of world energy production well into the 21st century. Coal, for example, is abundant, comparatively inexpensive, and geographicallydiverse. The international Energy Agency estimates that overall world coal use will increase by about 50 percent between now and 2030, and by nearly 67 percent for power generation, mostly in developing countries.

The United States has an estimated 250-year supply of coal. In terms of energy value (Btus), coal constitutes approximately 95 percent of U.S. fossil energy reserves. Because of its abundance and low cost, coal now accounts for more than half of the electricity generated in the United States.

Availability of fossil fuels to provide clean, affordable energy is essential for the prosperity and security of the United States. However, increased concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) due to increased carbon emissions are expected. To stabilize and ultimately reduce concentrations of
this greenhouse gas, it will be necessary to employ new technologies, such as carbon sequestration, to capture carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions before they are released into the atmosphere.