ADA-ES Inc.has announced that it is now under contract and has started work on the US Department of Energy (DOE) project that the company was awarded in July to develop clean coal technology (CCT) that will capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants.
ADA-ES will be the prime contractor for a $3.2M project with the DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory. This program is co-funded by several power generators including AEP, Southern Company, Luminant and Xcel Energy.
In addition, the Electric Power Research Institute has agreed to support the project.
The technology is being developed to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from existing coal-fired boilers. The existing 1,100 power plants generate 320 GWs of electricity and represent the single largest US man-made source of carbon dioxide.
The project will advance CCT based around regenerable solid sorbents and equipment. Most competing technologies use liquid solvents such as ammonia and amines to accomplish this task. Solid sorbents offer potential advantages over competing technologies including lower costs and less parasitic energy, says ADA-ES.
Dr. Michael Durham, President and CEO of ADA-ES, Inc., commented, "We are excited about this business area because of its high visibility and potential growth. Bills pending in Congress could increase funding for clean coal by up to a billion dollars per year."
Dr. Durham continued, "We are pleased that DOE and utilities have confidence in ADA which has established a reputation built around its proven capabilities for developing and commercialising innovative solutions for reducing emissions and meeting environmental standards.
"These organisations recognise that ADA is dedicated to clean coal as a means to keep coal as a low-cost, abundant, and secure fuel capable of supplying at least half of the nation's electric power needs."
