EU funding bid for energy-from-waste carbon capture project
Tuesday 24 March 2009
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| An impression of the proposed Energy Park in which PREL hopes to develop carbon capture technology to go alongside its 66MW energy-from-waste plant |
The company hoping to build a £250 million energy-from-waste plant in Peterborough is in the running for European funding to develop technology to capture the plant's carbon emissions.
Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd believes it can use algae to tap up carbon dioxide from flue gases to produce a biomass fuel suitable for combustion.
The company has been invited to submit a full proposal to the European Commission's Research Dictorate by May 28, 2009, with the hope of attracting up to £2.5 million R&D funding.
The Algae Technology and Carbon Capture project could initially capture 10-20% of the energy-from-waste plant's emissions, with the algae making use of nutrients from the plant's potash to produce between 5,000 and 10,000 tonnes of biomass fuel a year.
The firm's managing director Chris Williams told New Energy Focus yesterday that ultimately, the project could develop technology capable of capturing higher proportions of emissions, producing enough biomass fuel for an entire dedicated biomass power station.
Mr Williams said: "In 10 years' time, we are going to want to provide carbon capture from a lot of sources - brewers and industrial-scale energy users. It could produce quite a lot of material, a million tonnes of biomass a year. We could see three or four renewable energy plants feeding one algae biomass plant."
Algae are already being used to produce biofuel, but the process has been criticised by academics for efficiency levels.
However, the Peterborough project will be using the algae cultivated with the energy-from-waste emissions as a solid biomass fuel, without the need to separate off the oils contained within. One of the key aspects of the research project will be to test out different kinds of algae to find the best strain.
The concept uses combustible bags to contain the algae and oxygen to aid the combustion process. Algae uses carbon dioxide from the energy-from-waste plant's flue gas and converts it to urea.
"Traditionally farmed algae is produced in ponds, but we don't have the land mass to do that," Mr Williams said. "We're not looking to produce an oil here, we will use a grow-in-the-bag system where the cellulose bag and all can go straight back into the combustion plant."
Inviting PREL to submit a full proposal for funding, the EU Commission described the project as "highly relevant", suggesting the technology could have a "high impact on the biomass energy market".
Planning
In 10 years' time, we are going to want to provide carbon capture from a lot of sources.
Meanwhile, the main PREL energy-from-waste plant proposal is currently awaiting a planning decision from the Secretary of State, Ed Miliband.
The proposal involves a facility to generate 66MW of electricity and up to 234MW heat energy via a combined heat and power plant.
The facility is proposed for a site next to Centrica's gas-fired power station at Fengate, and would use some form of gasification technology to generate energy from up to 650,000 tonnes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste each year.
Mr Williams said the company was hopeful of a decision in April, and that construction could begin in early in 2010, depending on when consent is awarded.
The first modules for the carbon capture project could then be in place within 18 months, he suggested.
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