New ambitious clean coal initiatives

Two power utilities on opposite sides of the world announced important new clean coal research proposals today.

In California, Edison International’s (NYSE: EIX) electricity utility Southern California Edison (SCE), today requested state regulatory approval to conduct the nation’s first feasibility assessment of combining several advanced “clean” coal technologies on a full commercial scale.

SCE aims to captures as much as 90 percent of the carbon in domestic coal, the highest level targeted by a U.S. clean coal initiative.

To do so, it intends to gasify coal to produce a mostly hydrogen fuel, and burn it in an efficient, combined-cycle generating system, sequestering the carbon in a depleted oil formation.

It plans to start its experiments in a full-scale, 600-megawatt (MW) commercial generating facility.

“Companies like ours must take the lead exploring the feasibility of these advanced technologies,” said Edison International Chairman John Bryson. “For a century, our company has supported the commercial development of promising new technologies.”

The company is no stranger to the process. The first major use of coal gasification to generate electric power in the United States took place in the mid-1980s at Southern California Edison's experimental Cool Water demonstration plant near Barstow, California. The 110-megawatt plant established the early technical foundation for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants, commonplace today.

SCE is seeking authorization to commit $52 million of revenues it collects from customers during a two-year period to an advanced technology feasibility study.

Across the pond, ScottishPower today also unveiled a feasibility study to convert its two biggest power stations to clean coal technology in what would be the largest project of its type in Europe.

Under the plan, new 'supercritical' turbines and boilers would be fitted at the Longannet and Cockenzie power plants.

In contrast to the large savings expected in SCE's plan, carbon emissions at the two ScottishPower plants would only be reduced by 20 percent at the stations, which have a total generation capacity of 3,390 MW, or about a quarter of Scotland's current electricity needs.

The new turbines and boilers, which are to burn coal at ultra-high temperatures and pressure, may be built within existing power station buildings.

Last month, ScottishPower and Iberdrola completed a transaction that created Europe's third largest electricity group (see ScottishPower and Iberdrola shareholders approve merger.)

“Iberdrola is committed to developing the best environmental and technological practices. We are delighted that today's announcement puts ScottishPower on track to deliver a revolutionary change in low carbon energy generation in Scotland,” said Iberdrola Chairman and CEO Ignacio Galán at the Longannet power station today.

If the proposal proceeds, construction could start in 2009 with operations beginning in 2012

While not explicitly part of this process, the refitted stations are being designed to possibly incorporate the same type of carbon sequestration proposed by SCE: pumping carbon emissions from the station into deep underground coal seams to drive out methane gas which can then be used as a fuel. The carbon emissions are to remain trapped underground.

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