China Joins FutureGen; Signs Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol with US
16 December 2006
China will join the Government Steering Committee of the FutureGen project, thereby making China the third country to join the United States in the FutureGen International Partnership. India joined in April 2006 and South Korea joined the FutureGen initiative in June 2006.
The US and China also signed an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol renewing cooperation in advancing clean technology including solar, wind, and biomass. The agreements were made as an outcome of the US-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) in Beijing.
We welcome China and their expertise to the FutureGen project. China and the US share a common energy resource in coal, so it is imperative that we work together to find ways to use coal effectively, efficiently, and without contributing emissions.
—Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman
The $1 billion FutureGen initiative is a ten-year effort announced in 2003 and launched in December 2005. (Earlier post.)
The FutureGen prototype plant, targeted to begin operation in 2012, is a nominal 275 MW facility that will remove and sequester carbon dioxide while producing electricity and hydrogen from coal, making it the environmentally cleanest fossil-fuel fired power plant in the world.
The size of the plant is driven by the need for producing technically and commercially relevant data, including the requirement for producing one to two million metric tons per year of CO2, to adequately validate the integrated operation of the gasification plant and the receiving geologic formation.
Once completed, the technology will be used by member countries to reduce emissions around the globe.
The FutureGen project is being 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. The alliance currently has 12 members, one of them—China Huaneng Group—from China.
In addition, the US-China Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol renews the joint collaboration in developing and deploying energy efficient and renewable energy technology including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydrogen energy.
Separately, China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Company (SNPTC) selected the Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 (AP1000) (earlier post) as the technology basis for four new nuclear power plants. Westinghouse is now a group company of Toshiba.
The AP1000 has been identified as the technology of choice for 12 new projected plants in the United States as well. The NRC approved the final design certification for the AP1000 reactor in January 2006.
Resources:
FutureGen project update, December 2006
Mike: Isn't India part of FutureGen already?
Posted by: Neil | 16 December 2006 at 08:21 AM
Good way to do it. Pool your funds so you don't have to take the dirty polluting route.
Posted by: SJC | 16 December 2006 at 09:21 AM
I note the project is to begin in 2012..let's not rush into solving perhaps humanity's greatest ever problem. Also no word on where the plant is to be located. That doesn't seem to stop politicians from talking about 'clean coal' becoming the norm any day now. World coal use recently jumped 7% when it should be declining by at least 5% p.a. to meet greenhouse targets.
FutureGen is a show pony that will never pull a plow. It is just one element of Big Coal's stalling tactics to put off carbon caps.
Posted by: Aussie | 16 December 2006 at 10:27 AM
Neil: You are correct. India joined in April 2006. I've put that in for clarification. But China is still the third country to join with the US. Four altogether. :-)
Posted by: Mike | 16 December 2006 at 10:34 AM
Aussie: There are four sites in competition for the $1B project.
Mattoon, IL
Tuscola, IL
Heart of Brazos near Jewett, TX
Odessa, TX
The winning site will be chosen in 2007.
Posted by: Neil | 16 December 2006 at 01:01 PM
It sounds like the next Congress may reconsider funding for FutureGen. One thing you can say about past participants, they were very creative at giving things names like FutureGen and FreedomCar.
Posted by: SJC | 18 December 2006 at 05:28 PM
SJC: where did you hear that? I may not like coal all that much but it's not going away anytime soon and I would still like to see it used more cleanly.
Posted by: Neil | 18 December 2006 at 06:20 PM
I don't recall the exact link. I think it had more to do with reviewing how the money was spent. In view of no bid favors for well connected friends, perhaps a review is what is called for.
Posted by: SJC | 18 December 2006 at 08:09 PM
Ok, here is one of the links, from MSNBC and the Washington Post:
"New presidential initiatives for 2007, such as the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, FutureGen, a clean coal initiative, and a health-care information technology program, are not likely to be funded, agency officials say."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16244786/page/2/
Posted by: SJC | 18 December 2006 at 08:27 PM
U should read this about hydrogen technology.
http://www.clubofpioneers.com/blog/alexs-blog/2/stories/25/
Posted by: Mrgreen | 22 December 2006 at 06:12 AM
Currently, the market trend today is such that many Chinese coal chemical companies are moving towards optimising low cost and abundant coal feedstock for expansion into DME production.
If you would like to know more on COAL to Syngas to DME developments, join us at upcoming North Asia DME / Methanol conference in Beijing, 27-28 June 2007, St Regis Hotel. The conference covers key areas which include:
DME productivity can be much higher especially if
country energy policies makes an effort comparable to
that invested in increasing supply.
By:
National Development Reform Commission NDRC
Ministry of Energy for Mongolia
Production of DME/ Methanol through biomass
gasification could potentially be commercialized
By:
Shandong University completed Pilot plant in Jinan and
will be sharing their experience.
Advances in conversion technologies are readily
available and offer exciting potential of DME as a
chemical feedstock
By: Kogas, Lurgi and Haldor Topsoe
Available project finance supports the investments
that DME/ Methanol can play a large energy supply role
By: International Finance Corporation
For more information: www.iceorganiser.com,
Posted by: Cheryl Ho | 22 May 2007 at 08:56 PM
Currently, the market trend today is such that many Chinese coal chemical companies are moving towards optimising low cost and abundant coal feedstock for expansion into DME production.
If you would like to know more on COAL to Syngas to DME developments, join us at upcoming North Asia DME / Methanol conference in Beijing, 27-28 June 2007, St Regis Hotel. The conference covers key areas which include:
DME productivity can be much higher especially if
country energy policies makes an effort comparable to
that invested in increasing supply.
By:
National Development Reform Commission NDRC
Ministry of Energy for Mongolia
Production of DME/ Methanol through biomass
gasification could potentially be commercialized
By:
Shandong University completed Pilot plant in Jinan and
will be sharing their experience.
Advances in conversion technologies are readily
available and offer exciting potential of DME as a
chemical feedstock
By: Kogas, Lurgi and Haldor Topsoe
Available project finance supports the investments
that DME/ Methanol can play a large energy supply role
By: International Finance Corporation
For more information: www.iceorganiser.com,
Posted by: Cheryl Ho | 22 May 2007 at 08:56 PM