The NRG Energy project was selected under the third round of the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI), a cost-shared collaboration between the federal government and private industry to demonstrate low-emission carbon capture and storage technologies in advanced coal-based, power generation. The goal of CCPI is to accelerate the readiness of advanced coal technologies for commercial deployment, ensuring that the United States has clean, reliable, and affordable electricity and power.

NRG will construct a 60 megawatt carbon capture demonstration facility at the company’s W.A. Parish Unit 7 in Thompsons, Texas. The 6-year project will demonstrate an integration of several advances in carbon capture and sequestration technologies, including:

• Fluor’s advanced Econamine FG Plus carbon capture process, using several different novel amine solvents.
• Ramgen’s advanced carbon dioxide compression system.
• The integration of highly efficient co-generation to provide the necessary steam and electricity.
• Enhanced oil recovery sequestration in one of the Texas Gulf Coast oilfields near the Parish plant.

The project is intended to show that post-combustion carbon capture applied to existing plants can be done economically, especially when the plant has the opportunity to sequester carbon dioxide in nearby oilfields. DOE will provide up to $154 million in federal funds, which will be matched by NRG Energy.