AEP to fire up coal plant in West Virginia

subscribe

American Electric Power is going to fire up the first carbon capture coal plant in West Virgina, the New York Times reports.

If all goes smoothly, engineers will begin pumping carbon dioxide, converted to a fluid, into a layer of sandstone 7,800 feet below the rolling countryside here and then into a layer of dolomite 400 feet below that.

The liquid will squeeze into tiny pores in the rock, displacing the salty water there, and assume a shape something like a squashed football, 30 to 40 feet high and hundreds of yards long.

American Electric PowerÂ’s plan is to inject about 100,000 tons annually for two to five years, about 1.5 percent of MountaineerÂ’s yearly emissions of carbon dioxide. Should Congress pass a law controlling carbon dioxide emissions and the new technology proves economically feasible, the company says, it could then move to capture as much as 90 percent of the gas.

Making the coal plant in West Virigina "clean" is costing well over $100 million. Even if the technology is built at a large scale, it's not clear how much the costs will come down. The only way this technology becomes widely used is if the climate bill makes carbon expensive. So far, that's not looking likely.

This will be a great experiment to watch unfold. The government wants to dump billions into clean coal, eventhough it has regularly been bashed as an expensive, hopeless, dream. Yet, it's still seen as the future of energy production in the world. The abundance of coal, combined with its ability to generate electricity on demand are too much to give up.

Related News

solar-storage-cheaper-than-conventional-power

Solar Plus Battery Storage Cheaper Than Conventional Power in Germany

GERMANY - Germany, a global leader in renewable energy adoption, has reached a significant milestone: the cost of solar power combined with battery storage has now fallen below that of conventional electricity sources. This development marks a transformative shift in the energy landscape, showcasing the increasing affordability and competitiveness of renewable energy technologies and reinforcing Germany’s position as a pioneer in the transition to sustainable energy.

The decline in costs for solar power paired with battery storage represents a breakthrough in Germany’s energy sector, where the transition from traditional fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives has been a central focus. Historically,…

READ MORE
rolls royce nuclear

Rolls-Royce expecting UK approval for mini nuclear reactor by mid-2024

READ MORE

India's electricity demand falls at the fastest pace in at least 12 years

READ MORE

power lines

California Regulators Face Calls for Action as Electricity Bills Soar

READ MORE

Chief Patrick Michell

Independent power project announced by B.C. Hydro now in limbo

READ MORE