Funds target CO2 capture systems research

The Department of Energy (DOE) has earmarked up to $30 million for  research and development (R&D) related to front-end engineering design (FEED) studies for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture systems.

“With the Department’s ongoing investment in advanced carbon capture technologies, we will ensure that we can continue using our abundant domestic resources to power the Nation in a way that’s environmentally sound,” Mark W. Menezes, Under Secretary of Energy, said. “Carbon capture plays an integral role in reducing emissions and safeguarding the environment, while simultaneously protecting our energy security.”

The investment in R&D projects for transformational carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies are a critical component of driving down the cost of CCUS deployment, officials said, adding supporting FEED studies for commercial carbon capture systems is necessary to fully understand the costs of these systems and the next step toward wide-scale deployment of the technology.

The DOE maintains CCUS systems are proven to significantly reduce carbon emissions from power plants that use coal and gas. As an example the Petra Nova Project, which is supported by DOE and located near Houston, Texas, has captured more than one million tons of CO2 per year since coming online in 2017.

Projects awarded from the FEED study FOA could potentially be the next commercial CCUS projects built in the United States.