National Carbon Capture Center hits 100,000-hour mark for technology testing

The National Carbon Capture Center in Wilsonville, Alabama, recently announced that is has exceeded 100,000 hours of technology testing to accelerate the development of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas and coal power plants.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsors the research facility, while Southern Company manages and operates it.

“It has been an honor for Southern Company to collaborate with DOE, its National Energy Technology Laboratory and our partners at the National Carbon Capture Center to evaluate and demonstrate next-generation carbon capture technologies,” Southern Company Executive Vice President and CEO Kimberly S. Greene said. “I also commend Southern Company’s highly skilled employees, whose commitment to building the future of energy through innovation is at the heart of this achievement.”

DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy created the center in 2009. It has since tested approximately 60 technologies screened from more than 300 options and worked with over 30 third-party technology developers including government, industry, university, and research organizations from seven countries.

The National Carbon Capture Center also co-founded and chairs the International Test Center Network, an international coalition of facilities focused on furthering the research, development, and commercial deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies.

The center currently focuses on post-combustion carbon capture for coal-fired power generation but is expanding its testing of carbon capture technologies for natural gas-fired power plants.