Facts:

Main developer: Basin Electric Power Cooperative

The Antelope Valley Station CCS project near Beulah, North Dakota, was to be Basin Electric’s initiative to develop post-combustion CCS technology for commercial use at conventional coal-based power plants.

However, after completing a FEED study for its demonstration project, Basin decided in December 2010 to postpone it until commercial viability could be demonstrated.

The company said the FEED results, considered alongside an assessment of additions necessary at the power plant and sequestration costs, put the total cost of the demo project at around $500 million. It also said that until a market for the sale of CO2 to EOR projects is developed further in the area as a potential revenue stream – and a long-term US energy policy is in place – it is postponing further investment, but has not ruled out the technology for the future.

The company signed a deal in December 2009 with Doosan Babcock Energy and HTC Purenergy to carry out the FEED study. The other partners in the project – which aimed to demonstrate the removal of 90% of CO2 emissions from a 120MW equivalent flue gas stream at the Antelope Valley power plant – were Powerspan and Burns & McDonnell.

Basin said it will continue to work with the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota and the Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership to research CO2 storage technology.

The Antelope Valley power plant was designed as a zero-discharge facility and is part of a $4-billion energy complex, which includes the Great Plains Synfuels coal gasification facility.

Financing

The project received a $300 million loan from the US Department of Agriculture in January 2009. It was also granted $100 million from the US Department of Energy’s Clean Coal Power Initiative in July of the same year.

The cost of the FEED study was $6.2 million, about half of which was met by a grant from the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The remainder was funded by Basin Electric.

Timing

The demonstration project has been postponed due mainly to financial and economic viability concerns.

More information and press releases

Basin Electric press release, 17 December 2010

Basin Electric takes another step towards innovative carbon capture and storage project (Dec 2009)

Doosan Babcock joins basin electric CCS project (December 2009)

HTC Pure energy join CCS project ( December 2009)


Secretary Chu announces 2 new projects to reduce emissions from coal plants (July 2009)

Press Release: Award of US $100 Million from DOE (July 2009)

Basin Electric announcment of USDA award (January 2009)

USDA press release of $300 Million loan (January 2009)

Basin Electric and Powerspan team up. Press release [PDF] (June 2008)

Basin Electric selects Powerspan for large-scale demonstration of CCS [PDF] (March 2008)

 

Companies involved

Homepage:

http://www.basinelectric.com/Electricity