RWE-Essent Eemshaven

Facts:

Main developer: RWE

RWE-Essent was planning a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant in Eemshaven together with a 1.1 million tonnes per year post-combustion CO2 capture R&D unit (equivalent to 250 MW). Since 2009, RWE has been operating a 10 MW plant in Germany (Niederaussem) where post-combustion methodology has been tested with good results. The Eemshaven demo plant was intended to serve as an upscaling step in the development of full-scale post-combustion CO2 capture. However, the project has since been put on hold.

RWE intends to increase the level of CO2 capture in their power plants and has hoped to install the technology to capture several million tonnes by 2016. Important R&D interests for the Eemshaven location is the whole CCS chain integration (transport and storage) for the northern Netherlands. Originally, RWE planned to store CO2 onshore in depleted gas fields in Groeningen. After the Dutsch Government banned onshore CO2, these plans were set on hold. Alternative offshore storage sites are being considered.