Facts:

The project entails the construction of a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at a coal-fired generating station west of Edmonton, Alberta jointly owned by TransAlta and Capital Power, ocated approximately 70 km west of Edmonton, Alberta.

Project Pioneer will be retrofitted onto the Keephills 3 coal-fired power plant which is under construction and will be commissioned in 2011.

Producing 450 megawatts of power, Keephills 3 will use supercritical boiler technology which features higher boiler temperatures, higher pressures, and a high-efficiency steam turbine. 

Construction of Project Pioneer will commence after Keephills 3 is commissioned.

Financing

The capital cost of the power plant alone (not CCS) will be approximately $1.7 billion.

Project Pioneer awarded $779 million funding commitment from the Alberta and Canadian Governments.

Timing

2010

    * First phase of front-end engineering design (FEED) work begun

    * Public and regulatory consultation begins

    * Begin knowledge sharing activities

2011

    * FEED complete

    * Permitting complete

    * Testing of storage wells

    * Public and regulatory consultation continues

2012

     * Detailed engineering complete

    * On-site construction begins

    * Public and regulatory consultation continues

2013-14

     * Construction is slated for completion

    * Public and regulatory consultation continues

2015

     * Project Pioneer is fully operational

    * One megatonne of CO2 is captured equaling 20 per cent of Alberta’s annual target

History

2008

     * TransAlta and Alstom Canada partner to develop CCS project

    * Preliminary design and project proposal complete

2009

     * Project Pioneer awarded $779 million funding commitment from the Alberta and Canadian Governments

    * Capital Power joins Project Pioneer partnership

More information and News

• Capital Power Partners on Post-Combustion CCS Project at Keephills 3, October 14, 2009

Storage:

Project Pioneer will incorporate two pipelines; one to an oil field injection site

and the other to a permanent sequestration area. Each pipeline will be approximately 20 – 40 km in length.

Project Pioneer is situated approximately 70 kilometers from the large Pembina oilfield, which is ideal for enhanced oil recovery opportunities.

There are two elements to CO₂ storage; permanent sequestration and enhanced oil recovery.

Permanent sequestration
Most of the CO₂ captured by Project Pioneer will be permanently sequestered in deep, saline aquifers, and mature oil and gas reservoirs near the facility where there is the potential for one gigatonne of storage. That's enough room for 1,000 years based on Project Pioneer's initial annual output.

News about Pioneer Project