Alstom and Schlumberger have announced the signature of an agreement for mutual collaboration in the joint offering of CCS*-ready studies. These innovative studies will conduct a technical analysis of a power plant to identify how it should be adapted to accommodate an Alstom CCS system.
The studies will also include an evaluation of potential CO2 storage sites for the power plant, as well as an evaluation of required investments for future CO2 transport and storage. The offer is designed to facilitate the future conversion of power plants to CCS and the securing of environmental permits as well as optimising time-to-market periods and associated costs.
“Our customers are increasingly demanding full support, from the flue gas outlet to the downhole, to ensure that their new power plants are CCS ready. Assessing this readiness will be a mandatory requirement for all large fossil-fuelled power plants in Europe by 2011**. Similarly, the State of Queensland in Australia recently announced that no new coal fired power station will be approved in the state unless it is CCS ready” said Andreas Lusch, Senior Vice President, Alstom Power Thermal Systems.
The first wave of large-scale CCS demonstration projects, such as AEP’s Mountaineer in the United States or Vattenfall’s Schwarze Pumpe in Germany, also requires an integrated approach along the value chain. This agreement is designed to offer this type of comprehensive service, both for new and existing power plants.
“We see tremendous added value for our customers in this joint offering, including optimised project sequence and technical and economic fine-tuning of the entire capture, transport and storage chain,” said John Tombari, Vice President of Schlumberger Carbon Services.
Alstom’s agreement with Schlumberger brings together the expertise of two industry leaders and pioneers in the development of CCS technologies. As an original equipment manufacturer providing key equipment for the energy market, Alstom will bring its know-how in post-combustion and oxy-combustion capture technologies as well as its strong Plant Integrator™ experience. Schlumberger Carbon Services brings the resources, technologies, and expertise in managing all phases of geological carbon-dioxide (CO2) storage projects, projects in which it is actively involved throughout the world today.
Most published climate change targets call for a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by a factor of two in 2030, and complete de-carbonisation of the power sector by 2050. The joint effort initiated by Schlumberger and Alstom brings an immediate option to power plant developers world-wide facing increasingly strict environmental regulations. .
*CCS – carbon capture and storage
** Source : EU Directive on the Geological Storage of CO2 (January 23rd 2008)