RWE plans to construct a CO2-free power plant. What is the rationale behind this project?
RWE has plans for the world’s first large-scale power plant with integrated coal gasification, as well as CO2 separation and storage.In August 2008, we selected the site and the energy source: It will be built in Hürth near Cologne (Germany) and fuelled by Rhenish lignite resources. The power plant will feature integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology. This technique converts the lignite into a gaseous state, after which the carbon dioxide is captured. This produces a synthesis gas with a high hydrogen content, which is used to generate electricity in gas and steam turbines. The plant will have a gross installed capacity of 450 MW. Provided legal steps to accelerate the approval process are successful, the earliest plant commissioning will be the end of 2014. About 90 % of the CO2 produced by the power plant can be captured and put into long-term storage in geological rock formations. RWE Dea plans to investigate potential storage locations in Schleswig-Holstein. We app
