LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Air Products
(NYSE: APD) today announced it has signed an agreement to supply oxygen,
engineering services and related equipment to a project in the United Kingdom
led by Doosan Babcock designed to advance technology that has the potential to
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The agreement is part of the OxyCoal 2
project in Renfrew, Scotland, which aims to demonstrate the benefits of
oxyfuel technology for carbon capture on coal-fired power plants. In oxyfuel
combustion, oxygen is used instead of air to increase the concentration of
carbon dioxide in the flue gas, enabling lower cost carbon dioxide (CO2)
capture.
OxyCoal 2 is a significant CO2 demonstration project, with a full-scale 40
megawatt (MW) burner demonstration providing key design and operational data
to support implementation of oxyfuel technology as retrofit and in new
coal-fired power plants around the world. In this multi-million dollar project
Doosan Babcock will modify its unique Multi-Fuel Burner Test Rig at Renfrew to
accommodate oxyfuel firing on pulverized coal with recycled flue gas. The
upgrade of the burner test facility is expected to be complete early in 2009,
with the first oxyfuel combustion demonstration targeted for the end of March
2009.
"Air Products is pleased to be a team member of the OxyCoal 2 project, and
foresees that its findings will have global significance. Our advanced oxyfuel
technology holds great promise as a critical component in successfully
addressing the climate change issue. Air Products has been a leader in
developing oxyfuel technology since our first study with Doosan Babcock more
than a decade ago. This most recent research and technology development
project is an important next step in moving closer to a viable solution for
CO2 capture," said Steve Carney, business development manager, Energy at Air
Products.
"Air Products' globally-recognized skills and expertise in the design,
integration and operation of large cryogenic oxygen plants and in the
purification of carbon dioxide provide powerful support to the development of
oxyfuel technology for greenhouse gas mitigation," said Alan Belk, general
manager Tonnage Gas and Metals, Europe with Air Products.
"Our conceptual design for an oxyfuel CO2 capture coal power plant is
based on a wealth of experience with air-fired coal power generation
technology. This evolutionary approach to oxyfuel CO2 capture gives us
confidence that this technology can be successfully commercialized. By working
with our partners on this new project, we will be able to gain the knowledge
necessary to accelerate the implementation of clean coal technology projects
in the UK and around the world," said Iain Miller, CEO, Doosan Babcock.
The OxyCoal 2 project is being supported by the UK's Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) under its Hydrogen Fuel
Cells and Carbon Abatement Technologies (HFCCAT) Demonstration Program. The
lead company for the project is Doosan Babcock Energy Limited. Scottish and
Southern Energy is the prime sponsor of the effort, with other sponsors and
participants including: Air Products Plc, DONG Energy Generation, Drax Power
Limited, EDF Energy, E.ON UK PLC, and Scottish Power, as well as Imperial
College, London and University of Nottingham.
The Renfrew demonstration project continues a long history of
collaboration between many of the OxyCoal 2 project team members. As part of a
separate project, Air Products is investigating with Imperial College and
Doosan Babcock key chemical reactions that underlie a promising and innovative
process for purifying CO2-containing flue-gases. This proprietary technology
was recently cited in a published study entitled, "Future CO2 Capture
Technology Options for the Canadian Market." The report resulted from two
years of study and evaluation by BERR and the Canadian Clean Power Coalition
and disclosed that the technology offers CO2 capture and energy costs
comparable to that of traditional flue gas scrubbing systems. To read more on
this study please go to:
http://www.airproducts.com/PressRoom/CompanyNews/Archived/2008/12Feb2008.htm.
About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy,
technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of
atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and
equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading
positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery
hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced
coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture,
operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. Air
Products has annual revenues of $10 billion, operations in over 40 countries,
and 22,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit
http://www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual
results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations.
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