Company/Alliance: BP and Rio Tinto: Hydrogen Energy
Location: Kwinana, Western Australia
Feedstock: Coal to Hydrogen
Size: 500 MW, 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year captured and stored, 80% total emissions
Capture Technology: IGCC/Pre combustion
CO2 Fate: Sequestration in saline formation 35 km offshore beneath the seabed of Perth basin at a depth of 2 km.
Timing: Cancelled. May 2008.
Previous timing:
Stakeholder and community consultation (2007), initial engineering and feasibility studies (2007), testing of offshore saline formation (2007-2010), investment decision (2011), operation (2014)
Motivation/Economics: The cost of the project is estimated at AUD$2 billion (US$ 1.5 billion) and will provide 15% of the power demand for southwest Western Australia.
Comments: Kwinana is an ideal location because it is near industrial operations and only 45 km from the increasing power demand in Perth. This project has been cancelled as a result of lack of suitable rock formations around Perth. The geological strata contain gas chimney's which would make it impossible to seal in the CO2.
Project Link: Hydrogen Energy ( Kwinana project website removed)
Other Sources and Press Release:
BP and Rio Tinto cancel Kwiana (May 2008)
Gas Chimney's discovery kills Kwinana Project (May 2008)
Rio Tinto, BP planning $2b clean coal project (May 2007)
