CCS Project Database
Company/Alliance: Enel and Eni
Location: Brindisi power station, Southern Italy
Feedstock: Coal
Size: 48 MW; 8 kt/yr CO2
Capture Technology: Post-combustion capture with amine
CO2 Fate: Stogit field at Cortemaggiore, North Italy
Timing: Capture testing started in March 2011, however the plant has not gone into operation
Motivation/Economics:
Enel in 2007 announced that it was willing to invest 400 million euros on CCS and was looking for a suitable location.
Scale Up: Porto Tolle (cancelled)
Comments:
Brindisi power station CCS project is Enel's pilot project to test CCS before investing in the larger CCS power plant currently being built in Porto Tolle. Enel is Italy's largest electric utility, and Eni is Italy's oil company. Enel will build the CO2 capture and liquefaction plant at Brindisi and Eni will be responsible for the sequestration.
Enel is testing a variety of different chemical solutions to capture CO2 with the aim of finding the most effective one. Brindisi's project uses a post-combustion method, in which liquid solvents such as ammonia are used to wash the exhaust gases after the coal is burned, so as to remove the carbon dioxide. It is particularly attractive as it is applicable to Enel's existing power stations. Operational capture tests started at Brindisi in June 2010. In mid 2011 the CO2 was liquefied and briefly stored in tanks to be transported to the Eni/ Stogit storage site. The CO2 pipeline to the Stogit field is planned to be in operation from 2012.
After an initial testing period in March 2011, the project was expected to be operational by 2012. However there has been no news on this project since 2011 and it is presumed that the project didnt proceed to the operational phase.
Project Link: Enel project overview presentation [PDF] (October 2007)
Other Sources and Press Releases:
Enel to invest €1 billion ($1.38 billion) on CCS plant (March 2011)
First operational tests begin (May 2010)
Enel to invest 400 million euros (September 2007)
Enel Website
Eni Website
