Company/Alliance: RWE npower
Location: Tilbury, England, UK
Feedstock: Hard coal, Biomass
Size: 1600 MW
Capture Technology: Post-combustion (supercritical retrofit)
CO2 Fate: Sequestration
Timing: Feasibility study (2006), commissioning (2013), and carbon capture and storage (2016)
Motivation/Economics: The new power station will cost over ₤1bn to build. The feasibility study looked into ‘supercritical’ plant technology that improves the efficiency of the combustion process about 22% together with carbon capture systems. The project may receive financial support from the UK government. One issue facing coal generation is the need to supply large quantities of coal to the plant by rail. The rail network in the UK is facing both a mounting cost crisis and rising congestion which will partly determine the site selected.
Comments: The plant could reduce carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional coal-fired facilities. It will also be developed to include facilities for burning biomass.
Project Link: RWE npower outlines plans for over £1bn clean coal power station in Essex (March 2007)
Other Sources and Press Release:
Carbon Capture and Storage: A Consultation on Barriers to Commercial Deployment (Consultation responses by RWE npower) [PDF] (May 2006)
RWE npower announces feasibility study for 1000MW ‘Clean Coal’ power station (April 2006)
RWE plans ‘clean coal’ plant in southern England (April 2006)
