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 through the UK CCS competition. The winner of this competition will be announced in May/JUne 2009. 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:
EU funding could benefit Tilbury (February 2009)
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)
Date Modified April 28, 2009
