CCS Project Database
Company/Alliance: RWE nPower
Location: Tilbury, England, UK
Feedstock: Hard coal, Biomass
Size: 1600 MW
Capture Technology: Post-combustion (super critical 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 ‘super critical’ 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:
In early 2010, RWE announced that it had begun investigating a new, combined cycle gas turbine plant instead, alongside plans to convert the existing power station to 100% biomass. The company decided in 2011 to pursue plans to refurbish and operate the facility as a dedicated biomass plant. All previous plans were effectively cancelled.
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. RWE nPower, said in 2009 it had dropped plans for a 1,600-MW cleaner coal plant at Tilbury.
Project Link: RWE nPower outlines plans for over £1bn clean coal power station in Essex (March 2007)
Other Sources and Press Release:
RWE Tilbury web page
RWE contemplates Gas power plant instead of coal with CCS (January 2010)
EU funding could benefit Tilbury (February 2009)
RWE nPower announces feasibility study for 1000MW ‘Clean Coal’ power station (April 2006)
RWE plans ‘clean coal’ plant in southern England (April 2006)
