CCS Project Database
Company/Alliance: Tenaska
Location: Taylorville, Illinois
Feedstock: Coal
Size: 602 MW net; 716 MW gross
Capture Technology: Pre-combustion (at least 65% CO2 capture)
CO2 Fate: Sequestration TBD
Timing: Original: Construction (Start late 2010); Operation (2015)
After the Illinois Senate rejected Taylorville's approval, Tenaska announced cancellation in July 2013.
Motivation/Economics:
Total project cost is estimated to be $3.5 billion. DOE awarded Tenaska on July 2009 the DOE Loan Guarantee Program. The amount of the guarantee will be up to $2.579 billion, depending on the final project costs and capital structure. Taylorville was awarded a record $417 million tax credit announced in July 2010.
Comments:
Tenaska announced that it was cancelling both of its CCS projects on June 2013. Taylorville and Trailblazer were both cut from Tenaska's portfolio in favor of renewable and gas-fired power generation. The reason for this cancellation is because they are no longer economically viable.
On January 2011 the Illinois Senate rejected the $3.5 billion coal to gas power plant. The project required state approval because Tenaska was seeking to recover costs for building and operating the plant. On May 2011 Taylorville received approval from a House committee and went to the Illinois House of Representatives for a vote. The original air permit was issued in June 2007.
In April 2012 the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) issued the final amended air permit. Following the release of its draft air permit on October 17, 2011, IEPA received numerous comments that have been addressed with the issuance of this final permit. IEPA made many changes to the draft permit, the most significant of which lowered permissible mercury emissions by 90 percent following a request from Tenaska. Also requested by Tenaska was a binding limit on carbon emissions.
July 2012, the IEPA withdrew the pollution permit Taylorville after federal regulators asked the state to allow clean coal technology. The IEPA had previously issued permit allowing the Taylorville Energy Center project to operate as a natural gas plant. But a request from the EPA asking the state to include coal gasification and carbon sequestration privileges in the project prompted the state agency to withdraw the permit.
The Clean Coal Portfolio Standard Law (Senate Bill 1987 or SB 1987) requires Illinois utilities and other retail electricity suppliers to purchase up to 5 percent of their electricity from clean coal facilities that capture at least 50 percent of their greenhouse gas emissions. The bill also provides that an initial clean coal project that has a final air permit on the effective date of the legislation is entitled to enter into 30-year contracts with utilities and other retail suppliers.
Project Link: Taylorville Energy Center web page is no longer available
Other Sources and Press Release:
Tenaska drops Taylorville,Trailblazer advanced coal power projects (June 2013)
IEPA withdraws Tenaska Taylorville permit (July 2012)
Illinois EPA Issues Taylorville Energy Center Final Air Permit (April 2012)
Illinois EPA Leaves CO2 Emissions Off Air Permit
(January 2012)
Taylorville obtains clean coal approval from House committee (May 2011)
Senate rejects Tenaska Taylorville coal plant (January 2011)
Taylorville begins search for Illinois Coal suppliers (October 2010)
CCS technologies at Taylorville to capture >65% of CO2 emissions (July 2010)
Taylorville awarded record federal tax credit (July 2010)
Taylorville obtains Illinois clean-coal permit (June 2010)
Tenaska home page
