Clean coal project in Texas wins $ 450mn in federal help

The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a record of decision that will allow federal funding to help build a 400 MW plant that combines an integrated gasification combined-cycle system with urea production and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The Summit Texas Clean Energy Project will be partially funded with $ 450 million from DOE's Clean Coal Power Initiative. The plant, owned by Summit Texas Clean Energy LLC, will produce power by converting subbituminous coal into hydrogen-rich synthesis gas andcarbon dioxide (CO2). The syngas and steam will be fed to the combined-cycle combustion and steam turbine generator to produce 200 MW of electricity that will be fed to the power grid. The plant will use Siemens (NYSE: SI) IGCC technology and Linde Rectisol acid-gas capture technology to capture 90 percent of the CO2 from the plant's syngas. A portion of the captured CO2 will be used to produce urea for fertilizer. The remainder will be used for enhanced oil recovery with monitoring, verification and accounting to demonstrate the geologic storage. In addition, the plant will provide recycling, deep-well injection and evaporation ponds to eliminate the release of process and brine water to surface waters.