Decreasing carbon dioxide emissions from major stationary sources is firmly on the Australian agenda and carbon capture and storage (CCS) is seen as a vital part of the national mitigation portfolio. There are now a number of CCS demonstration projects underway or planned and several major commercial CCS projects proposed for Australia.
Callide Oxyfuel Project, Queensland
This demonstration project involves conversion of an existing 30MW unit at Callide A (currently underway) with power generation and capture of CO2 commencing in 2011. The second stage of the project will involve the injection and storage of about 60,000 tonnes of captured CO2 in saline aquifers or depleted oil/gas fields over about three years, planned to commence in 2012. Cost estimate is A$206 million. The project involves CS Energy, IHI, Schlumberger, Mitsui &Co, J-Power, and Xstrata, with extra funding from ACA and the Australian and Queensland Governments.
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CO2CRC Otway Project, Victoria
This is Australia’s only operational storage demonstration project. Injection of CO2 from a nearby gas well initially into a depleted gas field at a depth of 2km began in April 2008 at a rate of about 150 tpd, with to date injection of 65,000 tonnes of CO2. A major program of monitoring and verification has been implemented. The A$40 million Project, which is supported by 15 companies and 7 government agencies, involves researchers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Korea and the USA. CO2CRC Pilot Project Ltd, the operating company, includes AngloCoal, BHP Billiton, BP, Chevron, Schlumberger, Shell, RioTinto Solid Energy, Woodside and Xstrata. Additional financial support is provided by the Australian Government (RET), the Victorian Government and the US DOE.
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Coolimba Power Project, Western Australia
Aviva Corporation Ltd is proposing 2x200MW coal-fired base-load power stations with the plant built ready for conversion to CO2 capture. Sequestration sites are being sought for the storage of about 3Mtpa of CO2 for up to 30 years with the involvement of CO2CRC and ARC Energy in site selection.
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FuturGas Project, South Australia
Hybrid Energy Australia proposes a lignite gasification plant for the production of syngas and conversion to synfuels, with storage of the CO2 captured post-gasification in the Otway Basin. The pre-feasibility study has been deferred.
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Gorgon Project, Western Australia
Chevron (operator), Shell and Exxon are planning a major sequestration project linked to the Gorgon LNG Project. The separated CO2 will be injected under Barrow Island to a depth of about 2.3km, with injection of 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year. A total of 125 million tonnes will be injected over the life of the project. A data well has been drilled and a major study of the subsurface is underway. All government approvals have been granted and it is expected that a final investment decision will be made in late 2009.
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International Power Capture Plant, Victoria
A post-combustion capture plant is operating at International Power’s Hazelwood Power Station. The solvent capture plant began operation in 2009 and is capturing and chemically sequestering CO2 at a nominal rate of 10,000 tpa of CO2. This project is partly funded by the Australian Government under LETDF and the Victorian Government under ETIS LSDP.
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Latrobe Valley Post Combustion Capture Project (LVPCC), Victoria
This project is developing technologies for post-combustion capture from coal-fired power stations in the Latrobe Valley. The LVPCC involves International Power, Loy Yang Power, CO2CRC and CSIRO and is partly funded by the Victorian Government under the ETIS Brown Coal R&D fund. It comprises work at the Hazelwood Power Station within the CO2CRC H3 Capture Project and research activities by CSIRO at Loy Yang.
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CO2CRC H3 Capture Project, Victoria
This project, led by CO2CRC, is based at International Power’s Hazelwood plant and overlaps with the Hazelwood Capture Project. CO2CRC is testing a range of solvents and different process configurations using the solvent post-combustion capture plant. In addition, post-combustion techniques using adsorbent and membrane technologies are being developed using two purpose-built rigs.
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Loy Yang Project, Victoria
A CSIRO mobile pilot post-combustion capture facility has begun operation at Loy Yang Power Station as part of the LVPCC Project.
It is capturing around 1000 tpa of CO2. The facility is investigating a range of solvent technology for CO2 capture.
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CO2CRC/HRL Mulgrave Capture Project, Victoria
CO2 emissions are being captured from HRL’s research gasifier at Mulgrave in a pilot-scale capture project by CO2CRC. The capture technologies will be evaluated to identify which are the most cost effective for use in a coal gasification power plant. Partners include CO2CRC and HRL with funding from the Victorian Government under the ETIS Brown Coal R&D program.
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Moomba Carbon Storage Project, South Australia
This project proposes establishing a regional carbon storage hub in the Cooper Basin, with the CO2 used to re-pressurise oil reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery. Partners include Santos and Origin. A suspension of the project was announced in March 2009.
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Monash CTL Project, Victoria
Monash Energy (Anglo American and Shell Gas and Power) propose a brown coal gasification plant in the Latrobe Valley to produce syngas for conversion into a range of liquid products. Captured CO2 could potentially be stored in the off-shore Gippsland Basin. Studies are continuing on the proposed plant. A delay in development plans was announced by the company in December 2008.
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Munmorah PCC Project, New South Wales
This research scale pilot project will investigate the post combustion capture (PCC) ammonia absorption process, and the ability to adapt it to suit Australian conditions. Capture of up to 3000 tonnes of CO2 for the pilot phase began in February 2009 and will continue until June 2010. Partners involved in this project are Delta Electricity, CSIRO and the ACA. A larger scale demonstration project, incorporating geological storage, is under consideration.
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Tarong PCC Project, Queensland
CSIRO and Tarong Energy will install a post-combustion capture pilot plant using an amine-based solvent at Tarong Power Station near Kingaroy, Queensland. The pilot plant will capture 1500 tpa of CO2 over a two-year research program. Construction has commenced and the plant will be operational in early 2010. The cost of the project is $5 million.
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Wandoan Project, Queensland (CCS Flagship project nomination)
GE Energy and partners Stanwell and Xstrata Coal are proposing to build a 400MW IGCC power plant with capture and storage of 90% of CO2. Identification of suitable storage sites is being undertaken by the consortium, with the plant expected to be operational by 2015-2016.
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ZeroGen Project, Queensland
The Queensland Government, ACA and industry partners Shell Development and Zerogen propose a two stage coal gasification and CCS project “ZeroGen Mark II”. Stage 1 (demonstration) will be a 80 MW net plant located near Rockhampton and is proposed to be operational by 2012. The CO2 will be captured and transported approximately 220km by pipeline for storage in the Denison Trough. Stage 2, a 300 MW net coal gasification plant, is proposed to come online by 2017.
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Australian Government offshore acreage for CO2 storage
The Australian Government has released acreage for rights to assess potential CO2 storage in Australian waters. Applicants can bid to obtain an assessment permit, which has a term of six years. In that time, the permit holder will have the right to explore for CO2 storage and if successful, the right to convert the permit into an injection licence.
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CCS activity in Australia 2010 brocure [PDF]
