ZeroGen

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{{#badges:CoalSwarm|Navbar-Australiacoal}}ZeroGen was a proposed 500-megawatt (MW) Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in Queensland.

Background

ZeroGen was proposed by ZeroGen Pty Ltd, a Queensland government owned company. In 2008 ZeroGen embarked upon a major Prefeasibility Study (PFS) for a nominal 500 MW Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant with carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Central Queensland. This included capture, transport and storage of some 60–90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 30 year period. The commercial–scale deployment study was funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments and the Australian Coal Association.[1]

However, in late October 2011, the company was put into receivership by the Queensland government. Announcing the collapse of the project, the Queensland Deputy Premier Andrew Fraser stated that the project was not financially viable. "I think it's important to acknowledge here that we're talking about the potential for billions of dollars to be invested in this technology," he said.[2]

The CCS Dream

"CO2 emissions will be captured at site and transported approximately 220 kilometres by truck for injection and safe storage in deep underground reservoirs in the Northern Denison Trough," the company's website states. The feasibility study on this part of the project is expected to be completed Stage One feasibility study is now expected to be completed by the end of 2009.[3]

The second stage of the project, depending on the outcomes of the first stage, would involve the construction of a 400 megawatt CCS project in Queensland at a site yet to be determined. The pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for the second stage are scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2008.[3]

The estimated cost of the total project had been reported as being $1.7 billion, "$500 million more than originally planned."[4]

While major environmental groups such as Greenpeace oppose CCS, the ZeroGen project has gained the support of WWF-Australia and the CFMEU. A ZeroGen media release cited WWF-Australia CEO, Greg Bourne, as statiung that "rapid deployment of demonstration plants like ZeroGen is necessary to determine whether CCS is practical for broad application."[5]

Federal funding

In December 2009 the Federal Minister for Resources, Martin Ferguson, announced that the government would spend up to $120 million on pre-feasibility work on four CCS related projects, one of which was the Wandoan project. In a media release Ferguson stated that the project "aims to store up to 2.0 mega tonnes of CO2 per annum. The project is near prospective geological formations for CO2 storage that are under assessment."[6]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. ↑ ZeroGen IGCC with CCS, UQ Energy Initiative, 2014
  2. ↑ Paul Robinson, "Clean coal project in liquidation", ABC News, October 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "ZeroGen Mark II", ZeroGen website, accessed August 2008.
  4. ↑ Drew Cratchley, "Clean coal power station a step closer: Bligh", Brisbane Times, March 19, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Reconfigured ZeroGen Project To Deliver Large-Scale Clean Coal by 2017", Media Release, March 19, 2008.
  6. ↑ Martin Ferguson, "CCS Flagship Projects Short-listed", Media Release, December 8, 2009.

Related SourceWatch Articles

External resources

External articles

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