Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
6/26/2015
SaskPower, in partnership with Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, unveiled a new Carbon Capture Test Facility in Estevan, Saskatchewan late last week. The center taps into the flue gas from the nearby Shand Power Station, enabling researchers to test equipment, chemical and engineering designs. Having been designed in a modular fashion, the facility allows researchers to isolate or modify individual parts to test specific technologies, according to a SaskPower release. High-quality measurement tools and data systems included at the facility will allow companies to track the performance of a technology over time. ?SaskPower can now offer access to this unique facility for companies to develop and test carbon capture and storage technologies,” Premier of Saskatchewan Brad Wall said in the release. ?This will continue to bring international interest to Saskatchewan and give us prime access to the next generation of CCS innovation.”
Though the facility is primarily arranged for testing liquid solvents, it could be adapted to test other technologies, Max Ball, SaskPower Senior Business Advisor for CCS Initiatives-CCTF, told GHG Monitor in an e-mail this week. “Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. will be the CCTF’s first client and will be testing their new amine solution during their time in the facility,” Ball explained. “SaskPower is considering best use of the facility going forward and would be open to work with any qualified technology vendor. As owner and operator of the facility, the decision will be a SaskPower decision reflecting expected benefit for future SaskPower projects and commercial terms.” The test facility will be in the International Test Center Network, of which SaskPower is a founding member.
SaskPower is currently operating the world’s only active commercial-scale CCS project, located on Unit 3 of their Boundary Dam plant, also in Saskatchewan. The company has indicated that it may consider retrofitting two more units at the plant as well if Unit 3 proves successful. “We need a mix of sources to meet the ever-growing demand for power, and in a way that balances affordability, reliability and sustainability,” SaskPower President and CEO Mike Marsh, said in the release. ?Carbon capture and storage is part of that mix. SaskPower is a pioneer in this technology, and we benefit from working with world technical leaders in this new facility to stay on the cusp of new and efficient CCS developments.”
