July 26, 2013
A joint trial between Stanwell and the CSIRO of post-combustion capture (PCC) technology to cut carbon emissions at Tarong Power Station has been a success, the ABC reported today.
A small pilot plant, installed in 2009, has been stripping carbon from flue gases by passing them through a special chemical solution, called a sorbent.
In a commercial scale plant, the carbon dioxide-rich sorbent could then be heated to release and capture the carbon dioxide. After compression and cooling, the carbon dioxide could be then liquified for pipeline transport to a sequestration site.
CSIRO spokesman Dr Paul Feron told the ABC emissions had been cut by 90 per cent.
“The next step is to come up with better technology, better liquids which can absorb more CO2, which take a lot less energy to generate,” he said.
The pilot plant was part of a broader CSIRO research program to identify ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector.
CSIRO and the then-Tarong Energy each contributed $2.5 million to the project.
