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New Technology for Existing Sources
We need a diverse mix of energy sources to preserve our environment and sustain our economy, including continued use of existing sources of baseload power and new renewable sources. This includes coal, which is low-cost, very reliable, and currently supplies 65 percent of Minnesota's electricity.
In order to maintain affordable and reliable electricity, coal should be part of the mix of energy sources used to support families and businesses in the state. By supporting investments in technologies that reduce emissions from coal production, Partners for Affordable Energy is committed to finding economical and efficient solutions for customers, taxpayers, governments and utility companies.
Investments in new coal technology, will allow us to greatly reduce carbon emissions using carbon capture and sequestration technology. Partners for Affordable Energy, public and private industries and universities have partnered together to share research and studies on new coal technology. There have been significant advancements in research, and researchers testing new technology are close to finding solutions that reduce carbon emissions. We need to continue working together to improve and apply that technology.
Clean coal technology research and development into carbon emissions reduction includes:
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Carbon Sequestration
Every day, 8,500 tons of carbon dioxide from North Dakota's Great Plains Synfuels Plant are captured, transported via pipeline, and stored or sequestered, in partially depleted underground oil reserves. Approximately 19 million tons of carbon dioxide have been captured from the Synfuels Plant through 2009.
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Reuse of Fly Ash
Great River Energy's Stanton Station and Coal Creek Station have been collecting and selling the fly ash refuse. The fly ash refuse has two main uses:
- It can be collected and used in concrete production, enhancing the desirable physical properties of the final concrete product, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
- Fly ash is also beneficial for soil stabilization projects. Using fly ash reduces the need to use natural resources such as clay in soil stabilization projects such as landfill dike construction and mine fill.
Great River Energy's new, environmentally-friendly headquarters in Maple Grove included fly ash in the construction of the building.
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Coal Gasification
Coal gasification technology for electric generation is still in the research stage and it is regarded as one of the most promising technologies for meeting future environmental challenges, with respect to carbon dioxide.
Lignite coal producers, along with the U.S. Department of Energy, are working together to test whether a generating process that converts coal into gas would produce greater efficiencies with few emissions than conventional pulverized coal generation technologies currently used. The tests confirmed that lignite can be successfully gasified and that the process produced acceptable gas heating values and very good carbon capture and conversion.
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Carbon Capture
Basin Electric Power Cooperative has launched an effort to demonstrate carbon dioxide capture at the Antelope Valley Station, a lignite-based power plant in North Dakota. The concept is that exhaust gases from the Antelope Valley Station go through a carbon dioxide capture system before exiting the plant. The captured carbon dioxide would then be delivered by pipe to the adjacent Great Plains Synfuels Plant and injected into a 205-mile pipeline system. The Great Plains Synfuels Plant will then use carbon sequestration to store the captured carbon.
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