The Department of Energy chose ADA-ES, Inc. to develop a technology that will capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants. ADA-ES will be the prime contractor in what is expected to be a several million dollar project with the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory and several industry participants.

Several major power producers interested in supporting the development of the technology have provided letters of commitment to contribute $1.2 million of the project funding. These participants include AEP, Luminant, Southern Company, and Xcel Energy. In addition, the Electric Power Research Institute has agreed to support the project. Final scope of work and terms are to be worked out with DOE on the contract over the next two months.

The technology is being designed to provide a means of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases from coal-fired boilers. In the U.S., alone, there are 1,100 coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 320 GWs of electricity and, as a group represent the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. Regulations to limit carbon emissions in the future are being discussed at the International, Federal, Regional, and State levels.