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Swan Hills ISCG/Sagitawah Power Project

Brief description:

Swan Hills ISCG/Sagitawah Power Project: Read more; Capture Method:
Pre-combustion
Capture Technology:

Capital cost:
$1.5 billion estimated overall cost for the ISCG/carbon capture and storage system and power generation
Financial support:
finsup
--> Volume:
1.4 Mtpa tonnes; 54.71667 -115.402749

Facts:

Country: Canada

Project type: Capture Storage

Scale: Large

Status: Feed study

Capital cost: $1.5 billion estimated overall cost for the ISCG/carbon capture and storage system and power generation

Financal support:
Alberta CCS fund

Year of operation 2015

Industry: Coal Power Plant

MW capacity: 300

Capture method: Pre-combustion

New or retrofit: New

Transport of CO2 by: Pipeline

Type of storage: EOR

Volume: 1.4 Mtpa tonnes/CO2

The Swan Hills in-situ coal gasification (ISCG) project in Alberta, Canada, aims to convert deep, unmineable coal into syngas for power generation, while capturing up to 1.4 million tonnes per year of CO2. The private company behind the venture, Swan Hills Synfuels, has said it aims to make a final investment decision in 2012. Moves to secure buyers for the CO2, for use in EOR projects, are well advanced.

The first phase of the ISCG demonstration project ran successfully until July 2009, and the commercial-scale venture is due to begin operations in 2015.

The coal will be converted to syngas within the original coal seam, and the resultant gas brought to the surface via a vertical production well. A new conventional gas plant in the nearby Whitecourt area, to be operated by a third party, will then use the syngas to generate 300MW of power, and CO2 will be removed as a byproduct stream.

The project includes an in-situ ISCG facility, a syngas pipeline and CO2 sequestration infrastructure. The captured CO2 will be sold to the operators of EOR projects and transported via pipeline to oilfields in the Swan Hills area.

Swan Hills Synfuels was formed in 2005 as a gasification development enterprise to develop gasification technologies and business opportunities.

Financing

Swan Hills Synfuels plans to make a final investment decision in 2012. The overall cost of the ISCG and CCS system is estimated at $1.5 billion. In December 2009, Swan Hills Synfuels finalised an agreement with Alberta state for C$285 million grant support from its $2-billion Carbon Capture and Storage Fund.

Timing

The first phase of the ISCG demonstration project ended in July 2009, providing results towards development of the commercial project. The FEED stage will run until mid-2012. At the same time, permits and approvals will be sought. Construction is planned to begin in mid-2012, with the venture – including CCS – becoming operational in 2015. Negotiations over the use of CO2 in EOR are at an advanced stage.