Wednesday 20 November 2013

US puts $84m into cheaper Carbon Capture & Storage

New cash to fund research into lowering the costs of capturing carbon dioxide from power plants has been announced by the United States.

Its Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $84 million (£52.3m) to 18 projects in a bid to limit emissions from new and existing coal-fired power plants.

Projects being funded include $12.8 million (£8m) to test carbon capture technology for use in commercial projects such as enhanced oil recovery and $8 million (£5m) to  improve the efficiency of getting power from coal.

US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said: “The projects announced will focus on the next generation of carbon capture technologies - helping to drive down the cost, increase efficiency and ensure America’s continued international leadership in combating climate change.”

Coal and other fossil fuels still provide 80% of the energy in the US. The Obama Administration has invested $6 billion (£3.7bn) in clean coal technologies to date.

Last month the DOE announced grants totalling $60 million (£37.2m) to drive affordable and efficient PV technologies.