Hitachi Announces Partnership with SaskPower on Test Facility for CO2 Capture Technology

March 20, 2012

• PDF Download(PDF Type,54kbyte)

Hitachi Announces Partnership with SaskPower
on Test Facility for CO2 Capture Technology

Saskatoon Saskatchewan, March 20, 2012 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT/TSE: 6501, "Hitachi") announced today that the Company has agreed to collaborate with Saskatchewan Power Corporation ("SaskPower") to jointly construct a Carbon Capture Test Facility, ("CCTF"). The test facility will be a part of SaskPower's larger "Clean Coal Project", which is a comprehensive initiative to select and apply emerging carbon capture technologies to coal fired power plants to manage their emission of greenhouse gases.

In this project equipment to capture CO2 will be installed at SaskPower's Shand Power Station (298MW), which is located near the city of Estevan, Saskatchewan. SaskPower and Hitachi will jointly invest 5 billion yen to cover the cost of the project. Operations of the CCTF will begin mid 2014.

While the demand for electric power is increasing in Canada, power companies are being required to implement countermeasures against global warming, including measures to suppress CO2 emissions, and to reinforce these initiatives, Canada is currently promoting the development of CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage) technology and the implementation of demonstration projects as a national strategy. SaskPower, in line with this initiative, is currently constructing a world leading, large CO2 capture and storage demonstration project at the Boundary Dam Power Station. Hitachi was selected to supply the steam turbine and generator for this carbon capture and storage demonstration project and will build the crucial system that is needed to efficiently supply the steam required for the CO2 capture and storage equipment.

Hitachi began researching and developing technology to capture CO2 in the 1990s and since then, the company has conducted demonstration projects using its own research equipment as well as domestic and overseas pilot facilities. SaskPower's experience in integrating CCS into commercial projects combined with Hitachi's expertise in Carbon Capture Technology will contribute to a comprehensive evaluation and demonstration of the equipment's overall reliability, economic feasibility, and the necessary properties to scale-up to a large, commercial-scale facility. Hitachi will produce and supply its CO2 capture solvent (H3-1) and the main equipment for the facility. The Hitachi Group companies Babcock-Hitachi K.K. (President : Tetsuro Wakino) and Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd. (President and CEO : Tom Kishchuk) at the Province of Saskatchewan will be in charge of production and supply.

Through this demonstration project with SaskPower, Hitachi will focus on achieving commercial operations, reducing costs, realizing innovative technologies, and will contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society.

Hitachi is also deepening its collaboration with the province of Saskatchewan through exchange activities sponsored by the Japan Coal Energy Center and the Coal Division of the Natural Resources and Fuel Department of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and will further endeavor to contribute to this mission.

Overview of the CCTF Demonstration Project

Amount of CO2 that is captured	120 tons/day
Equipment Installation Site	Shand Power Station (Coal-Fired Thermal Power Station)
CO2 Capturing Process	Chemical Scrubbing
Evaluation Items	CO2 capture efficiency, energy usage, reliability, etc.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

News Release from EPA - Comments Sought on GHG Inventory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASEFebruary 27, 2012
EPA Requests Comment on 17th Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on the annual “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2010” (Inventory) draft report. The Inventory is the United States’ official estimate of total national greenhouse gas emissions, and is developed annually to meet commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The draft report will be open for public comment for 30 days.

The draft report shows that in 2010, overall greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions increased by 3.3 percent from the previous year. This trend is attributed to an increase in energy consumption across all economic sectors, due to increasing energy demand associated with an expansion in the economy. There was also an increase in air conditioning use due to warmer summer weather during 2010. Total emissions from GHGs were about 6,866 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent. Overall, emissions have grown by 11 percent from 1990 to 2010.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions nationally from 1990 to 2010. The gases covered by this inventory include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.

This annual report is prepared by EPA in collaboration with experts from other federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the UNFCCC. This report will fulfill the annual requirement of the UNFCCC international treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

More information on the draft report and submitting comments: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
R028

Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

Grants for Clean Air Projects in San Joaquin Valley

News Release from EPA Region 9:

For Immediate Release: January 24, 2012

Media Contact:  Nahal Mogharabi, 213-514- 4361, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov    

 EPA Announces Millions in Grants to Clean Air Projects in San Joaquin Valley
Strategic Plan Aims to Reduce Harmful Air Pollutants, Improve Water Quality

SAN FRANCISCO—U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld today announced $5 million in funding that will pay for cleaner locomotives throughout the San Joaquin Valley, including a state-of-the art locomotive operating between the Port of Stockton and Lodi. EPA and its partners in the valley, the California Air Resources Board and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District made the announcement at the Central California Traction Rail Company in Stockton, CA.


In addition, approximately $16 million in grants was announced to slash diesel emissions, advance air quality and improve public health throughout the state of California. The San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country, also has some of the nation’s worst air quality and highest rates of asthma. Federal, local and state partners are working to alleviate these problems by channeling significant funds into new clear air technologies.


“EPA’s goal is to reduce the public health impact of diesel emissions from the trucks and trains moving goods through the San Joaquin Valley,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This funding will reduce particulate matter emissions by 210 tons statewide for the lifetime of these projects—the equivalent of removing 1,000 heavy-duty trucks off the road.”


The state of the art locomotive unveiled in Stockton uses significantly less fuel than its 1953 model year predecessor and emits 90 percent less particulate matter and 92 percent less nitrogen oxides into the environment. This locomotive also uses a regenerative braking system, in which energy otherwise lost as the train slows down is captured and reused.  New technologies such as these significantly cut emissions, while creating new jobs and revitalizing local economies.


"The Air Resources Board is committed to slashing diesel emissions throughout California," said Air Resources Board Member Dorene D'Adamo. "By adopting effective regulations and working with our local and federal partners to bring projects like clean locomotives to the Central Valley, we are making great progress.  Our air is quantifiably cleaner than it was back in the last decade, and everyone here today has contributed to that achievement."     


These EPA clean diesel grant funds will eliminate approximately 210 tons of particulate matter, 4,500 tons of nitrogen oxides and 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions for the lifetime of these projects. 


“The challenges we face in the Valley are unmatched by any other region in the nation, and we highly value our partnership with the EPA in our joint efforts to reach our clean air goals,” said Seyed Sadredin, Executive Director and Air Pollution Control Officer of the San Joaquin Valley Air District. “Achieving zero emission goods movement is a key component of our clean air strategy.”


Pollution from dirty diesel engines remains one of the most significant health risks in California. The California Air Resources Board estimates that approximately 9,000 people in California die prematurely each year as a result of exposure to fine particle pollution like diesel exhaust.


The $21 million in funds will go to new projects throughout the state and existing locomotives in San Joaquin Valley including:

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District: $2,000,000 to repower two older locomotives with newer, cleaner engines.

California Air Resources Board: $14 million to replace 18 older with ultra-low emitting genset locomotives in San Joaquin Valley and Southern California and install a selective catalytic reduction system with a diesel oxidation catalyst capable of meeting Tier 4 emission levels on a line haul locomotive.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District: $1,557,987 to replace 43 heavy-duty drayage trucks that operate at ports around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sacramento Air Quality Management District: $1,097,032 to establish a voucher program to replace 200 existing diesel agricultural irrigation pump engines with new electric agricultural pump motors to power agricultural irrigation pumps.

In addition to the funding announcement, EPA today launched its strategic plan for the Valley which suffers from some of the most pressing issues in the region. The EPA prioritizes air and water quality, enforcement of public health standards and environmental justice. EPA will continue to work with the California Air Resources Board and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and will aim to reduce particulate matter 2.5 concentrations by 7% in 2012. To improve water quality, EPA will work closely with other federal agencies to invest in 11 public water systems that need infrastructure improvements and treatment to meet drinking water standards. Under President Obama’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative, EPA has also contributed two full-time federal employees to lead a multi-agency team that will partner with the City of Fresno and local stakeholders to implement a redevelopment vision. As part of the strategic plan, EPA is also dedicated to tracking and reducing environmental hazards, recycling pesticide containers and helping to spur dairy digester projects in the Valley. EPA welcomes public comment on the San Joaquin Strategic Plan. The plan will be finalized in the coming months.

Diesel Emission Reduction Act grants are funded through the West Coast Collaborative, a public-private partnership between leaders from federal, state, and local government, the private sector, and environmental groups committed to reduce diesel emissions throughout western North America. The Collaborative has provided more than $97.5 million of grant funds, with an additional $119 million of leveraged money by its partners since 2008. This translates to emission reductions of approximately 1,725 tons of particulate matter and 38,895 tons of nitrogen oxide for the lifetime of these grant projects.


Cleaning up diesel emissions can also have direct near term climate benefits.  For more information, visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/BC%20Report%20to%20Congress?OpenDocument

More information on these grants and to learn more about the West Coast Collaborative, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org.

For more information on the National Clean Diesel Campaign, including a list of all grants nation-wide, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

For information about EPA Region 9 Pacific Southwest’s San Joaquin Valley Strategy, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/strategicplan/sanjoaquin.html

Today’s announcement is part of EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld’s two day “Whistle Stop Tour” of San Joaquin Valley. For more information on his overall visit, today’s event and photos, please http://www.epa.gov/region9/mediacenter/sjv-tour/

 ###

Acid Rain Study Shows Decreases, But More Progress Needed

News Release from the U.S. Geological Survey:


Acid Rain Study Show Substantial Decreases, But More Progress Is Needed
Released: 1/19/2012 4:23:54 PM

Contact Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communications and Publishing 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119 Reston, VA 20192

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Measurable improvements in air quality and visibility, human health, and water quality in many acid-sensitive lakes and streams, have been achieved through emissions reductions from electric generating power plants and resulting decreases in acid rain. These are some of the key findings in a report to Congress by the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, a cooperative federal program.
The report shows that since the establishment of the Acid Rain Program, under Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, there have been substantial reductions in sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions from power plants that use fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil, which are known to be the primary causes of acid rain. As of 2009, emissions of SO₂ and NO_x declined by about two-thirds relative to levels in the 1990s. These emissions levels declined even further in 2010, according to recent data compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Because emission reductions result in fewer fine particles and lower ozone concentrations in the air, in 2010 there were thousands fewer premature human deaths, hospital admissions, and emergency room visits annually leading to estimated human health benefits valued at $170 to $430 billion per year.

"The SO2  [portion of the] program includes the use of a creative emissions cap-and-trade program that combines the best of American science, government, and market-driven innovation," said Dr. John P. Holdren, director of Office of Science and Technology Policy and assistant to the President for science and technology.

Despite these emission reductions, the report also indicates that full recovery from the effects of acid rain is not likely for many sensitive forests and aquatic ecosystems. For example, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, an especially sensitive region, 30 percent of the lakes were receiving acid rain during 2006-08 in excess of the level needed to prevent harm.

Based on models which analyze various emission scenarios, the report concludes that beyond current SO₂  and NO_x emission levels, future emission reductions would likely promote additional and more widespread recovery as well as to prevent further acidification in some U.S. regions.

"The principal message of this report is that the Acid Rain Program has worked. The emissions that form acid rain have declined and some U.S. areas are beginning to recover," said Doug Burns, lead author and director of the NAPAP and also a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist. "However, some sensitive ecosystems are still receiving levels of acid rain that exceed what is needed for full and widespread recovery.  We have every reason to believe that recovery will continue with further decreases in emissions which is why further emission reductions would be beneficial."

The NAPAP reports to Congress on the latest scientific information and analysis concerning the costs, benefits, and environmental effectiveness of the Acid Rain Program, which was established by the Clean Air Act Amendments to reduce the primary sources of acid rain. Member agencies include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy, Interior and Agriculture, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Acid rain occurs when emissions of SO₂ and NO_x react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and oxidants to form acidic compounds. These emissions may be transported hundreds of miles away from their emitting sources, and have the potential to impact large areas and populations.

Together these acidic compounds can damage human health, and in addition to degrading air quality and visibility, can cause further environmental damage, including acidification of lakes and streams, harm to sensitive forests and coastal ecosystems, and accelerate the decay of building materials. Adverse ecological impacts from acid rain include reductions in biodiversity, an increased risk of damaging forest fires, and increased susceptibility of trees to pests, disease, and winter temperatures.

The report also highlights the need for better information including the costs and benefits to ecosystems from emission reductions, consideration of the role of climate change, and the interactions of multiple pollutants.
This report, "National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program Report to Congress 2011: An Integrated Assessment," is available online.

Utility to Purchase Low-Carbon Power from Innovative Clean Coal Plant

Blog post from the U.S. Dept of Energy web site.  The photo doesn't seem to go with the story, except that the photo depicts a coal gasification facility.

Utility to Purchase Low-Carbon Power from Innovative Clean Coal Plant

January 19, 2012 

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated coal gasification in large-scale field experiments at the Rocky Mountain Test Facility (above) near Hanna, Wyoming. Coal gasification and sequestration of the carbon dioxide produced are among the technologies being used in the Texas Clean Energy Project. | Photo courtesy of llnlphotos.

Michael Hess

New Media Specialist, Office of Public Affairs

Carbon emissions for this plant will be...

• less than 10 percent of a conventional coal plant of similar output.
• less than 25 percent of an high-efficiency natural gas-powered power plant.

The Department of Energy is working with industry to keep the United States at the forefront of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies. An innovative clean coal demonstration project in Texas, supported by the Department’s Office of Fossil Energy, recently took a big step forward.  

The Energy Department announced that CPS Energy of San Antonio will purchase approximately 200 megawatts of power annually from the Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP) when the facility is complete in 2015. The $2.4 billion plant will receive $450 million in funding from the Department’s Clean Coal Power Initiative; of this, $211 million comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
This is the first purchase in the United States of low-carbon power from a power plant that uses carbon capture technology.

When operational, the 400-MW facility located just west of Midland-Odessa, Texas, will be the cleanest coal-fueled power plant in the world. Using a state-of-the-art process known as integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from this plant will be less than 10 percent of a conventional coal plant with similar energy output, and less than 25 percent of a high-efficiency natural gas-powered power plant.

It will also be capable of capturing 90 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) it produces, as well as 99 percent of sulfur dioxide, 90 percent of nitrogen oxide, and 99 percent of mercury.

In the gasification process, coal is not burned as if you were shoveling coal into a furnace or a steam locomotive boiler. Instead, the coal is sealed in a gasifier -- an airtight chamber that allows only controlled amounts of oxygen to enter. Starved for oxygen, the coal bakes rather than ignites and creates enough heat and pressure in the chamber to squeeze hydrogen and carbon monoxide out of the coal. The gases squeezed from the coal are then processed into synthetic gas, or syngas.

Next, water vapor is added to the syngas, which chemically reacts with the carbon monoxide to create additional hydrogen and also carbon dioxide. The gas is then cleaned of impurities, and separated into pure streams of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen powers an advanced turbine to generate electricity and its carbon-free exhaust heats water to generate steam that’s fed to a turbine to produce even more electricity.

Of the nearly 2.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to be captured annually at the Texas plant, 83 percent will be used in the West Texas Permian Basin for enhanced oil recovery -- a technique where carbon dioxide is pumped into a known reservoir where it expands and forces the oil out of the well. The rest of the captured carbon dioxide will go to producing urea -- a valuable compound with many industrial applications.

Today, approximately 80 percent of the energy consumed in the United States comes from coal, petroleum, and natural gas, with coal-fired power plants accounting for approximately half of the electricity generated. The implementation of clean, state-of-the-art coal-based technologies will help ensure America’s energy security while mitigating the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use.