(Source: Business Wire)
Fluor Corporation (NYSE:FLR) announced today it was selected to begin limited engineering for Tenaska's Trailblazer Energy Center, a supercritical coal-fired plant development equipped with carbon capture technology in Sweetwater, Texas. Fluor and Tenaska have signed a memorandum of understanding that will be the basis of a joint Tenaska-Fluor limited engineering phase of work. If Tenaska goes forward with the construction of Trailblazer, Fluor expects to proceed with implementing design requirements, engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and start-up of the 600 megawatt plant. The undisclosed value of the initial engineering phase will be booked in Fluor's second quarter of 2009.
"We look forward to working with Tenaska on the first phase of this next-generation power plant," said Dave Dunning, president of Fluor's Power Group. "We believe Trailblazer will set a new standard for clean coal electricity generation globally by using advanced carbon capture technology, and we are delighted to be part of this innovation in clean energy production."
"Fluor is one of a select group of engineering and construction firms capable of designing, engineering and constructing a plant the scale of the proposed Trailblazer plant," said Michael Lebens, Tenaska's engineering and operations president and CEO. "Fluor is known and respected for its expertise and experience in building power plants across the globe and has experience with coal-fueled facilities and advanced carbon capture technology."
The proposed Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center is expected to be the first conventional commercial coal-fueled power plant in the United States to produce electricity while being designed to capture 85 to 90 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and providing for its use in enhanced oil recovery and geologic storage. The plant's advanced air quality control system will also minimize release of other emissions.
The limited engineering phase will last approximately 12 months and will produce the preliminary design and the cost to build the plant. Although Tenaska's final decision on Trailblazer construction will likely be made in 2010, the plant is already in an advanced stage of development. Tenaska has acquired all necessary property and signed tax abatement agreements with Nolan County and the Nolan County Hospital District. Trailblazer has received a draft air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and has received a screening study from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
