(Source: Business Wire)
Hydrogen Energy International has won $308 million of Department of Energy (DOE) funding for its Kern County, California, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant which will capture and permanently store 90% of its carbon dioxide.
The funding award comes to California as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is part of the third round of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) highly competitive Clean Coal Power Initiative.
"This award is a significant commitment by the US Administration to low-carbon power generation with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Both the DOE and Hydrogen Energy recognize that this project may become the model for new power generating facilities throughout the world," said Lewis Gillies, Chief Executive of Hydrogen Energy International.
"Today's news, together with Hydrogen Energy having just completed the engineering and design for its low-carbon project in Abu Dhabi, demonstrates how our company is working on two of the most advanced large scale CCS power projects in the world. We are on a schedule that would allow us to make the final investment decision late next year or in early 2011," added Lewis Gillies.
Federal DOE support follows on the heels of earlier support this year from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in its decision approving Southern California Edison's $30 million request for participation in a Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) project study.
"This federal and state partnership represents a win-win for California, and could not have happened without the leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger and all five of the CPUC commissioners led by President Michael Peevey," added Jonathan Briggs, regional director of the Americas at Hydrogen Energy International. "These policy leaders have publicly encouraged the state's utilities to work together to demonstrate and deploy carbon capture and storage technology. In addition to this, the California Energy Commission is managing the permitting process."
"Today's announcement is an important step for the HECA project and also demonstrates the importance and viability of the project in meeting the dual challenges of global climate change mitigation and increased state and national demand for energy security. And, importantly, these critical federal funds flowing from the President's economic stimulus package will have a positive impact for California and the local Kern County area," Briggs continued.
