Oct. 31--NEW HAVEN, W.Va. -- Eyes around the world were focused on Friday's commissioning of a carbon capture and storage facility at American Electric Power's Mountaineer Power Plant.

The 1,300-megawatt coal-fired plant, situated on the Ohio River north of Charleston, is the first in the world to successfully demonstrate a technology on this scale that removes carbon dioxide from its emissions stream and sequesters it in the ground.

According to AEP, the project is able to capture and store about 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year -- or 90 percent of the carbon dioxide from the flue gas sent through its chilled ammonia process.

"This pilot plant today shows that we can power our country, clean our air and grow our economy," said Kristina Johnson, undersecretary for energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, while speaking to an international audience at the power plant.

"It's a stunning demonstration of elegant engineering, design and innovation," Johnson said. "This project is a critical step in the commercial-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage."

It's a first that's drawn international attention because, as climate change and carbon dioxide limits have become increasingly hot topics, researchers have rushed to prove the technology.

In the United States, with Congress considering climate change legislation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adding regulations, many have said the continued use of coal for power generation hinges on the speedy development of carbon capture and storage.

"Coal is a must, and coal must be clean," said Philippe Joubert, president of Alstom, the French company that partnered with AEP on the project. "Mountaineer is a turning point; this day we will all remember."

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., speaking at the power plant, summarized the uneasiness that has permeated coalfield communities in recent months.

"If I'm a coal miner sitting out in West Virginia, I'm nervous, I'm afraid, scared, [wondering], 'Am I going to have a job?' " Rockefeller said. "People need to come and see what's being done here today. That's what's going to settle people down."

The $137 million facility treats the gas created by about 20 megawatts of power generation, said Matt Cage, lead engineer on the project for Alstom.

Removing the carbon dioxide requires several steps, Cage said.

First, the flue gas is cooled to below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then, the gas enters an area called the absorber, where an ammonium carbonate solution is sprayed down as the gas comes up, causing a chemical reaction that removes most of the carbon dioxide.