An innovative energy research project is underway in Kentucky, exploring the potential for large-scale carbon capture from natural gas at the Cane Run Power Plant.
Companies and universities join forces for a carbon capture project
The research involves collaboration between PPL Corporation subsidiaries Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, the independent energy research and development institute EPRI, the University of Kentucky, the engineering and construction company Bechtel, and the University of Michigan.
The carbon capture research project, funded primarily by a $5.8 million Department of Energy grant in 2022, involves a front-end engineering design (FEED) study. The purpose is to evaluate the feasibility and approximate cost of implementing the carbon capture technology developed by the University of Kentucky on CR7 to capture at least 95% of the carbon dioxide in the gases leaving the unit’s stacks.
Innovative results expected from the CR7 carbon capture project
CR7 is representative of natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants in the Midwest and Midsouth, where geographic storage of carbon dioxide is limited. The results of the CR7 project should provide valuable information for retrofitting a carbon capture process on other NGCC units.
The study will lay the groundwork for a 10-20 megawatt large-scale carbon capture and storage pilot unit at Cane Run. If the unit is deployed as proposed in the FEED study, it would be the first of its kind in the world.
As part of their commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050, decarbonization technology is a priority for utilities. The research will provide the necessary assessments to scale up the existing carbon capture technology to a large-scale, functional operation. It would be able to sell the captured carbon to one or more local businesses for their needs, or store it permanently underground.
The FEED study will take place from now until mid-2024. It will include pre-FEED research conducted by the University of Kentucky focused on the scope and design of the project, among other factors, the FEED itself conducted by Bechtel, business, environmental, and economic assessments conducted by EPRI, and a life cycle assessment conducted by the University of Michigan.
Toward a Carbon-Free Future: Utility Engagement in this Innovative Project
The federal grant for the study is the largest won by LG&E and KU since 2011, when the same team won a grant for a carbon capture pilot at the utility’s E.W. Brown plant. The research is also another important step in the long-standing partnership between the University of Kentucky and LG&E and KU, which have been collaborating on carbon capture research since 2005.
Utilities commit to achieving zero net carbon (GHG) emissions by 2050, with interim targets of 70% reduction from 2010 levels by 2035 and 80% by 2040. They have collaborated on innovative research in the industry, particularly in decarbonization and hydrogen technology. The utilities operate Kentucky’s largest carbon capture system, Kentucky’s first and largest large-scale solar installation, and Kentucky’s first and largest large-scale energy storage system.
In Kentucky, this innovative energy project has the potential to highlight the possibilities of carbon capture technology in Kentucky and help inform clean energy development worldwide. Large-scale demonstration of the emerging technology is a critical step in the journey from concept to commercialization. This research could lead to the unprecedented deployment of carbon capture technology in a natural gas combined cycle power plant.
