NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) Files Clean Coal Power Initiative Application to Build Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Demonstration Project in Texas

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) Files Clean Coal Power Initiative Application to Build Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Demonstration Project in Texas —

Company Joins DOE’s National Carbon Capture Center to support reducing greenhouse gases through technological innovation—

PRINCETON, N.J.----NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) submitted a Clean Coal Power Initiative application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to build a post-combustion carbon capture demonstration unit at the Company’s WA Parish plant southwest of Houston. NRG also joined the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), an industry-based partnership that focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions nationwide through technological innovation, including the development and testing of advanced pre- and post-combustion technologies to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil-fueled power plants.

“This post-combustion carbon capture project is another important step in NRG’s efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of existing fossil fueled electricity production substantially,” said David Crane, President and CEO of NRG Energy. “As we look to further decarbonize our fleet and push to develop and deploy these advanced technologies on a larger scale, initiatives like the National Carbon Capture Center will bring us closer to meeting the challenges of global climate change and transitioning to an environmentally sustainable energy future.”

NRG’s carbon capture demonstration project at WA Parish will be among the first of its kind and is expected to begin operating in 2013. It will use Fluor Corporation's (NYSE: FLR) advanced Econamine FG Plussm technology to process flue gas from the plant equal in quantity to that of a 60-megawatt (MW) unit. It will be designed to capture 90% of incoming CO2, or just under a half million tons of CO2 annually – a level that can prove the technology’s viability on a larger scale. Once captured, the CO2 will be compressed using Ramgen/Dresser-Rand technology and used in enhanced oilfield recovery operations, becoming a revenue stream to offset a portion of the cost of the project. Sargent & Lundy LLC is providing engineering support for the project, including innovative approaches to managing the energy requirements of the carbon capture technology.

To help spur further research, development, demonstration and deployment of critical carbon capture projects such as the one being conducted at WA Parish, NRG has also become a partner in the NCCC. Located at the DOE’s Power Systems Development Facility in Wilsonville, Alabama and managed and operated by Southern Company, the NCCC works with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities to conduct testing and analyses in power plant settings, at sizes large enough to provide meaningful performance data under real operating conditions.

“Alliances such as the National Carbon Capture Center and the technology we are developing at WA Parish will be invaluable to move technology currently in the lab to widespread use across the industry where we can help meet the challenges of global climate change,” added Crane.

“We welcome NRG Energy to the growing partnership at the National Carbon Capture Center,” said David Ratcliffe, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company, which is managing and operating the center for the U.S. Department of Energy. “Carbon capture is an important component of the diverse portfolio of technologies our nation must pursue to meet our energy and environmental challenges. NRG Energy's involvement strengthens our effort to develop and deploy these critical solutions.”

Some of NRG’s other efforts to repower with less carbon intensive technologies include:

•A 2,700 MW of new, zero-emission nuclear generation capacity in development at the Company’s South Texas Project location—enough to support more than two million homes; •Three wind farms in west Texas, two operating currently and one under construction, totaling approximately 350 MW; •About 500 MW of solar thermal power under development in California and New Mexico; and •Multiple natural gas plant developments in California, Texas and throughout the northeast. “At NRG we strive to find solutions to the many challenges we face as an industry,” said Crane. “Our hope is that, through a combination of innovation, public-private partnerships and pragmatic and effective climate legislation, we can make these critical projects that will turn the needle on climate change a reality.”

About NRG

NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, owns and operates one of the country’s largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, the Company’s power plants provide more than 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity—enough to supply more than 20 million homes. NRG’s retail business, Reliant Energy, serves more than 1.6 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers in Texas. A past recipient of the energy industry’s highest honors—Platts Industry Leadership and Energy Company of the Year awards, NRG is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group of business and environmental organizations calling for mandatory legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More information is available at http://www.nrgenergy.com/.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions and include NRG’s expectations with respect to carbon capture and sequestration and typically can be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “believe” and similar terms. Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated above include, among others, hazards customary in the power industry, general economic conditions, permitting and regulatory obstacles, construction delays, and changes in government regulation of environmental emissions.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this news release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect NRG’s future results included in NRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov/.


Published at The Investorideas.com Renewable Energy and GreenTech Business and Stock News RSS Feed: Subscribe : http://www.investorideas.com/RSS/feeds/RES.xml
Become an Investorideas.com Member
Gain Exclusive Insight on Leading Sectors, Global Trends, and Insider Trading Ideas, News, Articles and the complete renewable energy stocks directory.
Learn more: http://www.investorideas.com/membership/
Green Energy investors can also research stocks with the Renewable Energy Stocks Directory, one of the most comprehensive directories online. The directory has close to 900 stocks and new stocks are added each month for investors following the sector. The complete renewable energy stocks directory features stocks listed on the TSX, OTC, NASDAQ, NYSE, AMEX, ASX, AIM markets and other leading exchanges. The directory includes info and links on Alternative Energy Funds, Biogas and Ethanol Stocks, Energy Efficiency Stocks, Flywheel Stocks, Fuel Cell Stocks, Geothermal Stocks, Hydrogen Production, Micro Turbine Stocks, Solar Stocks, Green Transportation, Wind Power and Wind Energy Stocks and Green Infrastructure Stocks.


InvestorIdeas.com Disclaimer: Issuers of press releases and articles are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content