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SaskPower officially opened the world’s first commercial-scale, coal-fired power plant equipped with carbon capture and storage technology on Thursday, with expectations the facility will generate global opportunities for Saskatchewan’s state-owned utility.
With a ceremony beginning this morning, followed by tours of the refurbished unit and the interior of the fully operational carbon capture building, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, along with Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Bill Boyd, Saskatchewan Economy Minister, and SaskPower President and CEO Robert Watson marked the occasion before more than 250 visitors and dignitaries from more than 20 countries representing governments, industries and media.
“Over the past six years, Saskatchewan has become a global hub of innovation, especially in agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and now carbon capture and storage,” Premier Wall said. “This project is another Saskatchewan first. The rest of the world is very interested to learn how they too can produce environmentally sustainable coal power.”
When fully optimized, SaskPower’s new process will capture up to one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road. The power unit equipped with CCS technology will continue to use coal to power about 100,000 Saskatchewan homes and businesses. The captured carbon dioxide will be used for enhanced oil recovery, with the remainder stored safely and permanently deep underground and continuously monitored.
Agencies/Canadajournal
