The Callide Oxyfuel Project will demonstrate the viability of integrating the technologies below to achieve near-zero greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired electricity generation.
Oxyfuel Combustion and CO2 Capture
The project will retrofit oxyfuel technology to a boiler at CS Energy's Callide A Power Station near Biloela in central Queensland. Oxyfuel combustion is burning pulverised coal in a mix of oxygen and recirculated waste gases to create a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the gases exiting the boiler. The CO2 is then captured, purified and compressed to liquid form, ready for transport to an underground storage site.
Geosequestration
The captured liquid CO2 will be stored deep underground in geological formations using a process known as geosequestration. Suitable sites for geosequestration are sedimentary basins that have permeable rock to absorb CO2, with a natural upper seal of non-permeable rock material. Depleted gas fields are an example of sites with high CO2 storage potential, as they have characteristics that enabled natural gases to be stored there previously for millions of years.
The Callide Oxyfuel Project team is assessing potential geosequestration sites to the west of Biloela and plans to select the final location in 2009.
Click here for a diagram of the Callide Oxyfuel Project technologies.