Babcock & Wilcox to convert NorthStar Clean Energy coal plant to biomass

NorthStar Clean Energy has awarded Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) a contract to undertake a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) engineering study at its power plant in Filer City, Michigan in the US.
The study is the first phase of a commercial-scale project, as Northstar Clean Energy seeks to convert the coal-fired plant to utilise biomass fuel, and to retrofit the plant with B&W’s SolveBright™ carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture process.
NorthStar Clean Energy said it intends to eliminate CO₂ emissions from the plant by converting the 75-megawatt TES Filer City Station power station to use sustainable biomass.
The CO₂ generated by the plant would be captured using B&W’s unique SolveBright post-combustion CO₂ scrubbing process which provides for flexibility in the regenerable solvent used to isolate CO₂ for sequestration or utilisation.
The project is partially funded by the US Department of Energy. B&W will manage construction and mechanical scope of the study and commercial phase.
“BECCS projects hold tremendous potential in helping the world achieve a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said Joe Buckler, B&W senior vice president, clean energy.
“Capturing CO₂ from biomass combustion allows a plant to generate energy and be a net-negative emitter of greenhouse gases. This in turn allows the plant owner to offset emissions from other sources such as through the sale and trade of carbon credits.”
“For post-combustion carbon capture, B&W offers pre-treatment technologies to clean the flue gas prior to carbon capture and our SolveBright process that can be tailored to support the preferred solvent of our customers,” Buckler added.
“NorthStar Clean Energy brings our expertise and creativity to help our clients reach their decarbonisation and business goals quickly,” said Brian Hartmann, president of NorthStar Clean Energy. “The Filer City carbon capture project is a prime example of how we can use innovation to make that happen. We look forward to partnering with B&W to showcase this technology’s potential in Michigan.”