The ANLEC R&D program has the primary objective of providing the data, knowledge and capability to allow rapid and low risk implementation of LECT with CCS under Australian conditions.
Benefits of this R&D will include:
- Reduced cost and time required for project developers to take a project to pre-FEED status.
- Reduced cost and time required in permitting of projects.
- Reduced financing risk through increased knowledge and data available to owners & bankers engineers.
- Reduced capital and operating cost and increased operating flexibility through tailoring of plant specifically for Australian fuels, market requirements and environmental conditions.
- Reduced risks involved in using Australian fuels in commercial LECT systems, thereby supporting future marketability of those fuels.
- Improved plant reliability and availability.
- Evaluation of options for step changes in cost and efficiency from second generation technologies.
The principle alternatives for continued use of Australia’s coal resources to generate electricity while meeting future CO2 emission targets are:
- Pulverized Coal combustion, either with Post Combustion Capture or Oxy-Fuel.
- Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle with Carbon Capture and Storage and
These technologies are collectively termed Low Emission Coal Technology (LECT).
None of these technologies have yet been widely deployed at commercial scale. Pulverised Coal (without carbon capture) dominates both the world and Australian coal based power generation industries.
ANLEC R&D works with demonstration proponents to identify research priorities that accelerate deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Australia.
ANLEC R&D will focus on accelerating the feedback between the demonstration projects and the applied technology R&D, thereby mitigating risk and accelerating the technology development cycle. This focus within the classic technology development pathway is illustrated below with the following diagram.
