The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has granted an award to fund a carbon dioxide capture research and development project.
This research project, which is anticipated to cost over $100 million, will be undertaken by PPL, the University of Kentucky, and other partners. The project will be located at Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E) and the Cane Run 7 natural gas combined cycle generating facility owned by Kentucky Utilities Company. The system is designed as a 20-megawatt research system with the capacity to capture up to 240 tons of carbon dioxide daily or up to 90,000 metric tons annually.
PPL's president and CEO, Vincent Sorghi, expressed the company's commitment towards clean energy in a Feb. 2 news release announcing the DOE award. "Across PPL, we continue to pursue a comprehensive clean energy strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As part of our strategy, we're focused on driving innovation and advancing technologies that can be scaled safely, reliably and affordably to meet our customers' energy needs, including carbon capture and sequestration technologies," said Sorghi.
PPL's history dates back to 1920 when it was formed as Pennsylvania Power and Light through the merger of eight utilities. In the early years, PPL focused on electrification following the increased popularity of electric appliances in homes. The company later shifted its focus towards energy conservation and announced the construction of its first nuclear power plant. It underwent a name change from Pennsylvania Power and Light to PPL in the early 2000s. Over the next decade, PPL acquired LG&E and KU along with other utilities in the United Kingdom.
The collaboration between PPL and the University of Kentucky is not new according to Dr. Eli Capilouto, President of the University of Kentucky. "For almost two decades, the University of Kentucky has partnered with PPL on carbon capture projects that laid the foundation for industry-leading research. By scaling up UK's carbon capture technology and utilizing technology transfer, Kentucky can not only put carbon dioxide to industrial use, it can enhance the state's position in energy-intensive manufacturing sectors," Capilouto said.