September 19, 2019

Duckworth, Durbin Announce U of I’s Selection in $55 Million Nationwide Carbon Capture Research Project

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will participate in a $55.4 million nationwide research project on carbon capture in southern Illinois from the Department of Energy (DOE), one of nine organizations selected to study commercial-scale carbon capture systems through this grant program. The project is funded through DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy’s Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Studies for Carbon Capture Systems on Coal and Natural Gas Power Plants program.

“I’ve seen firsthand in Illinois how effective carbon capture, utilization and storage can be in bringing economic and environmental benefits,” Duckworth said. “Investing in research and infrastructure for these technologies has the potential to encourage job growth, fight climate change and secure our global leadership in the energy sector for years to come. I’m proud the University of Illinois is a leader in this research, and I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin to ensure Illinois has the federal resources needed to continue advancing carbon capture technology.”

“Any meaningful strategies for addressing the causes and dangers of climate change must include reduced carbon emissions,” Durbin said. “This federal funding will support the University of Illinois’ innovative research related to making carbon capture more effective, which could lead to significant environmental and economic benefits. Senator Duckworth and I will continue fighting for federal investments to help reduce emissions.”

Under this announcement, the University of Illinois will participate in a FEED study for the installation of a carbon capture system at the Prairie State Generating Company’s (PSGC) Energy Campus in Marissa, Illinois. The project will be based upon the Advanced KM CDR Process carbon dioxide capture technology from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Advanced KM CDR Process is an amine-based capture system that uses the KS-21 solvent. If successful, the project would provide valuable insight into lowering the cost of carbon capture systems.

Duckworth, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has been a strong advocate for investing in carbon capture technology. Duckworth’s Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act amends the Clean Air Act to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a competitive grant program for certain technology projects that capture carbon dioxide directly from the air. Because of its geography, Illinois is among the best places in the U.S. to store sequestered carbon.

Durbin has long supported federal policies to promote carbon sequestration, from Department of Energy projects that test carbon storage technologies for new power plants to cosponsoring the expansion of a federal tax credit that now makes carbon capture more affordable for many existing power plants.

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