TVA to study carbon capture at two natural gas-fired plants
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TVA to study carbon capture at two natural gas-fired plants

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and TC Energy are investing $1.25 million to study carbon capture retrofits at TVA’s natural gas-fired plants in Mississippi and Kentucky.

The aim is to assess the feasibility, costs, and impacts of carbon capture technology as part of TVA’s decarbonization efforts. TVA said study findings will inform future decisions regarding TVA’s generation fleet. The federal utility’s goal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Carbon capture involves sending emissions from natural gas plants to a CO2 scrubber, where a chemical process absorbs CO2 before release into the atmosphere. The captured CO2 is then heat-treated, compressed and safely stored underground. In some instances, the CO2 is transported across states through pipelines and stored at facilities and used for other purposes.

The Biden Administration believes large-scale deployment of carbon capture, transportation and storage infrastructure could play a vital role in reducing emissions and has increased pressure on the CCS industry to show that the technology can significantly help combat climate change.

Proponents say CCS could have a huge role in reducing emissions, while opponents note the technology is far from scale and argue that focusing on it distracts from renewable energy solutions.

Rules announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year set caps on carbon dioxide pollution that most coal and gas-fired plant operators would have to meet. The EPA rules would not mandate the use of CCS but are expected to help usher it in.

TVA said the study would be conducted at its plants in Ackerman, Mississippi and Drakesboro, Kentucky. That would imply the 705 MW Ackerman plant and the 1,000 MW Paradise plant, respectively. Both are combined-cycle facilities.

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