FutureGen Technology
Technology Overview
FutureGen is the first facility of its kind to combine and test several cutting-edge technologies in a single plant, including coal gasification, emissions controls, hydrogen production, electricity generation, and carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). The diagram below illustrates how these technologies fit together to create a near-zero emissions power plant.
Coal gasification is the core technology behind FutureGen. A gasifier will be used to convert coal into a gas of mostly hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is reacted with steam to produce additional hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide will be separated from the hydrogen and permanently stored in deep geologic formations thousands of feet below the earth's surface. This technology is known as carbon sequestration.
The hydrogen created from the gasification and carbon dioxide separation process will be used primarily to power a combustion turbine that will generate electricity. Steam heated by the combustion turbine exhaust drives a second turbine to generate additional electricity. This dual-turbine system used to create electricity from gasified coal is known as Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology.
Depending on the final technologies selected, FutureGen will produce either slag or ash from the non-combustible portion of the coal and a sulfur byproduct from captured hydrogen sulfide. Each of these byproducts may have commercial value depending on local market conditions. Additionally, the hydrogen used to produce electricity could also be used to power fuel cell vehicles of the future or as a feedstock for other industries.
Read more about coal gasification and carbon sequestration.