JOINT VENTURES AND ALLIANCES

Chemical Engineering Progress, Apr 2008

Alstom Partners with EPRI and We Energies on CO2 Capture Project

France-based Alstom (www.alstom. com), along with the U.S.-based Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI; www.epri.com) and We Energies (www. wisconsinenergy.com), have launched the first pilot project that uses chilled ammonia to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants. Alstom designed, constructed and will operate the 1.7-MW system that captures CO2 from coal-fired boiler fluegas at We Energies' power plant in Pleasant Prairie, WI. EPRI will conduct an engineering and environmental performance and cost analysis during the project, which will last at least one year.

In laboratory tests, Alstom's chilled ammonia process has demonstrated the potential to capture more than 90% of the CO2 in fluegas at a cost that is far less than other carbon-capture technologies. Once captured, the CO2 can be used commercially or sequestered in suitable underground sites. The demonstration project will test the process on a larger scale and evaluate its potential to remove CO2 while reducing the energy used in the process.

Alstom is a leader in power generation and rail infrastructure. EPRI is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on technology, operations and the environment for the global electric power sector. We Energies serves more than two million electric and natural gas customers in Wisconsin and Michigan.

BP and Irving Oil Continue Refinery Study

BP (www.bp.com) and refiner Irving Oil (www.irvingoil.com), operator of Canada's largest refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, are working on the second phase of development for the proposed Eider Rock refinery in Saint John. BP will contribute $40 million for the latest stage of the study. Irving oil will continue feasibility work, public consultation, and engineering design started in 2006. The proposed 300,000-bbl/d refinery would be situated near Irving oil's existing 300,000-bbl/d refinery and the Irving Canaport deepwater crude oil terminal, 65 mi from the U.S. border. If permitting approval is received and an investment decision is made, site preparation would begin in 2010, and full-scale construction would begin in 2011, with start-up expected in 2015. The refinery is expected to cost at least $7 billion.

BP, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, has operations in more than 100 countries. Irving oil serves the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian markets, and accounts for 75% of Canada's petroleum exports to the US.

Regenesis, URS and Berkeley Lab Receive DoD Research Grant

The Defense Dept.'s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program has awarded a grant to Regenesis Bioremediation Products, URS Corp. and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to evaluate the utility of geophysical imaging tools for investigating the performance of bioremedial soil amendments. San Clemente, CA-based Regenisis (www.regenisis.com) will administer the $869,000 grant and will manage any future transfer of the technology.

The study will be conducted at the F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, WY. URS is currently completing a groundwater cleanup project on the base using Regenesis's Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC), an enhanced bioremediation technology that accelerates the natural breakdown of a variety of chlorinated contaminants, including perchlorate and nitroaromatic explosives, into harmless byproducts such as ethene and ethane. The study will evaluate how multiple geophysical imaging methods - seismic, radar and electrical - can be used to verify the placement and subsurface distribution of soil amendments. If successful, the study will help to develop a potentially useful, non-invasive tool to monitor the subsurface transport of HRC-type amendments, as well as provide further understanding of groundwater remediation.

Regenesis is a developer of advanced groundwater and soil protection technologies. San Francisco-based URS (www. urscorp.com) provides engineering, construction and technical services for public agencies and private sector clients around the world. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (www.lbl.gov), in Berkeley, CA, has been a leader in science and engineering research for more than 70 years and is managed by the Univ. of California for the U.S. Dept. of Energy.