FINNCAP - Meri Pori CCS Project

The FINNCAP - Meri Pori CCS Project was a proposal by the Finnish power generation companies Fortum and Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) to jointly develop "a carbon capture and storage (CCS) solution to their Meri-Pori power plant by 2015. The FINNCAP project aims to become part of the European CCS demonstration programme by capturing and storing more than 1.2 Mt CO2 annually." FINNCAP states that it aims to have the project operation by 2015.

The joint venture states that "CO2 shall be captured in Meri-Pori with post-combustion technology supplied by Siemens Energy ... The capture system will treat 50 % of the plant's flue gases on full capacity. Carbon capture requires significant investments and decreases plant net efficiency from 43 % to 38 %. Also the plant output decreases from 565 MW to 500 MW. The target is to reach a CO2 capture rate exceeding 90% of the treated flue gas flow with more than 1.2 MtCO2 captured annually."

Where most CCS proposals involve direct pumping from the point of capture to a storage site via a pipleine, FINNCAP is investigating transporting compressed carbon dioxide via ship. FINCAPP state that in December 2009 it contracted Maersk Oil to investigate "the possibility of providing final CO2 storage in the depleting oil and gas fields of the Danish North Sea, as well as the potential use of CO2 for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The ship transportation distance to North Sea would be approximately 2,000 km and require two tankers with the capacity of ~20,000 m3. In addition, an intermediate storage would be needed at Port of Pori."

Project Collapse
In October 2010 Fortum announced that the project had been abandoned as a result of "studies that have been done and on the company’s updated strategy." earlier in the year TVO had withdrawn from the project.

In a media release announcing the collapse of the project the company stated that "the technological and financial risks related to the project contributed to Fortum’s decision." While the company had originally aimed to gain funding from the European Union’s CCS demonstration programme, additional funding would have been required from the Finnish government and participating companies.

Acceptance into the EU programme would have covered only a portion of the costs of the approximately EUR 500-million project. In addition to EU funding, the project would have required national funding from Finland and significant investments from the companies participating in it. "According to Fortum’s updated strategy, coal condensing is not within the core of the company’s operations; in light of this the risks grew too extensive", Matti Ruotsala, Executive Vice President, Power Division stated in the media release.

Contact Details
Website: http://www.finncap.fi/en/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Carbon Capture and Storage
 * Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration projects worldwide
 * Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe
 * Carbon Capture and Storage in Finland