Futuregen - ND bids on $1B power plant prototype

[star2city]

States Vie for Next-Generation Power Plant

North Dakota's bid site will be at Gascoyne, near Scranton, where a major power plant had recently been proposed but was later pulled. With limited emissions, air permitting issues should not nearly be as difficult, even with the proximity to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

In fierce bidding reminiscent of efforts two decades ago to win the superconducting super collider, seven states are aggressively trying to land a billion-dollar power plant prototype that's virtually pollution free.

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The finalists will be tapped this summer, with the winner to be announced next year - five years before the plant is expected to be running.

Touted as the power plant of tomorrow, FutureGen involves technology that converts coal into highly enriched hydrogen gas that burns cleaner than coal. Plans call for the 275-megawatt plant to capture most of its emissions of carbon dioxide - a "greenhouse" gas widely blamed for global warming - and inject them permanently into underground reservoirs, a process called sequestration.

One would hope that some of the CO2 could be sold to the oil industry to help with extraction, but that might be outside the scope of the project.

North Dakota's enticements total roughly $20 million, including various tax exemptions, $10 million in matching funds and $1.56 million for work force training, said Karlene Fine, the North Dakota Industrial Commission chief.

[nodakvindy]

Interesting, although I have to wonder about the location. Somewhere in McLean or Mercer would seem to make a lot more sense. That would put you near Falkirk Mine, Coal Creek Station, Great Plains Synfuels and the hydroelectric power of Garrison Dam. It's also on a major four lane highway closer to major cities, so construction costs would likely be less. There are also many more viable communities in that region that could take on the population increase construction and ultimately operation of the plant would bring.