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When the Boundary Dam coal plant in Saskatchewan opened the world’s first commercial-scale carbon capture and storage operation in 2014, it was supposed to save a million tonnes of carbon pollution each year.
Instead, seven years later, the $1.35-billion project the recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding has captured just four million tonnes, according to an announcement last month by its operator, the provincial utility SaskPower.
SaskPower employees and others have shown in a research paper how the carbon-capture facility “experienced unforeseen operational challenges and design oversights,” which hurt its performance and reliability.
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The EB Campbell Electric Station near Nipawin will live on for another 50 years following a “thorough and comprehensive refurbishment”, says SaskPower.
The station, which was first commissioned in 1963, is nearing the end of its life and requires upgrades to stay operational.
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Try refreshing your browser. 50 years to be added to Nipawin hydroelectric station Back to video
“Hydroelectric generation is an important part of our power future,” said Howard Matthews, Vice President of Power Production. “We are excited to breathe new life into E.B. Campbell, so it can continue to deliver clean, renewable power for the next half century.”
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SaskPower’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at Boundary Dam Power Station near Estevan, Canada, has captured more than 4 million t of carbon dioxide (CO
2) since operations began in 2014.
The milestone, which was achieved on 30 March 2021, represents greenhouse gas emissions reductions equivalent to taking 1 million passenger vehicles off the road for a year.
“This facility was the first of its kind in the world and stands as a strong example of our government’s commitment to supporting innovation,” said Don Morgan, Minister responsible for SaskPower. “We believe finding technological solutions such as CCS are crucial for transitioning to a prosperous, low-carbon future.”
“This facility was the first of its kind in the world and stands as a strong example of our government’s commitment to supporting innovation,” said Don Morgan, Minister responsible for SaskPower. “We believe finding technological solutions such as CCS are crucial for transitioning to a prosperous, low-carbon future.” SaskPower is on track to meet its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By 2030, emissions will be reduced by more than 40 per cent below 2005 levels. “Our CCS facility and Boundary Dam Unit 3 continue to provide low-carbon, baseload power to our customers, and we are still finding improvements that will support the facility as a long-term, sustainable operation,” said Howard Matthews, SaskPower Vice-President of Power Production. “In fact, 2020 was the second-best year to date for the facility, with 729,092 tonnes of CO2 captured.”