CIUDEN takes last step in constructing CO2 Capture Plant

Works at the Tchnological Development Plant in Cubillos del Sil, Leon, (Spain)

• Isolux Corsán awarded the construction of Carbon Dioxide Compression and Purification Unit for EUR 9 million.

• The facilities place Spain at the forefront of international development of CO₂  capture and storage technologies, which will allow emission reduction by 90% in coal-fired power stations and heavy industry.

Ponferrada.-The Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (CIUDEN) has just awarded to the company Isolux Corsán, for an amount of EUR 9 million, the engineering and construction of the Carbon Dioxide Compression and Purification Unit, which completes the CO₂ Capture Plant promoted by the locality of Cubillos del Sil (León). CIUDEN awarded to Isolux Corsán the contract, in a bidding process in which four of the main multinational companies participated.

The new CO₂ Capture Unit will have state-of-the-art technology in cryogenic distillation, developed by the European multinational company Air Liquide, to process the carbon dioxide produced by the experimental installation before their transport and subsequent storage.

With the construction of such unit, CIUDEN takes a further step in making the CO₂ Capture Plant operational. This plant is unique in the world to validate at commercial scale oxycombustion capture, transport and geological storage technologies of CO₂ (CCS). These technologies will enable to renew the current fleet of power plants by zero emission power plants.

The European Commission, which is partially funding the construction of the plant[, considers that CCS represents a major instrument with regards to fighting against climate change, since it will enable reduction of greenhouse gases by 90% from coal-fired power plants and heavy industry, including the cement sector, among other industrial activities.

For CIUDEN’s Chief Executive, José Ángel Azuara, “the Plant in Cubillos del Sil (León) fulfils the strategic objective of maintaining Spain in a leadership position in the development of clean use of coal technologies, establishing relevant mechanisms to get a real technology transfer, to strengthen the competitiveness of the European industry on the emerging international market of constructing zero emission power plants”.

According to Isolux Corsán’s Chief Executive of Energy, Javier Riera, “thanks to this innovative technology, CIUDEN will contribute to meet the CO₂  emission targets under the Kyoto protocol for Europe and Spain”.