SaskPower鈥檚 carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at Boundary Dam Power Station achieved another milestone by reaching the targeted volume of 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in one year.
The captured volume represents or compares with the removal of 200,000 vehicles off the roads.
Company officials stated it has been a successful year for the Boundary Dam Unit 3 facility since it has been operating 85 per cent of the time and for six of the past 12 months, the facility was online 100 per cent of the time.
The electrical power produced at the CCS unit is competitive with other electrical generating sources and is powering more than 100,000 homes and businesses in the province.
鈥淲ith this investment in technology, we鈥檝e eliminated emissions equal to the removal of 200,000 cars off the roads for the last 12 months,鈥� said Mike Marsh, SaskPower鈥檚 president and CEO.
鈥淣ow that we have proven the reliability of CCS technology this year, next year we will continue to ensure we meet our commitment to our offtaker and emissions regulations while running the CCS process in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.鈥�
In referring to the offtaker, Marsh was noting the fact that the oil production company Cenovus has contracted to take regular volumes of the carbon dioxide gas for its own use as a value-added tool for enhanced oil recovery processes in the nearby oil patch.
SaskPower added in their Oct. 31 statement that they will continue to focus on consistent, reliable operations which will include routine scheduled maintenance to ensure both the plant and the capture processes are working efficiently and safely.
鈥淐CS technology continues to advance and we have made significant progress. SaskPower is the first in the world to use CCS and as we continue into the future we will continue to make changes to improve our facility,鈥� said Marsh.
