NorthStar Clean Energy has granted a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) to Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) to begin work on a Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) conversion of a former coal-fired power plant in Filer City, Michigan, using B&W’s biomass SolveBright post-combustion CO2 capture technology.
Upon completion, the power plant will use sustainable biomass as fuel, coupled with B&W’s SolveBright process, to generate power with net-negative greenhouse gas emissions. The plant will be capable of capturing up to 550,000 tons of CO2 annually, which will be permanently stored underground.
“By pairing sustainably sourced biomass fuel with carbon capture, our customer will be able to produce clean energy while eliminating the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jimmy Morgan, B&W EVP and COO. “As regulations require plant owners to significantly reduce or eliminate greenhouse gases from their coal-fired power generating assets, fuel-switching paired with CO2 capture can allow these assets to continue to provide economical and reliable baseload energy for many years to come.”
B&W and NorthStar Clean Energy will finalize the full contract in alignment with a front-end engineering and design study conducted by B&W for the project. The LNTP will help B&W start detailed design and procurement work while the parties finalize the contract.
While full notice to proceed is expected in Q4 2024, B&W’s full contract scope will include engineering, design, and delivery of equipment to convert the plant to use biomass fuel and add carbon capture technology. Babcock & Wilcox Construction Co. will manage the construction and mechanical scope of the project.
“NorthStar Clean Energy is excited to bring our innovative spirit and development expertise to build one of the nation’s first large-scale biomass with carbon capture and sequestration projects,” said Brian Hartmann, President of NorthStar Clean Energy. “This project marks a step-change in real-world opportunities for our customers that are working to decarbonize and meet their business goals.”
