Coal-Hydrogen Plant

The Bush Administration has rolled out the Integrated Sequestration and Hydrogen Research Initiative, a $1 billion partnership between government and industry to design, build, and operate a coal-fired electricity and hydrogen production plant. The 275-megawatt prototype plant, known as FutureGen, will rely on coal gasification to produce electricity as well as a hydrogen-rich synthetic gas. Resulting hydrogen will be used in turbines, fuel cells, or hybrid technologies and could eventually become a source of transportation-grade fuel. Captured carbon dioxide, meanwhile, will be sequestered in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, deep saline aquifers, and basalt formations in an effort to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In conjunction with this, an

international Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum will bring together ministerial-level representatives to discuss emerging research and technologies surrounding carbon sequestration and to plan future, multilateral sequestration projects. The forum’s inaugural meeting will take place in Virginia this June.