ESBI provides Consultancy Services for clean-coal development in Norway

ESB International (ESBI) together with its local Norwegian partner Norconsult has recently been awarded a contract by Haugaland Kraft - a Norwegian electricity supplier - to provide consultancy services for the development of an 800MW cleancoal generating plant in Norway. The development is located on the south-east coast of Norway, near the city of Haugesund.

The client has expressly stated that the study should include a review of emerging technologies including IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) and Oxyfuel Combustion, as well as more established technologies such as Pulverised Fuel. In addition, the Norwegian Government has stated that all new power plant developments have 'zero emissions' and also a carbon capture facility. To achieve this, ESBI and Norconsult are conducting a review of carbon capture technology, including meetings with the various developers of capture plant and evaluation of potential 'value chain' options.

The plant will also be required to have the lowest possible NOx, SO2 and dust emissions, with use of Best Available Technology. The purpose of the current phase of the project is to provide data to support the application to the authorities to build the plant. The next phase is expected to run from March to the end of 2007, with the objective being a recommendation on the most appropriate technology to be pursued.

The ESBI team has spent considerable time in the Norconsult offices in Oslo, with both companies agreeing to share their respective experiences. The relationship with Norconsult has developed following a recommendation from Statoil, to whom ESBI is providing assistance for the development of an 800MW CCGT at Tjeldbergodden, near Trondheim. ESBI have also been asked to participate in a number of other power plant projects with Norconsult, including a number of CCGT developments.

The Norwegian electricity market is undergoing significant change and faces significant challenges to meet the growth in demand. Norway currently produces over 98% of its electricity needs from hydro-electric generation with seasonal variations catered for by a number of interconnectors to neighbouring countries.

ESB International