Caterpillar Inc. last week announced its intent to join the FutureGen Alliance, a public-private partnership established to build a first-of-its-kind coal-fired, near-zero emissions power plant in Mattoon, Ill. The FutureGen facility is designed to be the cleanest coal-burning plant in the world and will integrate advanced technologies for coal gasification, electricity production, emissions control, carbon dioxide capture and permanent storage and hydrogen production on a commercial scale.
Caterpillar has long been committed to technologies and policies that slow, stop and reverse the growth of Green House Gas emissions. Joining the FutureGen Alliance further solidifies the company’s global effort to promote sustainable development and reduce carbon emissions.
“Clean-coal plays a critical role in our energy supply, energy security and environmental protection,” said Caterpillar vice chairman, Doug Oberhelman. “The FutureGen project will demonstrate carbon capture and sequestration technologies that are absolutely essential for the world to realize reductions in GHG emissions. This alliance recognizes the global nature of climate and energy challenges and will provide domestic and international communities the ground-breaking technologies to assist in the shared goal of reducing GHG emissions.”
The FutureGen plant is a 275-megawatt integrated gasification combined-cycle power plant. It will be capable of powering about 150,000 homes. The United States Department of Energy will provide more than $1 billion in funding to the project.
“I am delighted that Caterpillar is joining in this long-overdue endeavor to advance our nation’s energy independence and put people back to work in jobs that will prove we can burn coal cleanly,” said United States Representative Timothy Johnson (R-IL), whose district includes the FutureGen site in Mattoon. “We have been working toward this project for nearly seven years, and this decision brings us one step closer to getting under way. Caterpillar has practically written the book on sustainable manufacturing. It’s a perfect fit.”
Headquartered in Peoria, Ill., Caterpillar Inc. is a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines.
