Southern Company Announces World's Largest Power Plant CCS Project Is Capturing Carbon

PRESS RELEASE - Southern Company announced today that its 25-megawatt carbon capture and storage facility is operating and capturing carbon dioxide. Located at Plant Barry near Mobile, Ala., the CCS facility is the world's largest for a coal-fired generating power plant. It will capture approximately 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually – or the equivalent of emissions from 25 MW – for permanent underground storage in a deep saline geologic formation.

"This is a significant milestone in our continuing efforts to research, develop and implement 21st century coal technologies," said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. "Because coal is a low-cost and abundant natural resource, it is important for Southern Company and the industry to preserve coal as a fuel source."

Carbon dioxide at the Barry facility is being captured using Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. technology KM-CDR™, which uses an advanced amine solvent. The process begins with coal combustion which generates electricity, leaving a flue gas. The CO2 from the flue gas reacts with the amine solvent before being captured from the flue gas. It is then compressed, making it ready for pipeline transport.

Captured CO2 from the plant will be supplied to the Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, or SECARB, managed by the Southern States Energy Board, for transport by pipeline and injection 9,500 feet underground at a site within the Citronelle Oil Field. The site, about 11 miles from the pant, is operated by Denbury Resources. The CO2 will remain below the surface, permanently trapped in the geological formation into which it was injected and is not being used for enhanced oil recovery. A characterization well previously drilled within the field by SECARB revealed excellent characteristics for safe geologic storage.

Plant Barry is owned and operated by Alabama Power. The CCS facility is owned and operated by Southern Company Services. Both Alabama Power and SCS are subsidiaries of Southern Company.