Located in Wilsonville, Alabama, the National Carbon Capture Center’s primary function is technology development. Our focus is on accelerating the commercialization of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-based power plants and industrial processes and also advancing carbon conversion and removal solutions. We provide a neutral site for public and private research organizations to conduct meaningful tests under real-world operating conditions
At our test facility, various advanced technologies such as solvents, sorbents, enzymes, membranes and hybrids are tested under commercially relevant conditions, while generating data to determine efficiency, environmental performance and economic viability. We can simultaneously test multiple technologies at various levels of maturity and scale. Highlights of current NCCC technology development include:
- 18+ technologies in queue to test
- Multiple technologies have progressed to front-end engineering design studies
- 12+ technologies propelled to 10+ megawatts and engineering-scale
Post-Combustion Carbon Capture
Our post-combustion test facilities include fully integrated units and various test bays for developers to install test skids. These test bays include:
- Lab-scale – small, indoor tabletop-sized units
- Bench-scale – outdoor units offering a footprint of up to approximately 15 feet by 25 feet
- Pilot-scale – outdoor units with a footprint of up to 50 feet by 75 feet
We have parallel infrastructure for evaluating carbon capture technologies for natural gas and coal power plants. The natural gas testing system accurately represents state-of-the-art natural gas combined-cycle power generation. This unique facility can accommodate advanced designs such as high-temperature capture processes.
The original facility, installed in 2011, uses flue gas from an 880-megawatt supercritical pulverized coal unit at Alabama Power’s Plant Gaston and has undergone significant modifications to enhance its testing capabilities.
Carbon Conversion
The National Carbon Capture Center provides a unique environment for developers to evaluate carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion technologies using fossil fuel-derived flue gas and/or captured CO2 from our post-combustion carbon capture system. Testing can evaluate advanced catalysts, reactor systems and processes to develop technologies that efficiently, economically and cleanly convert CO2 into value-added products. Near-term test plans include testing technologies that use CO2 to produce chemicals, concrete and algae.
Direct Air Capture
As our focus broadens to negative-carbon concepts, we have extended our research to advance direct air capture (DAC). Emerging DAC technologies separate CO2 directly from ambient air. Captured CO2 can then be safely and permanently stored underground or used in the production of fuels, chemicals and commercial products such as building materials. With our successful history of carbon capture testing, the center offers significant advantages as a DAC host site, including a proficient staff, the capability to test both DAC and capture from concentrated sources (or hybrid concepts), and assistance in finding domestic and international scale-up partners.