The refinery will be powered by renewable geothermal energy. The geothermal energy will be augmented by the refinery’s own carbon-dioxide emissions, which will be recycled to drive the geothermal power plant’s turbines.
As pressure mounts on coal-and natural-gas-fired power plants—as well as cement kilns—to reduce CO2 emissions, researchers are looking to not only capture and store those emissions but also to convert CO2 into marketable products.
With concern about global warming prompting 177 countries to sign the December 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the removal of carbon dioxide from power-plant flue gas is becoming an urgent priority.
A first-of-its-kind natural-gas-fired power plant that will emit no greenhouse gases is now under construction near Houston, and its commercialization is being financed in part by engineering-procurement-construction contractor CB&I, with the hope CB&I will be the go-to builder for larger versions of the plant in the future.