This is the first step in the planning process for two commercial demonstration plants to be located in Texas, fulfilling a commitment made by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Texas Pacific Group during their acquisition of TXU, now Energy Future Holdings (EFH).
Fulfilling other merger-related commitments, Luminant previously terminated permits for eight planned coal-fueled generation units. The company also has applied for membership in the US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) and the FutureGen Alliance.
The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology can convert coal to a synthetic gas and remove or reduce pollutants from the gas before combustion. The gas is then used in a combined cycle power plant to generate electricity.
This project would reportedly focus on driving efficiency improvements, emissions reductions and technological breakthroughs that could enable IGCC and gasification to meet the growing energy needs of Texas.
