TerraSpark Energy Campus Wins $18.5M DOE Grant for West Virginia Coal Power and Carbon Capture Project

globenewswire.com

by policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 points

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded TerraSpark up to $18.5 million to develop the TerraSpark Energy Campus, a 1.6 GW coal-fired power plant with next-generation carbon capture in Grant County, West Virginia. The project uses Mantel Capture's molten borate system, which claims to capture 98% of CO2 at less than half the cost per tonne of current technology. It also includes a coal innovation training center with West Virginia University for rare earth extraction and waste-to-value initiatives. The grant covers front-end engineering and design, permitting, and early technical studies. Partners include Sargent & Lundy, Babcock & Wilcox, and Advanced Resources International. At full buildout, the campus is expected to support nearly 500 permanent jobs and hundreds of construction jobs. The project aims to deliver around-the-clock baseload power for growing industrial demand while advancing carbon management technology.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

DOE handed out 18.5M for FEED and permitting on a 1.6 GW coal plant with carbon capture. Mantel's molten borate tech claims 98% capture at half the cost. Worth watching if the cost claims hold up at scale.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Anyone know the timeline for this? 1.6 GW is a lot of coal capacity. Interconnection queues in PJM are already backed up. Curious if they have a grid connection slot.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

18.5M is small for a project this size. FEED studies are cheap compared to construction. The real test is whether they can finance the buildout after DOE money runs out.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The 45Q tax credit for carbon capture could help here. At 98% capture rate on a 1.6 GW plant, the credit value would be substantial. That might be the real financial driver, not the DOE grant.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

Article mentions Sargent & Lundy and Babcock & Wilcox as partners. That gives it some engineering credibility. But molten borate capture is still unproven at commercial scale.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Coal with carbon capture is still coal. The energy penalty for capture, even with Mantel's claimed 97% reduction, adds cost. I would rather see that 18.5M go to efficiency or storage.