Tomorrow's Power Plant

Towards the power plant of tomorrow
A key task confronting HPE's engineers and scientists is to both raise power plant efficiencies and develop emission-reducing technologies. In a number of publicly and industrially supported projects, HPE is substantially involved in the implementation and testing of these technologies. Thus, HPE is very much a driving force in developing and implementing environmentally-friendly technologies.

HPE is involved to a major extent in practically all research projects where the current emphasis is on 700°C power plant processes. These projects are needed on the road to the CO2-free power plant. Through intelligent and advanced technologies, we intend in future to defend and extend our technological leadership in conventional power plant engineering in both the electrification of coal and lignite. Firing dry lignite promises to be of considerable interest in substantially raising the efficiency of German lignite. This is where we are also actively engaged. In addition, our support is lent to developing technologies which make it possible for coal to be burned in an oxygen atmosphere excluding nitrogen. CO2 capture following combustion is thus significantly simplified. We champion the technical refinement and commercialization of this technology. The basic principle here is firing coal with pure oxygen which then produces a highly concentrated CO2 stream without any troublesome atmospheric nitrogen. The CO2 is subject to renewed cleaning before it can be stored to the exclusion of any climatic impact. We are currently working on CO2-free generation of power from fossil fuels in various basic research projects. Demonstration plants involving key technologies for this process are being built or are planned.