Captus Generation announced this week that the firm is advancing plans to build carbon-neutral, gas-fired power generation facilities near Pincher Creek in southwest Alberta.
The development will supply reliable electricity to Alberta’s grid and potentially support on-site power-consuming businesses such as data centres, according to a statement from Calgary’s Captus, a subsidiary of Canadian infrastructure firm BTG Energy.
Launched earlier this year, Captus is “exploring a promising opportunity” to repurpose a historic depleted natural gas field, says Mark Taylor, who serves as Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Regulatory with Captus.
“Everything we need to produce reliable, carbon-neutral electricity and safely sequester emissions is either on our planned industrial site or close by,” he explains.
The site, located approximately 20 kilometres south of Pincher Creek, already has an established natural gas supply, Taylor notes. It is also connected to the grid via nearby high-voltage transmission lines.
“This strategic positioning offers substantial cost efficiencies, time savings, and streamlined grid integration,” the executive posits.
Carbon emissions captured during power generation will be permanently stored underground in a reservoir underneath the development, eliminating the need for a pipeline, according to the company’s CEO, Harry Anderson.
“Captus Generation is poised to take a leading role in powering Alberta’s carbon-neutral future,” he says. “We are in the right place, at the right time, with the right business model to demonstrate Alberta’s unparalleled carbon sequestration capabilities, while reinforcing the economic viability of CCS.”
Initial plans include the construction of a full-scale, 200 MW power plant with potential for expansion.
Captus expects to deliver “substantial economic benefits” to the southwest Alberta region through increased tax revenue and the creation of skilled jobs.
A final investment decision is expected in early 2025.
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