ScottishPower welcomed representatives from China Power Investment Corporation (CPI), one of China’s leading electricity generation companies, to Longannet Power Station in Fife today to see the first plant to capture CO2 from an operational power station in the UK.

The visit was arranged through the World Energy Council and the CPI representatives included the Vice President Madam Zhang Xiaolu and Deputy Director General of Overseas Business Mr Li Hui. The company operates 41,123 MW of thermal generation[1] in China and has 213 member companies/institutions and 15 participating companies with 104,018 employees in total[2]. Overall CPI manages an installed capacity of 51,990MW.

ScottishPower recently began a project at Longannet using a prototype carbon capture plant, developed by Aker Clean Carbon, to test the complex chemistry involved in capturing CO2  from power station flue gases. The company is one of the remaining bidders in the UK Government’s competition to develop a commercial scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, and by retrofitting the technology to an existing power station, ScottishPower believe it is well-placed to kick-start a carbon storage industry for the Central North Sea by 2014. The test unit is an exact small-scale replica of the commercial-scale unit that could be in operation within five years.

In the last five years, China has brought on-line a coal generating capacity almost equal to the total US installed capacity (332GW)[3], and around 300 new coal-fired power stations will be built in China between 2005 and 2018. This is equal to a new coal station every 2.25 weeks[4]. In July this year the European Commission set out plans to finance the demonstration of a CCS project in cooperation with China.

Speaking at Longannet today, Stephen Adamson, CCS Commercial Manager at ScottishPower, said: “One of the key benefits of retrofit CCS technology is that it can be exported to benefit the tens of thousands of thermal power stations around the world that are currently in operation.  We were delighted to host China Power Investment Corporation today and show them advances being made in retrofit technology and the workings of the carbon capture plant so far.

“There is no doubt that carbon capture will be a key element in tackling climate change globally and we have had a lot of interest in our test project from around the world. As with all new technology, the data recorded in the early stages is critical to its long-term development, and the test project at Longannet is an important step in taking CCS out of the laboratory and into reality.

“It is essential to prove this technology at a commercial scale as quickly as possible in order to achieve carbon reduction targets, and our project at Longannet could be up-and-running within five years.”

Also speaking at Longannet today, Vice President Madam Zhang Xiaolu, said: "From what I can see, we have a lot in common with Scotland and the UK, although our CCS efforts are not quite as advanced. Reducing CO2 will involve efforts from everyone and I would like to keep in touch with ScottishPower. We also have plans to develop CCS projects at our power stations, and I hope that ScottishPower would be interested in coming to see our developments, although this may be in a few years time."

Notes to Editors:

More details on ScottishPower CCS activity can be found at:
www.scottishpower.com/carbon_capture_storage/default.asp

China Power Investment Corporation (CPI)
http://eng.cpicorp.com.cn/overview.htm

China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) was established from part of the constituent businesses of the former State Power Corporation of China. With a registered capital of 12 billion RMB, CPI has been approved by the State Council to become one of the pilot state-authorized investment entities and state-owned holding corporations.

By the end of 2008, the total assets of CPI amounted to 284.2 billion RMB (approx £25bn). Its controllable installed capacity reached 51990MW, equity installed capacity reached 40116MW, out of which, 10539MW or 20.3% came from hydro units, 41123 MW or 79.1% from thermal units, 1350.8 MW or 3.37% from nuclear units and 328MW or 0.6% from wind units. CPI has 213 member companies/institutions and 15 participating companies with 104018 employees in total.

CPI owns assets in 28 provinces, municipalities autonomous regions, and also Hong Kong, Macao and so on. Among these, there are six A-share listed companies, namely Shanghai Electric Power Co. Ltd, Shanxi Zhangze Electric Power Co. Ltd, Chongqing Jiulong Electric Power Co. Ltd, Jilin Electric Power Co. Ltd, Huolinhe Open Coal Mining and Shijiazhuang Oriental Co-generation Co. Ltd. CPI also owns China Power International Holding Ltd. registered in Hong Kong, through which CPI indirectly owns China Power Development Ltd. listed at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and China-Hong Kong Power Development Ltd. devoting to supply power for Hong Kong. Besides, CPI owns Upstream Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., Ltd and Wuling Electric Power Development Corporation with both enjoying river-basin development capabilities. It also owns China Power Complete Equipment Company Ltd., a major player in complete power equipment supply and service. CPI also owns Mengdong Group Co. Ltd., a large-scale coal company. CPI owns 19 operating power plants each above 1000MW, ongoing holding Shandong Haiyang nuclear power project, equally joint holding Liaoning Hongyanhe nuclear power project phase I and holds minority shares in 5 nuclear power plants in operation and 3 under construction. Moreover, CPI is also carrying out preparation for nuclear power projects in Guangxi, Liaoning, Hunan, Jilin and Chongqing.

Media Information: Paul Ferguson - 0141 566 4515 / 07702 665 924

[1] http://eng.cpicorp.com.cn/overview.htm
[2] http://eng.cpicorp.com.cn/overview.htm
[3] Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009)
[4] Zero Emissions Platform (2008)