Press Release

August 4, 2011 

Senior Alstom Executive & Climate Policy Expert Cites Carbon Capture & 

Storage as Viable, Cost Competitive and Essential 

Washington, D.C. - Alstom Senior Vice President for Power and Environment Policies Joan 

MacNaughton today emphasized that a clear and consistent carbon mitigation policy and 

regulatory framework is vital to the development and commercialization of Carbon Capture 

and Storage technology, or CCS. Speaking before an audience at the United States Energy 

Association, MacNaughton also presented findings from a recently-conducted cost analysis 

showing that the cost of electricity generated by coal and natural gas plants equipped with 

CCS is competitive with other low or no-carbon energy sources, such as wind, solar, 

geothermal, hydro and nuclear. 

With forecasts showing fossil fuels, and coal in particular, accounting for the majority of 

global power generation through at least 2035, CCS has been cited as a near-term means to 

curb greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. 

“In 2009, officials from the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency 

agreed that meeting global climate goals would require having 100 CCS plants operational by 

2020, and expanding that to 3,400 by 2050,” said MacNaughton. “At the close of 2010, 

governments have committed support in principle for just over 20 large-scale projects. The 

technology is advancing, but the policy needed to drive commercialization is lacking. Now is 

the time to chart a clear policy course because without CCS in place, it will be all but 

impossible to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” 

While a handful of CCS demonstration projects are underway in several countries, American 

Electric Power (AEP) recently cited uncertain policy as a contributing factor in its decision to 

postpone a commercial-scale deployment of Alstom’s chilled ammonia carbon capture 

process at its Mountaineer power station in New Haven, West Virginia. 

“AEP’s decision to put Mountaineer II on-hold is a bellwether to our leaders on the 

consequences of uncertain climate policy,” added MacNaughton. “The Validation Plant at 

Mountaineer demonstrated the ability to capture up to 90% of the carbon dioxide from a 

stream of the plant’s emissions. The technology works. But without clear policies in place 

outlining options for cost recovery, power generators are hard-pressed to invest in its 

continued refinement.” 
In June 2011, Alstom and AEP successfully completed the operation and testing of a CCS 

validation facility also at the Mountaineer plant, thus setting the foundation for the larger 

Mountaineer II demonstration project. Launched in 2009, this phase I Mountaineer project 

was the first in the world to capture carbon dioxide from the emissions of coal-fired power 

plant and store them safely in underground rock formations located on-site. 

MacNaughton went on to update the USEA audience on other CCS demonstrations in North 

America, Europe and Asia, and local and regional policy. For example, MacNaughton noted 

that a demonstration project conducted in partnership with The Dow Chemical Company at a 

Dow facility in Charleston, WV has been important and successful in helping to further 

validate the advanced amine technology used at that site. 

---###--- 

About Alstom Power 

Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail 

infrastructure and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly 

technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the 

world. It provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a 

wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a 

wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group 

employs 93,500 people in 100 countries and had sales of more than USD $29 billion in 

2010/11. 

About The United States Energy Association 

The United States Energy Association (USEA) is the U.S. Member Committee of the World 

Energy Council (WEC). USEA is an association of public and private energy-related 

organizations, corporations, and government agencies. USEA represents the broad interests 

of the U.S. energy sector by increasing the understanding of energy issues, both domestically 

and internationally 

Press Contacts

Tim Brown (US) +1 860 713 9530 

timothy.s.brown@power.alstom.com

Online 

www.alstom.com/us