New AMP plant will produce fertilizer co-product

Columbus, Ohio-American Municipal Power-Ohio, Inc. is planning to use electro-catalytic oxidation emissions control technology, which produces a fertilizer byproduct and an ammonia-based solution, to capture CO2 in the flue gas at a new 1,000 megawatt generation station now undergoing the permitting process, according to AMP-Ohio officials. They said ECO, developed and patented by Powerspan Corp., Portsmouth, N.H., was chosen because it achieves outlet emissions levels at or below those of current technologies and produces an ammonium sulfate co-product instead of synthetic gypsum left over from traditional limestone scrubbing, which requires landfill disposal. Location for what is called the American Municipal Power Generating Station will be near the Ohio River in southern Meigs County, Ohio. AMP-Ohio Communications Director Kent Carson told Green Markets that urea will be used in the scrubbing process, but no decision has been made on acquiring the ammonia, which is recycled, and, according to Dept. of Energy estimates, is the basis for producing significant savings compared to conventional amine-based CO2 capture technologies. Carson said Powerspan, which has an agreement with The Andersons, would be responsible for marketing the fertilizer. AMP-Ohio, headquartered in Columbus, is a non-profit wholesale power supplier and services provider for 81 member municipal electric systems in Ohio, 25 in Pennsylvania, seven in Michigan, four in Virginia, and two in West Virginia.