ATLANTA, Feb. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company today assumed leadership of the Carbon Capture International Test Center Network (ITCN), a global coalition of facilities working to accelerate the research and development (R&D) of carbon capture technologies. The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research facility managed and operated by Southern Company, will serve as the host site for the ITCN.
Formed in 2012, the ITCN facilitates knowledge-sharing among carbon capture test facilities around the world with the goal of advancing the development and commercial deployment of carbon capture technologies.
"Southern Company is at the forefront of worldwide efforts to create the next generation of carbon capture technologies," said Southern Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kimberly S. Greene. "Through our partnership with DOE and ITCN members, we are building on our commitment to finding real solutions by developing advanced, coal-based technologies."
The NCCC will chair and operate the ITCN with DOE's Office of Fossil Energy for the next two years, a role held by Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) of Norway since 2013. The transfer of the chairmanship was officially observed during a ceremony today in Houston, attended by representatives of DOE, Southern Company and TCM.
Working with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities, the NCCC, located in Alabama, conducts R&D to evaluate and advance emerging carbon capture technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and natural gas-based power generation.
An industry leader in robust, proprietary R&D, Southern Company has managed more than $2 billion in R&D investments since the 1960s. The Southern Company system's environmental R&D also includes conducting the nation's largest demonstration of carbon capture on a pulverized-coal power plant at subsidiary Alabama Power's Plant Barry, and the development of Transport Integrated Gasification – or TRIG™ – the 21st century coal technology at the center of Southern Company subsidiary Mississippi Power's Kemper County energy facility. The Kemper project is designed to generate electricity from low-rank coal with resulting carbon emissions better than a similarly sized natural gas plant. TRIG™ and other proprietary technologies were developed at the NCCC.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a 2014 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company earned the 2014 National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development, and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.
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