Siemens Energy is planning to design, install, and operate a pilot plant for treating a slipstream (1 MW equivalent) at the Tampa Electric Big Bend Station to demonstrate POSTCAP technology for post-combustion CO2 gas capture. The primary goal of this project will be to reduce the large amounts of energy traditionally needed to operate carbon capture technologies. But more importantly, Siemens' POSTCAP technology will utilize an amino acid salt formulation as a solvent for CO2 absorption. The usage of this non-toxic, biodegradable solvent will result in a more environmentally friendly process.

The power plant is located in southeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, and has an installed capacity of 1,892 megawatt (MWe). This new carbon capture demonstration is expected to treat a slipstream of the flue gas from Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Station and to capture 90 percent of its CO2. This demonstration will be installed downstream of an existing Siemens Wet FGD System (processing 890 MW of Flue Gas in a single absorber). The piloting plant is scheduled to be in operation in 2013.

Vestas has won a contract to supply 570 megawatts worth of wind turbines to Terra-Gen Power L.L.C.’s Alta Wind Energy Center in California – their largest order for a single site to date.

The Danish wind turbine manufacturer will supply 190 units of its V90-3.0 MW wind turbine to the wind energy center near Tehachapi. The Alta project is slated to be one of the largest wind energy developments in the United States, with plans to bring 3,000 MW worth of wind energy online through a roster of wind energy facilities.

Aside from supplying the wind turbines, Vestas will also commission the units and administer service and maintenance for five years.

The first 50 wind turbines will be commissioned by the end of the year, while the remaining 140 turbines will be brought online in the first half of 2011.