Utility company Southern Co. pushed back the date of completion for its 582 MW Kemper coal-fired power plant to the last quarter of 2014 while at the same time increasing the projected cost of the project again, to north of $4 billion.
Kemper is an integrated gasification combined cycle project (IGCC) designed to turn coal into synthetic gas. The project’s carbon capture capacity will also capture at least 65 percent of the carbon dioxide that results from combustion of the syngas. The captured carbon will be used for enhanced oilfield extraction.
Southern Co. said the revised date of completion is because of wetter than expected weather as well as installation levels that were lower than anticipated.
According to Reuters, the project’s stated $4.02 billion price tag can rise to about $5 billion when you account for the cost of the coal mine, federal investments and the carbon dioxide pipeline network.
