Skip to content

BD3 operating well beyond 2016 targets

The carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility at Boundary Dam Power Station continues to operate at a high level according to information released recently from SaskPower regarding the April output at the No.
Bd3
Exterior view of Boundary Dam’s carbon capture facility

The carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility at Boundary Dam Power Station continues to operate at a high level according to information released recently from SaskPower regarding the April output at the No. 3 generating unit which includes the carbon capture island (BD3). 

Unit 3 ca p t u r ed 82,033 tonnes of carbon dioxide, and was online 100 per cent of the time in April, said SaskPower. 

This brings the total of CO2 captured in 2016 to just under 300,000 tonnes, or 75 per cent of what was captured in all of 2015. The power company said they remain on track to meet the 2016 target of 800,000 tonnes. 

The Crown corporation added they continue to commission the sulphur dioxide capture process on site. This includes commissioning the acid plant that will convert the captured CO2 into salable sulphuric acid. This project is currently undergoing final safety checks. 

A week of maintenance has been scheduled this month, which will see the BD3 unit taken off line to be inspected and cleaned. 

Overall for the year, the BD3 unit is operating above the 85 per cent reliability target set for all power units at Boundary Dam Power Station. Of the first 121 days of 2016, the CCS system has been up and operating for 112 days, achieving a reliability rate of more than 92 per cent. 

“The facility continues to operate at a level that exceeds federal emission regulations and meets SaskPower’s carbon dioxide sales commitment,” the company said in a recent release.