The power plant will generate 50 MW and connect to the grid when it comes online in 2021. Source: NET Power

NET Power LLC has achieved first fire of its supercritical carbon dioxide demonstration power plant and test facility located in La Porte, Texas. The milestone included firing of the 50 MW thermal Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation commercial-scale combustor.

The new power system is designed to produce low-cost electricity from natural gas while generating near-zero atmospheric emissions, including full CO₂ capture, and will demonstrate NET Power's Allam Cycle technology, which uses a new turbine and combustor developed specifically for the process by Toshiba. CO₂ serves as a working fluid to drive a combustion turbine in a process that eliminates virtually all emissions from natural gas power generation without requiring expensive, efficiency-reducing carbon capture equipment.

NET Power is targeting the global deployment of 300 MWe-class commercial-scale plants beginning as early as 2021.

Learn more at IEEE Spectrum about the technology being demonstrated in the $140 million power plant.