SWAN HILLS — The Alberta government is putting up $285 million to turn coal into synthetic gas and capture carbon dioxide emissions.
The province says the coal gas from an otherwise unminable bed near Swan Hills will be used to generate low-emissions electricity.
The captured CO2 will enhance the recovery of conventional oil in the area.
Construction on the Swan Hills Synfuels project is expected to start in 2011 with carbon capture to begin by 2015.
It’s expected 1.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be captured annually.