NETL expertise and oversight have played major roles in the ongoing success of the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), a cornerstone of U.S. innovation in the development of carbon management technologies.

Created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/NETL in 2009, the NCCC works with innovators from around the world to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and industrial sources — and to promote carbon conversion and direct air capture solutions.

Southern Company operates the site in Wilsonville, Alabama through a cooperative agreement with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and NETL. A new video produced by Southern Company highlights the development of the NCCC as a unique test bed that bridges the gap between laboratory research and large-scale demonstrations of cost-effective, technically viable carbon management technologies.

More than 135,000 hours of technology testing have been completed at the NCCC, leading to significant scale-ups, process enhancements and technological breakthroughs. Based on pilot testing and development of more than 70 technologies, the center has played an important role in reducing the projected cost of carbon capture from fossil-based power generation by more than 40%.

In October 2020, NETL renewed an agreement with Southern Company to operate the NCCC for an additional five years. Technology developers and organizations interested in testing their innovations at NCCC may contact Carl.Laird@netl.doe.gov for information.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.