2 June 2016: The US and Saudi Arabia have announced their intention to establish an international consortium to promote the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. The announcement was made during the inaugural Mission Innovation Ministerial meeting, which is taking place in San Francisco, California, US.

According to the announcement, power cycles based on a sCO2 working fluid have the potential for higher thermal efficiencies, lower capital costs and an overall lower cost of electricity compared to steam-based power cycles. The efficiency gain results in significantly reduced emissions. Current technology development risk for sCO2 power cycles, however, is too high for independent private sector investment and requires initial government investment. The consortium will permit sharing of knowledge and best practices, which will build on the actions that both the US and Saudi Arabia are taking to advance sCO2 technologies to reduce the technical barriers and risks to commercialization of the sCO2 power cycle.

Additional countries that are pursuing sCO2 R&D, including the Republic of Korea, will be invited to join the new consortium.

Mission Innovation was launched during the Paris Climate Change Conference, in December 2015. It represents a commitment by the US and 19 other countries to double their clean energy research and development (R&D) investment to tackle global climate change, provide affordable clean energy to consumers, and create additional commercial opportunities in the clean energy economy. [Mission Innovation website] [IISDRS coverage of Mission Innovation Ministerial] [IISDRS coverage of CEM7][IISDRS Sources]