Southern Company welcomes leading Chinese research facility to global carbon capture coalition

ATLANTA, Aug. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company has announced an agreement for Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute to join the Carbon Capture International Test Center Network, a global coalition of facilities working to accelerate the research and development of carbon capture technologies. The National Carbon Capture Center, a U.S. Department of Energy research facility managed and operated by Southern Company, leads and serves as host site for the network.

Located in Beijing, the Clean Energy Research Institute is a subsidiary of China Huaneng Group, the largest power generation company in the world based on total installed capacity. The institute engages in a wide range of clean energy research and development, including carbon capture, utilization and storage, coal gasification, renewable energy and emissions reduction technologies.

"The addition of the Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute to the network broadens the abilities of Southern Company and its research partners to develop next-generation carbon capture technologies, which are critical for a cleaner energy future," said Southern Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kimberly S. Greene. "We look forward to working with DOE and network members to continue the development of real solutions that will advance 21^st century coal technologies on the international stage."

Formed in 2012, the International Test Center Network facilitates knowledge sharing among carbon capture test facilities around the world. The National Carbon Capture Center currently chairs and operates the network with DOE's Office of Fossil Energy, a role previously held by Technology Centre Mongstad of Norway. Located in Wilsonville, Alabama, the center works with scientists and technology developers from government, industry and universities to evaluate, demonstrate and advance emerging carbon capture technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and natural gas-based power generation.

The members of the International Test Center Network are:

• CO2CRC, Australia
• CO₂ Technology Centre Mongstad, Norway
• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia
• Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, China
• Korea Institute of Energy Research, Korea
• National Carbon Capture Center, United States
• SaskPower, Canada
• SINTEF Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research, Norway
• UKCCSRC Pilot-Scale Advanced Capture Technology, United Kingdom
• Uniper Technologies Limited, Germany

As an industry leader in robust, proprietary research and development, Southern Company has managed approximately $2.1 billion in R&D investments since the late 1960s. The Southern Company system's environmental R&D also includes conducting the nation's largest demonstration of carbon capture on a pulverized-coal power plant at subsidiary Alabama Power's Plant Barry, and the development of Transport Integrated Gasification – or TRIG™ – the 21^st century coal technology at the center of Southern Company subsidiary Mississippi Power's Kemper County energy facility. The Kemper project is designed to generate electricity from low-rank coal with resulting carbon emissions better than a similarly sized natural gas plant. TRIG™ and other proprietary technologies were developed at the National Carbon Capture Center.

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is America's premier energy company, with 44,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million electric and gas utility customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric utilities in four states, natural gas distribution utilities in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21^st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

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