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CLIMIT-Forskning, utvikling og demo av CO2-håndtering

Low Temperature Post Combustion CO2 Capture Technology Using Solid Sorbents

Alternative title: Lav temperatur Post Combustion CO2 Capture Technology på Solid Sorbenter

Awarded: NOK 9.0 mill.

An accelerated generation of CO2, initiated by the industrial revolution, has amplified the greenhouse effect on the planet, distorting the equilibrium to which the existing species are adapted. Due to continuous increase of energy demand, fossil fuel power plants, as the main CO2 source, will remain the main energy source for a long time. Considering this, advanced technological achievements in CO2 emissions reduction are highly required. An appropriate solution is carbon capture and storage (CCS), especially for post-combustion power plants where a cost-effective retrofit can be managed. Herein, a CO2 capture system for the post-combustion natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants is investigated, especially because of a visible shift from coal to natural gas power plants due to the lower price of natural gas and reduced CO2 emissions. As the CO2 concentration in NGCC flue gas is estimated to 5 vol%, the CO2 capture material must have a high affinity towards CO2, thus the amine-based materials are considered very suitable. The CO2 scrubbing in aqueous alkanolamines have been researched for more than 50 years, however, there still persists the drawbacks like energy penalty, corrosion, oxidation and loss of the active material. In the project, we have developed a new solid sorbent based on high-density aminosilane grafted (covalently bonded) on silica with a large pore volume, such as pore-expanded MCM-41. The main features of the solid sorbent are 1) high stability in the presence of high concentration of oxygen and CO2 in both sorption and desorption processes; 2) enable regeneration in pure CO2 in a temperature range of 120-140 oC; 3) high capacity of CO2 capture in a wide range of CO2 pressures; 4) fast kinetics of CO2 adsorption even at very low CO2 pressures (< 1kPm). The process of CO2 capture in the NGCC was designed, and techno-economic evaluation was performed. A higher energy efficiency and low cost of CO2 removal were obtained compared to the conventional MEA adsorption process. The process using solid sorbents leads to high energy efficiency, 55.9 % compared to 57.6% without CO2 capture and 51.16% with amine for the NGCC power plant.

Impact Impact on present and future scientific challenges and on the research area LTP3C Tech explores the development of new solid sorbents with good capacity, stability, and low desorption heat simultaneously. The project paves a new way to reduce the desorption heat by engineering entropy change by tuning the amine and support interface. The solid sorbents provide also an efficient process for direct CO2 capture due to high capacity and fats kinetics at extremely low CO2 concentration. Impact on societal and industrial challenges The last and biggest hurdle facing widespread commercial utilization of CO2 capture is energy efficiency and the cost of CO2 removal. The solid sorbents and process developed in this project could make it possible for the Norwegian industries to capture CO2 at a low cost and increase the competitiveness of Norwegian industries. The project provides the knowledge-based foundation for the development of a new process industry in Norway, based on innovative materials and technologies. All these areas of application are of critical relevance for the competitiveness of the Norwegian/European industry as well as for social challenges. Impact on future value creation in industry, the public sector, and civil society LTP3C Tech contributes to the new technology of CO2 capture. It will help Norwegian University to meet the CO2 emission reduction goal. The project will promote the value chain of the hydrogen economy and create new process industries and new jobs. It will contribute to reaching half reduction of emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions no later than 2050, to reach the 1.5 Celsius goal. Impact on the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) LTP3C Tech could indirectly contribute to most UN SDGs. i.e., 7. Affordable and clean energy is the core of the idea behind LTP3C Tech as it aims to produce low-carbon energy by CO2 capture, utilization, and storage. It is crucial for such production to be economically competitive. 9. Industry innovation and infrastructure, LTP3C will contribute to the realization of new and innovative processes leading to improved efficiency, profitability, and circular economy. 13. Climate action, LTP3C is contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions, having a higher potential to mitigate climate change.

In this project, we together with our industrial partner Fjell Technology Group (FTG), Norway aim to optimize the post-combustion CO2 capture where CO2 will be captured by novel polyethylenimine (PEI)/carbon low temperature spherical pellet as solid sorbents. It will be effectively integrated with the dual fluid bed reactor system and process to achieve 6-8% efficiency penalty and 25-30% cost reduction compared to current technologies. The current study includes development of chemically- and mechanically stable PEI/carbon spherical pellet as low temperature solid CO2 sorbents, 50 hour of continuous CO2 capture in a internally interconnected fluidized bed (IIFB) prototype reactor system, which is combination of bubbling bed and riser reactor, and complete- and integrated process simulation together with techno-economic evaluation. The chemically- and mechanically stable low temperature solid CO2 sorbents on will be developed by anchoring PEI into highly porous carbon spheres, with high CO2 capture capacity, fast kinetics and low adsorption heat. The novel IIFB reactor will effectively utilize the PEI/carbon spherical CO2 sorbents for continuous CO2 capture, thereby decreasing operating and initial investment cost. A process of natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant with new integrated post CO2 capture will be designed and evaluated where the CO2 capture and regeneration are highly integrated in the process, and the development of low temperature solid CO2 sorbents and the new reactor are integrated in the process development, to achieve highest energy efficiency and low cost.

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CLIMIT-Forskning, utvikling og demo av CO2-håndtering