CO2 capture technology development

CAPTECH

The threat of climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges of this century. To limit atmospheric CO2 concentrations to acceptable levels, major changes in energy use are required. Current CO2 capture technologies reduce power plant efficiency between 7% and 15%, and capture costs are between 40–100 € per ton of CO2. To make carbon capture and storage (CCS) a viable option that will limit atmospheric CO2, a significant reduction in capture costs is necessary.
The Dutch energy research grant (EOS) CO2 capture program aims to develop CO2 capture technologies that are less expensive and bring a lower energy penalty than the existing technologies. Currently, three different methods are used to separate CO2 from and other gases: absorption in solvents, separation by membranes, and ad/absorption by sorbents.

Project
The EOS consortium CAPTECH project consisted of six subprojects that covered the whole 100120_4_KEMA_CSS.indd 67 4-3-11 13:21 68 range of CO2 capture technologies, as prioritized by EOS. The CAPTECH project’s research is aligned with the ‘New Gas’ transition path defined by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

For KEMA, the main CAPTECH program focus areas included
> New low-temperature polymer CO2 membranes for partial CO2 removal from flue gases 
> Novel air-separation technologies for oxy-fuel zero-emission power plants 
> Integration of CO2 capture into power stations, technical and economic evaluation, and infrastructure elements

Benefits 
> New solvents for pre-and post-combustion CO2 absorption 
> A tool that models absorption/desorption cycles of pre-and post-combustion systems 
> Solvent process flow sheets and equipment, which reduce energy penalties for capture 
> Easier integration of CO2 capture technologies into existing and planned power plants 
> New robust catalysts, sorbents, and/or membranes for water-gas shift in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) syngas > New opportunities for flexible combined hydrogen power plants with CO2 capture

Project coordinator 
> ECN, the Netherlands

Project partners
> Procede Group, the Netherlands 
> Twente University, the Netherlands 
> Shell Global Solutions International, the Netherlands 
> UCE, the Netherlands 
> TNO, the Netherlands 
> KEMA, the Netherlands

Project details 
> EOS-LT Program 
> Duration: April 2006 – December 2010