| Background
Carbon dioxide capture and storage is now included
in most OECD countries' energy policies and R&D
programmes as a potential contributor to carbon dioxide
mitigation strategies. Techno-economic studies have
generally concluded that in any widespread deployment
capture is the most expensive element of the chain.
A number of ways of achieving high levels of carbon
capture have been identified, with the proviso that
some systems are more likely to be matched to some power
production methods. The overwhelming majority of fossil
fuel fired power plants produce a low pressure, low
CO2 concentration flue gas
and actions to remove these are more likely to be based
on some form of solvent scrubbing with separate solvent
regeneration and recycle. This is called post combustion
capture.
Post-combustion capture of CO2
by solvents such as methanolamine (MEA) is commercially
available now from well-known licensors. However, such
processes were not originally designed for application
to large fossil fuel fired power stations. About 40%
of the world's power generation is based on the use
of pulverised coal which, if linked to solvent-based
CO2 capture, would present
the solvent system with a range of contaminants. To
use such solvents in an oxidising environment requires
additives to reduce degradation.
The contributors have set themselves specific objectives
and scope of work:
"To develop more efficient and cost effective
CO2 capture from flue gases,
than is currently available, through demonstration of
a range of solvent scrubbing and similar technologies.
Over the long term it is important to achieve severe
cuts in costs for the technologies developed to be competitive
with other options."
Delegates have concentrated on exchanging information
on various research programmes on systems modellingand
on pilot plant results. It is already clear that progress
is being made towards developing more effective solvents.
The systems modelling subgroup is working together to
better defined performance and costs and to identify
potential process improvements.
Commercial scale demonstrations are in place based
on natural gas extraction, gas fired power plant and
are being planned for coal fired plant.
Timescale
Currently the Network aims to have an annual meeting.
Funding
This is a task sharing activity with participants bearing
their own costs.
Conclusions
There is huge potential for application of post combustion
capture of CO2 using these
systems and the Network is making progress in identifying
better and cheaper means of doing so.
In the first six years, attention has focused on process
simulation, process economic assessment and innovation
in laboratories and at pilot plant scale. |
