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SRI International, in partnership with OLI Systems, Inc., Aqueous Solutions Aps, Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), and Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM), will test their advanced mixed-salt post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption technology at pilot scale (~10 MWe) using existing infrastructure at TCM in Norway to address concerns related to scale-up and integration of the technology in coal-based power plants. The process uses a non-degradable solvent that combines readily-available, inexpensive potassium and ammonium salt solutions, operates without solvent chilling, and employs a novel flow configuration that has been optimized to improve absorption kinetics, minimize ammonia emissions, and reduce water use compared to state-of-the-art ammonia-based and amine technologies. The mixed-salt process (MSP) has been successfully tested in a large bench-scale system at SRI, with continuous integrated absorber and regenerator operation, achieving over 90 percent CO2 capture, very high CO2 loading, a high-pressure CO2product of more than 99 percent purity using a selective dual-stage regenerator, low ammonia emissions, and low reboiler duty. In this project, the team will modify the existing Chilled Ammonia Process (CAP) plant at TCM to implement the MSP and perform long-term dynamic and continuous, steady-state testing using an actual flue gas stream from the residue catalytic cracker at TCM, which closely resembles a coal-fired power plant flue gas stream. Advanced heat integration methods for the MSP will be assessed for improving process efficiency, and solvent and water management strategies will also be studied. A detailed techno-economic analysis for the process at full-scale and an environmental health and safety analysis will be completed. Aqueous Solutions Aps will update the MSP thermodynamic database and assist POLIMI with modeling. Additionally, GE Power will provide guidance on energy optimization aspects related to the CAP plant, and IHI Corporation will provide industrial perspective on the MSP maturity.
Predecessor Project: FE0012959
SRI’s ammonia-based CO2 capture technology enables a significant reduction in energy requirements and steam consumption compared to other solvent-based processes, and operation with advanced heat integration methods will further reduce energy usage and improve the process efficiency. More specifically, by operating the absorbers near ambient temperature, solvent chilling energy requirements are reduced, as is water usage and ammonia loss, resulting in reduced operational costs. High-pressure stripping and heat recovery within the regenerator reduces CO2 compression requirements, which lowers both capital and operational costs. This engineering-scale project will pave the way for accelerated full-scale commercial implementation of the advanced MSP for CO2 capture from coal-fired power plants and will enable the technology to achieve the U.S. Department of Energy’s goal of $30/tonne CO2 captured by 2030.
