Developing effective absorbent technology for the capture of CO2 in fossil fuel-fired power plant

Completed

Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(CO2 Capture and Storage, CO2 capture/separation)

Basic and strategic applied research
Applied Research and Development

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor C Snape
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
University of Nottingham

3

Carbon Trust

01 July 2003

30 January 2006

30 months

£180,392

East Midlands

Professor C Snape, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham

Project Contact, Babcock International Group plc
Project Contact, Powergen
Project Contact, MAST Carbon
Project Contact, Ineos Silicas

The main objective of the project is to develop effective adsorbent technology for the continuous removal of CO2 from flue gases in fossil fuel-fired power plant.

The project is carrying out an intensive R D programme to synthesise, test and characterise a range of adsorbents and adsorbent structures (active carbon and silica modified with bases). This should identify the best candidates in terms of CO2 adsorption capacities, ease of regeneration and the ability to deal with other flue gases. The innovation lies in developing molecular sieve and activated carbon adsorbents with high CO2 capacities that will operate successfully in flue gas environments.Further, the ability of solid base systems to operate most successfully under wet gas conditions and their ability to adsorb all acid gases opens up exciting possibilities for the control of both CO2 and SO2. Compared with traditional amine plants, there are potentially fewer adverse effects in terms of the effects of other acid gases. Reduced CO2 emissions will be achieved with the adsorption technology by retrofitting to existing fossil fuel power plants for partial CO2 capture from flue gases. This is potentially a more cost-effective approach than traditional amine plants. If developed successfully, the technology has the potential to remove significant amounts of CO2 from flue gases at existing and new coal-fired power stations

01/01/07