Novel Approaches to Improving the Performance of Carbon Dioxide Capture

Publication Overview

The IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG) thus elected to undertake a study search for innovative new avenues for CO₂ capture which might lead to significant improvements in the cost of capture technology and reductions in the energy penalty. The brief was to search outside traditional fields of enquiry and break away from a classical Chemical Engineering process based approach.

Publication Summary

The wider community proved to have great interest in the topic of CO₂ capture but for those not directly involved it was clear that some of the implications of the technology are not fully appreciated. There was a recurring strong interest in photosynthetic processes to capture CO₂ which may be because this has been the most widely known example or because it is sensed as being sustainable and green. In furthering developments with the wider scientific and industrial community it will be important to keep focus on “Industrial CO₂ capture” and avoid straying into this field. Particularly in any interactions with the bioscience community for example in the field of bio mineralization it will be important to maintain focus away from photo-synthetic processes.

An overarching insight when considering the 8 areas which emerged from this work is that systems integration in its widest sense seems to offer the greatest potential for improving the CCS offering. In fact apart from area 7 all others involve an increase in the complexity of the CCS system. Integration is a difficult field in which to work and there is likely to be resistance to the complications which this inevitably brings since these often run counter to the conventional wisdom that simplicity is best. However the management of modern car engines illustrates the advantages which can accrue. These are dramatically more sophisticated than the original single carburettor and fixed ignition timing system and are adding even more ”intelligence” as they start to include multi fuel capability. The gains in efficiency are impressive. Area 8 provides the insight that these gains are perhaps obtained not through complexity but rather through intelligence and use of information.

An overarching insight when considering the 8 areas which emerged from this work is that systems integration in its widest sense seems to offer the greatest potential for improving the CCS offering. In fact apart from area 7 all others involve an increase in the complexity of the CCS system. Integration is a difficult field in which to work and there is likely to be resistance to the complications which this inevitably brings since these often run counter to the conventional wisdom that simplicity is best. However the management of modern car engines illustrates the advantages which can accrue. These are dramatically more sophisticated than the original single carburettor and fixed ignition timing system and are adding even more ”intelligence” as they start to include multi fuel capability. The gains in efficiency are impressive. Area 8 provides the insight that these gains are perhaps obtained not through complexity but rather through intelligence and use of information.

• How much merit the area has for further development
• How strong the interest of specialists and supporters is
• What the next steps to progress in the area should be

It is suggested that a short term, mid term and long term area are selected and that some form of structured selection process is adopted.

The easiest area on which to start is area 2, that for reducing the consumption of oxygen in oxy-combustion and finding new uses for the co-produced dry nitrogen. This could bring early success. A second area on which consultation could start is area 6 , better use of biomass in fossil fired power plants with CO₂ capture plant. This would be very helpful in forging synergies between CCS and renewables. This is likely to lead to tangible results in the mid term The third area where it might be worthwhile making a start is on biological methods for CO₂ mineralisation. Results would be very long term and the main task would be to bring influence to bear to direct some fundamental research in this direction.