ADhOC-CCS – Advancement of a pre-combustion CO2 capture scheme through process intensification and novel materials

• Research unit: SFOE
• Project number: SI/500881

Key words (English)

CO2 capture and storage (CCS), precombustion CO2 capture, calcium oxide, hydrogen, fluidized bed

Short description (English)

The proposal is concerned with the investigation of a highly integrated, energy efficient precombustion CO₂ capture process in which the steam methane reforming, water-gas-shift and CO₂ abstraction reactions occur simultaneously in a single reactor. Enabling the new process requires the development of new bi-functional materials (CaO-based) that capture both CO₂ and catalyse the water gas shift and methane steam reforming reactions. The materials developed shall possess a high reactivity and CO₂ capacity and low tendency for attrition. The technological objective of the project is the laboratory-scale demonstration of the feasibality of the proposed pre-combustion CO₂ capture process using a set-up which mimics practical reactor conditions. The following measurable objectives are formulated: (i)Development of a calcium-based CO₂ sorbent which shows excellent cyclic CO₂ capture characteristics. We aim at a CO₂ capture capacity of 0.4 g CO₂/g sorbent after 30 cycles in a fluidized bed reactor and realisitic calcination conditions, i.e. > 900 °C to produce a pure stream of CO2. Such a material would exceed the CO2 capture capacity of naturally occuring limestone by 50 %. (ii) Based on the material developed in (i), development of catalytic calcium-based CO₂ sorbent. This is a milestone in the development of an energy efficient pre-combustion CO₂ capture technology. The newly developed material shall convert methane into H₂ in excess of 95 % (remaining part CH₄ slip) at small contacting times, i.e. in the order of a few seconds, typical for fluidized bed reactors. (iii) Testing of the materials developed.