CO2 Post-Combustion Capture Using Amine Impregnated Synthetic Zeolites

This proposal addresses Topic 4 in the Call: New innovative CO2 capture technologies. The proposed research will address using synthetic zeolites obtained from fly ash to support impregnated and immobilised amines to facilitate CO2 post-combustion capture (PCC) in both coal and natural gas power plants. One of the barriers to the widespread implementation of CO2 in power plants is the energy cost associated with solvent regeneration in the most mature PCC technology, amine scrubbing, which will be even greater for gas-fired power plants because of the lower CO2 concentration, higher O2 concentration and higher flue gas flow rate compared to similar sized coal-fired power plant. Hence, alternative or second generation PCC technologies need to be developed that have the potential to lower this energy penalty and also have lower capital and operating costs. Solid adsorbent looping technology (SALT) is a novel, potentially low-cost that can overcome the main drawbacks of amine absorption. The technology relies upon adsorbents that can achieve high CO2 uptakes at relatively low temperatures with short residence times. Amines either impregnated or immobilsed on mesoporous materials, particularly aluminosilicates, have been found to be particularly effective.

In the proposed research, zeolites produced from fly ash will be optimised for PCC as a route that will considerably reduce the preparation costs for basic adsorbents. The project will combine the respective strengths of MEERI/Lublin and the University of Nottingham in zeolite synthesis and developing basic adsorbents for PCC. The zeolites will be produced at Lublin on a scale of several kilograms to facilitate testing in a fluidised bed with real (gas-fired) flue gases at Nottingham. The production cost is estimated to be ca. 1 euro/kg of zeolite, which is considerably lower than using silicas and zeolites produced from traditional sources. The successful outcome of the proposed research will contribute to making SALT a more cost-effective process for PCC.

Solid adsorbent looping technology (SALT) post-combustion capture (PCC) technology has considerable potential and can be usedfor both new installations and as retrofit to existing power plants as well as in process industries, particularly metallurgical industry, and can contribute to the acceleration and widespread deployment of CCS. If European emission targets are to be met, a very large world market for carbon mitigation technologies will evolve and grow from 2020 onwards. The development and commercialisation of SALT PCC technology will contribute to the expansion in the numbers of skilled professionals and the manufacturing base in the EU. Failure to keep pace with the development of new technologies in this field with other countries including the USA, China and Korea will have negative environmental and economic implications, particularly the competitiveness of EU industries for global commercial opportunities arising from the deployment of CCS. Considering the needs to develop environmental friendly technologies, application of zeolites to products in Poland will help to develop economy and widen the application of fly ash in high-value markets.

In order to maximize the economic impact of the proposed project, we will apply for patent protection for any adsorbents developed which have potential for commercial exploitation. Each academic partner has its own dedicated Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO) which has staff with specialist knowledge on IP protection and knowledge transfer.

Results will be presented at national and international conferences and will be published in in peer reviewed scientific journals with significant impact factors, including Fuel, Energy & Fuels, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control and Chemical Engineering Science. We will establish a website to report project progresses and preliminary results which are considered to be important for science and industry. Also, project results will be presented and discussed at the annual meetings of all partners in order to share information and assess the accuracy and use of the results.

The project will aid the development of CO2 capture technologies for coal-fired power plants in Poland and UK. The project results will contribute to better knowledge about the use for CO2 capture of the cheap zeolites made from fly ash. The project will be particularly beneficial for the organisations that are to implement industrial CO2 capture technologies and industrial plants that produce fly-ash as their by-products. The results obtained will also be of great interest to industrial/power plants that emit large amounts of CO2, which can potentially use CCS, particularly coal-fired plants which generate large quantities of both CO2 and fly ash.

The outcomes of the project will have a positive impact on the environment in two ways. Firstly, they help to use a major waste material, fly ash and, secondly, the materials developed and SALT will reduce CO2 emissions as an effective approach for post-combustion capture.