Chilled Ammonia Carbon Capture Process to be Demonstrated

A pilot plant that uses chilled ammonia to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fueled power plants was launched by Alstom, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and We Energies, at We Energies’ Pleasant Prairie Power Plant in Wisconsin. Alstom designed, constructed and will operate the 1.7 MW system that captures CO2 from a portion of coal-fired boiler flue gas at the power plant, a 1,224 MW coal-fired generating station.

Alstom’s process uses chilled ammonia to capture CO2 and isolates it in a highly concentrated, high-pressure form. In laboratory testing it has demonstrated the potential to capture more than 90 percent of CO2 at a cost that is far less than other carbon capture technologies. Once captured, the CO2 can be used commercially or sequestered in suitable underground geologic sites.

“Developing cost-effective carbon capture technology is one of the most important environmental challenges facing the utility industry in the 21st century and it’s important that we take steps now to achieve a long-term technology solution”

-- Gale Klappa, Chairman, President and CEO of Wisconsin Energy, parent company of We Energies

This process sounds like one that could be fairly easily integrated into existing power plants and lead the way towards the government requiring carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) at all coal fired power plants.  Note that this project is being done with no government financing. Other technologies that are being developed and that have been reported on by TEB, include: ones using ZIFs, sodium hydroxide, or amine based solvents, another, I believe ambient temperature ammonia system, algae systems, and an e.coli system.  These processes are aimed at conventional coal fired plants.  IGCC and Oxyfuel plants isolate the CO2 as part of the processes so carbon capture is a much simpler process, but these plants cost more than conventional coal plants.  There is disagreement whether conventional plants with CCS or IGCC plants with just sequestration are the most economical and which plants will dominate the industry in the future.  In any case there is a huge number of existing conventional coal plants that need CCS, once legislation is passed requiring it.

Comments

[Zachary Stowasser]

This is great news!! :)

[David B. Benson]

Especially if, in addition to North America and Europe, both India and China can be persuaded to go along...

[Pradeep]

Any word on the process economics of CO2 capture? I wonder what the key differences are between using an amine (R-NH2) and ammonia (NH3). IMO, using chilled ammonia by itself is probably not a big innovation, some other key feature that would have been difficult to implement previously might be the key...

[Paul F. Dietz]

I read the cost of separating CO2 using chilled ammonia was projected to be in the range of $10-20/ton. This is considerably less than the amine process. The process uses less energy as well.

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[power panels]

this is very nice quote
“Developing cost-effective carbon capture technology is one of the most important environmental challenges facing the utility industry in the 21st century and it’s important that we take steps now to achieve a long-term technology solution”

[Ekaterina Tsvetkova]

This is great news. Paul, you said "I read the cost of separating CO2 using chilled ammonia was projected to be in the range of $10-20/ton." Do you know if the value of the offset credits that would be generated from a project like this would make it economically self sufficient based on that cost?
Ekaterina
www.csa.ca/carbonperformance

[paulfromrevere]

Is there any way to capture CO2 so that the resulting product is in liquid or solid form? seems like itd be a lot easier to store, rather than gas. Pumping gas back into the ground for eternity...seems like the CO2 will eventually escape again...

[tony]

to agree with the earlier comment its the BRIC countries that we need

[Sulfuric Guy]

Great news. Hope that will be successful