Air Products has declared that its carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology is onstream at Vattenfall’s R&D facility located in Schwarze Pumpe, Germany.
The system plays a major role in the oxyfuel carbon capture demonstration. The technology will be mainly used to purify and compress oxyfuel combustion flue gas. This is one of the greatest CO2 oxyfuel projects.
Air Products will pass the flue gas directly into the 30 MW wall-fired boiler installed at the oxyfuel pilot facility. The CO2 will be purified and compressed for improved oil recovery or storage. The sour compression technology from Air Products will enable the removal of impurities throughout the compression process to reduce concentration of acidic components, prevent rust during the CO2 storage procedure and save cost. The pilot project will describe the efficient CO2 purification process and elimination of atmospheric gases, especially oxygen. Air Products’ purification system will use new membrane technology to aim for 98% of carbon capture rates.
Vattenfall has opened the CO2 capture pilot plant at Schwarze Pumpe in 2008. The results from the 30 MW pilot facility will lead to the establishment of larger demonstration power facilities.
Currently, Air Products is working on a number of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects across the globe. The company has partnered with Shanxi International Energy Group to conduct feasibility study on proprietary oxyfuel CO2 purification technology. Air Products, along with DOE, has designed and developed a CO2 purification system. It will design, build and operate novel system to collect CO2 from two steam methane reformers installed at a refinery in Texas, U.S.