CO2 Capture and Sequestration Cost Reduction is Being Achieved
Technologies to capture and sequester CO2 from coal-fired power plants are
available today. The problem is cost. Widespread adoption requires substantial
cost reduction. According to the McIlvaine Company in its CO2 Decisions and in a
recorded webinar, much progress is being made and much more is promised.
Building on past experience
There are commercial systems already in place. In the two and a half hour
recorded webinar, Lyle Witham, Environmental Services Manger for Basin Electric
Power, discussed his company's experience with carbon capture and sequestration.
Their Dakota Gasification plant in North Dakota has successfully captured CO2
using amines for almost a decade, piping three million tons per year for
enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in Saskatchewan. They are now planning to capture
CO2 from a 120-MW slipstream from the adjacent Antelope Valley coal-fired power
plant using Powerspan's ammonia-based ECO2 system. Antelope Valley will obtain
ammonia from the gasification plant and send an additional one million tons of
CO2 per year through the existing pipeline for EOR.
Improving the performance of components
If the parasitic power and cost can be reduced through improved component design
then much better economics can be achieved. Pete Baldwin, President of Ramgen
Power Systems, told webinar attendees that "shock wave" compressors can be
smaller, less costly and more efficient. There are no prototypes currently in
operation, but development is well advanced.
New methods for CO2 separation
The present technologies using amines to separate the CO2 are costly. Karen
Ratcliff of Siemens says her company is ready for scalable market introduction
of two post-combustion technologies. One uses ammonia acid salts, which have
lower degradation rates than other amines. A demonstration of that technology
will begin later this year on a 1-MW slipstream from E.ON's Staudinger plant in
Germany. The other involves a partnership with Powerspan to expand introduction
of their ECO2 aqueous ammonia carbon capture system in Europe.
Practical ways to sequester CO2 from coal plants
Finding places to permanently store CO2 is a challenge. Jim Lepinski, President
of Headwater Clean Carbon Services, discussed his company's partnership with the
University of Utah to develop carbon sequestration opportunities. Headwater is
currently conducting four sequestration tests in southwestern states and is
looking at developing a regional sequestration site in Utah. The Utah site is
remote, has favorable geologic formations, and is within 25 miles of three
coal-fired power plants.
Coordinating development and regulatory policy
Kurt Waltzer of the Clean Air Task Force discussed his organization's efforts to
support carbon capture and sequestration projects. Scaling up carbon capture
will require more R&D to reduce costs, regulatory programs to provide incentives
and standards, infrastructure (such as pipelines) and guidelines for long-term
care of sequestration sites.
Improvement of the entire combustion process
There are many opportunities to improve the way coal is combusted. There is the
potential for substantial cost reduction for the combined combustion and capture
system.
As a boiler OEM, Doosan Babcock can integrate post-combustion technologies into
a complete power station with consideration given to operating factors such as
utilizing spare steam. Matt Hunt discussed the company's post-combustion
offering using a proprietary solvent. A 3000-hour test will be conducted at Sask
Power's Boundary Dam power plant, focusing on minimizing steam consumption and
solvent degradation. Scott Hume discussed Doosan Babcock's oxy-fuel research
efforts at its test facility in Renfrew, Scotland, and a 40-MW oxy-fuel test
facility to be commissioned later this year.
The 2.5 hour video recording access by streaming media through a web link is
available for $95.
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/HTH_Recordings_Order_Form.htm.
CO2 Decisions is available as part of Power Plant Air Quality Decisions which is
described at:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/PPKS/Default.htm.
Bob McIlvaine
847-784-0012 ext. 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com