C-Capture CCS Technology
Thanks to Julie Richardson for the artwork and Ben Robertson for animation.
The image and movie (viewable on Flash compatible browsers only) are available free of charge for academic purposes with appropriate recognition; please email info@C-Capture.co.uk for further information.
Existing technology for CO2 capture
- Current approaches to carbon capture and storage (CCS) include passing a power station’s flue gas through an amine based ‘solvent’ which chemically absorbs CO2.
- Current processes utilise amine solvents, which temporarily react with CO2 and hold it in an aqueous solution, allowing other relatively unreactive gases (e.g. N2, O2) to pass through.
- On heating up to 120ºC, the CO2-rich (loaded) solvent regenerates the CO2 as a gas stream, and the aqueous amine solution (CO2-lean) is re-circulated and cooled for reuse.
- Related amine-based technology for separating CO2 (and sulfur-containing contaminants, H2S) from other gases has been used for many years for natural gas (e.g. methane, CH4) ‘sweetening’. C-Capture GSU technology offers an improved alternative for this application, as well as for biogas upgrading.
- However, to have significant impact, post-combustion CCS is required on a much larger scale (>50x) than so far established, and is complicated substantially by the presence of other contaminants in flue gases (O2, SOx, NOx, Hg etc.).
C-Capture technology
- Patented solvent technology for the reversible capture of CO2 from large-scale point sources, including power stations, steel and cement production, and fermentation.
- Our approach is to introduce new amine-free solvent materials for CO2 capture with superior performance characteristics, whilst maintaining low cost to ensure commercial viability.
- We focus on solvent systems with superior CO2 capture potential compared with current industry standards, which represent step change technologies that can significantly improve the overall efficiency and economics of the process, and hence reduce the cost and environmental impact.
- Solvent testing is carried out in C-Capture’s pre-pilot scale solvent assessment facility located in Armley, Leeds and using facilities in Leeds Chemistry Department.
- Our solvent technology is also suitable for other applications including capture of CO2 from other large point source emitters (e.g. cement and steel production), natural gas sweetening and biogas upgrading (see C-Capture GSU technology), and production of CO2 for consumer use.
Pre-pilot set-up
The laboratory results of C-Capture are verified by a well instrumented small scale absorption and desorption pre pilot scale set-up at our Leeds engineering facility. The chosen scale of this set-up, of 1 kg/h of CO2 being captured, is optimal for translating lab results to pilot scale (40 to 1000 kg/h CO2).