POWER July 2017 - 35

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
3. CO2 captured. Continuous emissions
monitoring system (CEMS) data collected
during the first two weeks of operation at
the South Wales project showed a steady
decrease in CO2 as the system ramped up.
Courtesy: Crown International
5. Long-term success. CEMS data collected during slightly more than five months of
operation at the South Wales project showed CO2 capture rates remained consistently high.
Courtesy: Crown International
4. NOx captured. Although the NOx
abatement was not optimized, the CEMS data
showed NOx decreased simultaneously with
the CO2 capture as the South Wales system
ramped up. Courtesy: Crown International
and exchange technology, using flue gas
CO2
as a feedstock for conversion into a
range of valuable commodity products, such
as formates and industrial alcohols.
Creating Value Streams
to prove could be overcome using this new
proprietary technology.
Carbon Conversion
The second DECC project was a nine-month
research and development project to convert
CO2
into high-grade formic acid, using
a process and at a cost that would make the
technology commercially viable. The team's
goal was to develop, build, and demonstrate
a complete system that could utilize captured
CO2
.
As part of the second DECC project, the
team carried out a detailed review of the
global formic acid market to evaluate the
potential value of this by-product revenue
stream, which is just one of many possible
by-products. Findings from the study suggested
that, while concentration within the
industry is relatively high (the industry's top
15 producers account for 88% of industry
production), production is expected to increase
at a compound annual growth rate of
1.34% from 2017 to 2022.
Margins in the industry, based on factory
and, rather than consider it a waste product,
create a viable revenue stream while
maintaining a low-carbon footprint for the
capture and utilization of CO2
In the DECC project, the system took a
CO2 feed from pressurized cylinders, but in
a deployment situation it would interface
directly with the carbon capture system to
utilize the captured flue gas CO2
.
The pilot plant demonstrated the ability
to convert 100% of CO2
into formic acid.
It also demonstrated a production capacity
with a product value stream of more than £8
million per annum (for this single site), at
significantly lower cost than current methods
of production.
By combining these two projects, the
team proved the complete carbon capture
July 2017 | POWER
gate prices and input costs, are typically
tight at about 14%, reflecting the high cost
base of existing methods of production, but
a significant component of this is the reliance
on feedstock chemicals as part of the
process. Consequently, there is a real opportunity
for disruptive technologies that can
deliver relatively low setup and operating
costs while meeting the relevant compliance
regulations, creating a valuable potential
revenue stream for companies using efficient
new technology.
Most importantly, the role that adopting
such innovative technology could play
in helping the UK and other countries
reach carbon emission targets should not
be underestimated. The DECC projects
demonstrated that the process could simultaneously
capture in excess of 95% of CO2
and 85% of NOx
in the pilot sites' flue gas
emissions.
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By treating carbon as a raw material
feedstock for the production of valuable
formates, rather than as an expensive waste
material to be disposed of at high financial
and environmental cost, the process creates
a value stream from the by-products that
makes this more environmentally-friendly
approach commercially appealing.
Reusing by-products, rather than releasing
them into the atmosphere, has the potential
to significantly reduce CO2
emissions
across the energy generation sector. It's a
promising and versatile process that produces
a variety of commercial organic compounds,
depending on the individual setup
of the conversion cell.
If, as the London School of Economics
report states, the electricity sector is responsible
for 25% of current carbon emissions,
then capturing 95% of CO2
emissions from
fossil-fueled power plants would be a significant
step forward on its own. But, with
the energy generation and industrial sectors
combined being responsible for 42% of UK
CO2
emissions, adopting this technology
across both sectors could represent the stepchange
the world is looking for.
The key to success of any carbon capture
technology lies in making sure it is
commercially attractive enough for energy
companies to invest time and resources in
adopting the solution. The results of the
DECC trials suggest the benefits of this
particular new technology warrant that investment.
■
-Mark Stacey is managing director of
Crown International, a UK-based company
with a background in new product design
and manufacture that provides components
for carbon capture projects.
35
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POWER July 2017

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