Insights and Commentaries
Progressing carbon capture technologies for the cement industry
15th June 2015
Topic(s): Carbon capture, CO2 capture, Engineering and project delivery, use and storage (CCUS)
Results of post-combustion pilot tests conducted at Norcem’s cement plant in Brevik were presented during the International CCS Conference held in Langesund on 20–21 May 2015. More than 130 representatives of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) and cement industries participated in this successful event, giving a clear signal that the cement industry is ready to fully engage in CCS given adequate political support. In this Insight the Global CCS Institute's Senior Adviser - Capture for the European region, Guido Magneschi reports on the progress of the conference and some of the technological advances discussed.
Aker’s MTU pilot at Brevik cement factory (NO), author's own work
CO2 emissions from the cement industry account for approximately 5% of total global emissions. Although various options can be deployed in cement production to reduce its carbon foot print (i.e. fuel switching, efficiency improvements, new clinkers etc.), CCS remains a critical technology for this sector. In fact, 60% of the CO2 produced in the cement manufacturing process is due to the decomposition of the CaCO3, which is inherent of the transformation from limestone to final product. The European Cement Research Academy (ECRA) has estimated that CCS is needed to avoid around 46% of European cement industry emissions to meet 2050’s emission targets. For more information on on the ECRA vision see Chairman Daniel Gauthier's presentation on the conference webpage.
Results of pilot tests at Norcem’s cement plant
On behalf of the European cement industry, since May 2013 Norcem in cooperation with HeidelbergCement Group and ECRA has been conducting the first CO2 capture tests at a cement plant. Four different post-combustion technologies have been tested on real cement flue gas at the Brevik plant in Norway. The budget for the whole program is 93 million Norweigan krone (MNOK) (11 million Euros), with Gassnova contributing 75% through the Climit program and Norcem, ECRA and the technology providers covering the rest. Results of the test campaigns were presented by the four technology developers – RTI International, Aker Clean Carbon, Alstom and a membrane consortium led by DNV.GL – at the conference in Langesund.
RTI International – Solid Sorbents
RTI International tested their solid sorbent process using a remotely controlled prototype with fixed reaction beds. The systems uses a sorbent made of polyethylenimine (PEI) supported on silica particles, which has lower heat requirements compared to amine based systems. According to RTI the sorbent stability and CO2 capture performance have been successfully demonstrated. The project will therefore move into a second phase by scaling up the technology into a bigger pilot to be tested in Brevik from January to October 2016.
Aker Solutions– Amine scrubbing
Aker operated its Mobile Test Unit (MTU) from May 2014 to Nov 2014. After around 2700 hours of operations, the proprietary amine-based solvent ‘S26’ employed in this test showed a low buildup of degradation products and stable performance above 90% capture. Aker presented heat requirements for solvent regeneration as low as 2.7 megajoules per kilogram of CO2 (MJ/kgCO2) with 90% capture, expecting a further reduction down to 2 MJ/kgCO2 when heat integration with CO2 compression is enabled. The testing has been extended till September 2015 and to date the MTU has achieved 5500 h of operation without solvent reclaiming.
NTNU, Yodfat Engineers and DNV.GL - Membranes
Membrane technology was tested in Brevik by a consortium consisting of NTNU, Yodfat Engineers and DNV.GL (leading the project). While the test rig experienced some operational issues during the initial period, tests have successfully demonstrated the working principle of the facilitated transport membranes developed by NTNU, during approximately six months of operation. The consortium is now looking into an improved test rig with a two stage configuration to achieve higher capture performance. The new module will consist of hollow membrane fibers in a design similar to that of a commercial module. An application has been submitted to Gassnova for testing the new module at the same location. If approved, the new test is expected to start in late fall of 2015.
Alstom - Regenerative Calcium Cycle (RCC)
Alstom’s Regenerative Calcium Cycle (RCC) has not been tested in Brevik. De-risking investigations have been performed at the Institute of Combustion and Power Plant Technology (IFK), using a 200 kWth calcium looping pilot installed at Stuttgart University. Tests provided insight on the performance and durability of the sorbent and demonstrated the feasibility of the process. Alstom conducted further desk studies to assess the techno-economic aspects of this technology. Since RCC involves an exothermic reaction at around 650 °C, energy integration options have been assessed to minimise the overall energy requirements. Alstom is considering pilot tests of the RCC concept to develop this technology further.
Benchmark study
As part of the project, Tel-Tek in cooperation with Norcem are performing a final techno-economic benchmarking of the four technologies, building on the test results and the techno-economic studies conducted by developers. The benchmark will provide additional insight into advantages and disadvantages of each concept at full scale, as well as a final evaluation regarding their Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). The study is expected to be finalised in June 2015.
Norcem’s plans for full scale capture
The test program initiated by Norcem is part of the company’s perspective towards de-carbonisation of the cement industry. This includes the realisation of a full scale capture plant in Brevik. Although this cement plant emits about 800,000 tons of CO2 per year, the full scale project will target capturing around half of it.
Why is this so? Preliminary studies revealed that by using waste heat from the cement production process, approximately 400,000 t/y of CO2 could be captured without additional external heat inputs. This solution will avoid additional costs related to installing and operating a new steam boiler.
Norcem is interested in progressing towards CCS deployment and is planning to start a full scale feasibility study in the beginning of 2016, if initiated by the government. However, full scale realisation strongly depends on the level of political support. An investment decision can only be taken if a solid regulatory framework is in place and the transport and storage infrastructure is facilitated by the Norwegian government.
Proceedings of the International CCS Conference are available here: http://www.norcem.no/no/CCS-conference
The Global CCS Institute regularly published Insights on CCS technology development. Some further information on CCS in the cement industry is can also be found here:
- Capturing CO2 from the Norwegian cement industry (Sept 2013)
- An update on CO2 capture from cement production (Feb 2013)