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Removing carbon dioxide from the waste streams of power plants and industrial processes is a challenge, but essential for lowering emissions while industrialised nations develop alternatives to fossil fuels. The political will to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) needs to be there first, but research and development on the technology is also key to making a business case.

The answer is not to pick winners but to develop multiple technologies, which may operate more efficiently with a range of fuels (gas, coal, biomass). This is the basic principle guiding CCS research at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ led by Daryl Williams and Paul Fennell.

Using amine solvents

is working to improve the efficiency of the most established CCS technology - amine solvents used to capture CO₂after combustion has already occurred. The challenge is to reduce the efficiency penalty created because amines have to be heated and then cooled during the capture and release process, involving a great deal of water and energy.

Most new build coal-fired power plants will operate around 45% efficiency (gas-fired power plants are more efficient), so a CCS step that introduces a 10% energy penalty (as do existing amine solvents) reduces plant operating efficiency by 22%.

The goal for Williams and colleagues is to halve this penalty by working on the development of third generation solvents with better performance - lower operational costs, lower corrosion and degradation, easier recovery.

Williams' research is funded by Carbon Clean Solutions  who are supported by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Williams' team works alongside 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ spinout Process Systems Enterprise Limited and Indian company Carbon Clean Solutions who have developed a family of new amine based solvent systems. He says the new solvent systems we are working on represent major technological advances on traditional amine based capture fluids.

Calcium looping