Advanced Amine Solvent Formulations and Process Integration for Near-Term CO2 Capture Success

The post-combustion capture of CO2 from coal-fired power plants is a necessary component in any effort to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Currently, monoethanolamine (MEA) scrubbing is the state-of-the-art technology to remove CO2 from flue gas. However, conventional MEA scrubbing systems have high parasitic energy requirements, which can decrease the net power produced by as much as 33%. Improved amine solvents and novel, highly-integrated process schemes could significantly reduce the parasitic energy demands of the CO2 capture system. Therefore, this project will establish the technoeconomic feasibility of a highly-integrated, advanced amine scrubbing system, along with a novel amine solvent, that can significantly reduce the parasitic energy requirements. In Phase I, detailed costs for full-scale units will be prepared on the basis of rigorous process models, detailed heat and material balances, and equipment selection. A plan for integrating these amine units in a full-scale, coal-fired power plant also will be developed. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: An advanced amine scrubbing system would directly benefit over 98% of U.S. fossil power generation assets, should CO2 capture become necessary.