2nd

Post Combustion Capture Conference (PCCC2)

First Polish Pilot Plant for CO2 Post Combustion Capture

Adam Tatarczuka,*, Lucyna Więcław-Solny

a, Marcin Stec

a, Aleksander Krótki

a,

Janusz Zdebb, Jerzy Janikowski

c

aInstitute for Chemical Processing of Coal, Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland

bTAURON Wytwarzanie S.A., Lwowska 23, 40-389 Katowice, Poland cTAURON Polska Energia S.A., ks. Piotra Ściegiennego 3, 40-114 Katowice, Poland

Keywords: Carbon Capture; Pilot Plant; Chemical Absorption; Amine Solutions;

1. Introduction

Pilot plant, having capacity up to 200 m3

n/h, is first polish plant designed to test the amine scrubbing carbon

capture process from flue gases from coal-fired power plant. It was designed and built by Institute for Chemical

Processing of Coal in cooperation with TAURON Polska Energia S.A. and TAURON Wytwarzanie S.A.

Key stages of research task are tests on Łaziska power plant in 2013 and Jaworzno power plant in 2014, utilizing

pulverized coal-fired boiler and fluidized bed combustion technology respectively.

2. Basic concept of the Pilot Plant

Desulfurization Unit

According to current standards, the concentration of sulfur oxides in the exhaust gas of coal-fired power plants

should not exceed 200 mg/m3

n [1]. However, this amount is insufficient for amine absorption technology, due to

increased rate of amine degradation caused by sulfur oxides. To reduce rate of amine degradation, and therefore

lower operation costs, Pilot Plant has additional desulfurization unit, reducing sulfur oxides concentration up to

20 mg/m3n. Sodium carbonate and bicarbonate solution is used in deep desulfurization unit. Sulfur oxides from flue

gases are absorbed and the resulting sodium bisulfate solution is collected in column bottom.

Desulfurization unit allows in-depth analysis of impact of sulfur oxides in flue gases on amine solution

degradation. This topic will be extensively analyzed during ongoing Strategic Research Programme.

Carbon Capture Unit

Desulfurized and cooled gas is fed into absorption column, the main element of carbon capture unit. Flue gas

(approximate flow around 208 m3

n/h) is passed up the absorber, countercurrent to amine solution. Next important

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +48 32 621 6424; fax: +48 32 271 0809

E-mail address: tatarczuk@ichpw.zabrze.pl.

2

part of Pilot Plant is heat recovery node. Rich solution, passed from absorber bottom to desorption unit is pre-heated

by hot lean solution in heat recovery node. Proper heat recovery is crucial in reducing process energy demand. The

efficient heat recovery from lean amine solution reduces evaporator energy demand because initially heated rich

solution has higher temperature.

3. The Pilot Plant – detailed engineering

The Pilot Plant was designed as mobile unit, and is fully equipped for road transport. To meet this requirement

Pilot Plant is divided to three separate parts: technological, storage and supervision and every part is located in

separate standard container.

Over 40 equipment used in carbon capture process are located in technological container. Access to devices and

control elements is provided by roller blinds installed along container’s side walls. Main technological equipment

are three sorption columns, 15m high. Columns with supporting constructions could be easily disassembled and put

into storage container for transport.

Figure 1. The pilot plant connection diagram.

To ensure proper operation of the Pilot Plant, it is equipped with advanced control system ensuring efficient

plant work. Together with control, the system collects process data from over 180 measurements. Operators control

the Pilot Plant from supervisory container where control room is located (Figure 2). Some space in supervisory

container is designated to laboratory work.

4. Objectives

Main objective of research will be confirmation of suitability of new amine blends [1] for scrubbing technology

for CO2 removal from flue gases from coal-fired power plants. During research, influence of systems parameters on

process efficiency will be analyzed [2]. Together with tests on new amine solutions, technological issues will be

resolved.

The knowledge from Pilot Plant can be used in the future to optimize full scale carbon capture plants using post-

combustion amine scrubbing technology.

First, the research will be carried out on flue gases from pulverized coal-fired boiler in Łaziska power plant. The

Pilot Plant was placed and connected (Figure 1) next to power plant’s desulfurization unit during march 2013 [3].

As preparation for planned research on the Pilot Plant, Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal conducted

intensive research on amine scrubbing technology in previous years. As the result of research, stationary amine

scrubbing plant (efficiency: 20-100 m3

n/h) was built. On the mentioned plant, for the first time in Poland, carbon

capture test with capacity 75 m3

n/h, lasting few hours was conducted. CO2 removal efficiency reached

approximately 90% during the test,.

Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2013) 000–000 3

5. Summary

Proposed pilot plant’s scale allows conducting test at economically reasonable cost giving realistic picture of

CO2 capture technology using amine scrubbing. It gives opportunity to determine the influence of the process

parameters on plant’s efficiency.

Acquired data will allow CO2 capture units optimization and will be useful for scaling-up amine scrubbing CO2

capture plants.

Figure 2. The Carbon Capture Pilot Plant on Łaziska Power Plant – Poland.

The results presented in this paper were obtained during research co-financed by the National Centre of Research

and Development in the framework of Contract SP/E/1/67484/10 – Strategic Research Programme – Advanced

technologies for energy generation: Development of a technology for highly efficient zero-emission coal-fired power

units integrated with CO2 capture.

6. References

[1] A. Wilk, L. Więcław-Solny, A. Tatarczuk, D. Śpiewak, and A. Krótki, "Wpływ zmiany składu roztworu

absorpcyjnego na efektywność procesu usuwania CO2 z gazów spalinowych," Przemysł Chemiczny, vol. 92, no.

1, pp. 120-125, 2013. (eng. title: "Effects of change of solution on efficiency of process of CO2 absorption from

flue gases")

[2] T. Szczypiński, A. Tatarczuk, and K. Grudnik, "Optymalizacja procesu aminowego wychwytu CO2 ze spalin

poprzez zmianę konfiguracji układu technologicznego," Przemysł Chemiczny, no. 92, pp. 106-110, 2013. (eng.

title: "Influence of process configuration modifications on process of CO2 capture")

[3] A. Tatarczuk et al., "Instalacja Pilotowa do usuwanie CO2 ze spalin - postęp prac," Systems - Journal of

Transdisciplinary Systems Science, no. 17, pp. 79-84, 2012. (eng . title: "Pilot Plant for Carbon Capture - work

progress")

[4] L. Więcław-Solny, A. Tatarczuk, A. Krótki, and A. Wilk, "Przegląd technologii ograniczenia emisji CO2 z

sektora energetycznego," Karbo, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 62-67, 2012. (eng. title: "Technologies to reduce CO2

emissions from the energy sector. Review.")

[5] A. Tatarczuk, M. Ściążko, and M. Stec, "Zastosowanie absorpcji aminowej do usuwania CO2 ze spalin w skali

pilotowej," Chemik, vol. 67, no. 5, pp. 407-410, 2013. (eng. title: " Amine absorption for CO2 capture from flue

gases in a pilot-scale")