An Overview of Re-use and Application of CO2

by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

July 2010

Contents

1) General Use of CO2

2) Chemical Application of CO2
3) Enhanced Fossil Fuel Recovery
4) Application of CO2 for Bio Use
5) MHI PCC application for low pressure CO2 removal

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Part 1

General Use of CO2

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

Beverages / Dry ice / Cooling (liquid CO2) /

Supercritical food application - De caffeine / remove
cholesterol
Neutralization of waste water
Desalinated water mineralization
Welding
Semi conductor cleaning

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Beverages / Dry Ice

Carbon dioxide gas is used to carbonate soft drinks, beers and wine.
Frozen solid carbon dioxide, in the form of Dry Ice is used for the refrigeration of
foodstuffs, especially ice cream, meat products, and frozen foods. In addition, dry ice
is used for the following applications:
Dry ice pellets are used to replace sandblasting when removing paint from surfaces.
It aids in reducing the cost of disposal and cleanup.
Dry ice is mixed with moulded substances that must be kept cold. For example, dry
ice is mixed with moulded rubber articles in a tumbling drum to chill them sufficiently
so that the thin flash or rind becomes brittle and breaks off.
Dry ice is used to chill aluminum rivets. These harden rapidly at room temperature,
but remain soft if kept cold with dry ice.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

General Use Products

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

Japan (Kyushu)
Client: A Chemical Co.
CO2 source: Natural gas & oil fired boiler
Start up: 2005
Capacity: 330 tpd
Product: General use products
MHI Scope: EPC & License Package
Site Visit: Available

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Supercritical CO2
Supercritical carbon dioxide is gaining popularity for de-caffeinate coffee.
Supercritical CO2 is forced through the green coffee beans and then they are
sprayed with water at high pressure to remove the caffeine. The caffeine can then be
isolated for resale (e.g. to the pharmaceutical industry or to beverage manufacturers)
by passing the water through activated charcoal filters or by distillation, crystallization
or reverse osmosis.
Supercritical CO2 extraction coupled with a fractional separation technique is used
by producers of flavors and fragrances to separate and purify volatile flavor and
fragrances concentrates.
Supercritical carbon dioxide can be used in dry cleaning of clothes, as a substitute
for conventional solvents.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Neutralization of Waste Water

Alkaline wastewater is produced from various industries such as the iron and steel
making industries, textile and dyeing industries, pulp and paper industries, and
power plants.
Such industries generate highly alkaline wastewater (11.4 pH average), which must
be neutralized before it can be discharged or sent for further biological treatment. As
an alternative neutralizing agent, CO2 offers several advantages over mineral acids;
1. CO2 is not a highly toxic material and is safer to personnel and requires no
special protective equipment to handle.
2. Due to its natural buffering action, CO2 cannot reduce the pH below 5, even if
over dosing occurs.
3. The neutralization process becomes environmentally friendly since CO2 does not
produce residual anions such as sulfate and chloride and even friendlier if
recycled CO2 from flue gases were used.
4. Replacement of an existing mineral acid neutralization system or the erection of a
new CO2 system can be achieved at a lower cost.
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Desalinated Water Mineralization

Desalted waters or highly soft waters produced by desalination plants cannot be
directly used as they are unpalatable, corrosive and unhealthy. Remineralization is
necessary in order to overcome these problems.
One of the advanced methods of treating desalinated water is water conditioning by
supplementation with salt tablets. However the use of CO2 can also be used as part
of a cost-effective post treatment, resulting in chemically stable and re-mineralized
water, satisfying agricultural needs and complying with the most recent WHO
recommendations.
A commonly used operation in the remineralization process is to contact CO2
acidified desalinated water with a bed of domestic limestone. Limestone dissolution
provides two essential ingredients to the waterbicarbonate alkalinity and calcium
content: CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O = Ca2+ + 2HCO3.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Welding
Carbon dioxide is also used in welding, where in the welding arc, it reacts to oxidize
most metals. Use in the automotive industry is common where it is used as a
welding gas primarily because it is much less expensive than more inert gases such
as argon or helium.
When used for MIG welding, CO2 use is sometimes referred to as MAG welding,
standing for Metal Active Gas; as CO2 can react at these high temperatures. It
tends to produce a hotter puddle than truly inert atmospheres, improving the flow
characteristics.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Semi Conductor Cleaning

Semi conductor devices include the various types of transistor, solar cells, many
kinds of diodes and digital and analog integrated circuits. Semi conductor solar
photovoltaic panels directly convert light energy into electrical energy.
It is well known that semi conductor device performance and reliability are critically
affected by chemical contaminants and particulate impurities on the device surface.
CFCs used to be used as a cleaning agent but are now banned due to their impact
on the ozone layer.
Supercritical CO2 based technology for cleaning semi
conductors is now commercially available. Supercritical
CO2 diffuses rapidly, has low viscosity, near zero
surface tension like a gas, and thus, can penetrate
easily into the surfaces of semi conductors.
Supercritical CO2 acts as a solvent (as in CO2 EOR),
can dissolve chemicals, such as alcohols and
fluorinated hydrocarbons, and becomes miscible with
oil and upon de pressurization can easily remove
impurities without the requirement of water.
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

10

Part 2

Chemical Application of CO2

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Urea
Methanol
Soda Ash
Polycarbonates
Gas to Liquids (GTL)
DME

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

11

Urea Production
For use in industry, urea is produced from synthetic ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Large quantities of carbon dioxide are produced during the manufacture of ammonia
from coal or from hydrocarbons such as natural gas and petroleum-derived raw
materials. Such point sources of CO2 facilitate direct synthesis of urea.
The various urea processes are characterized by the conditions under which urea
formation takes place and the way in which unconverted reactants are further
processed. The process consists of two main equilibrium reactions, with incomplete
conversion of the reactants.
The first is an exothermic reaction of liquid ammonia with CO2 to form (H2NCOONH4):
2 NH3 + CO2 H2N-COONH4
The second is an endothermic decomposition of ammonium
carbamate into urea and water:
H2N-COONH4 (NH2)2CO + H2O
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

12

Urea Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

Malaysia
Client: PETRONAS
CO2 source: Steam reformer
Start up:1999
Capacity: 200 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: EPC & License Package
Site Visit: Available

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

13

Urea Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

India (Aonla)
Client: IFFCO
CO2 source: Natural gas and naphtha reformer
Start up: Dec 2006
Capacity: 450 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: License Package & Proprietary
Equipment Supply
Site Visit: Available

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

CO2 Recovery (CDR) Plant

IFFCO AonlaUnit (India)

14

Urea Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

India (Phulpur)
Client: IFFCO
CO2 source: Natural gas and naphtha Reformer
Start up: Dec 2006
Capacity: 450 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: License Package & Proprietary
Equipment Supply
Site Visit: Available
CO2 Recovery (CDR) Plant
IFFCO Phulpur Unit (India)
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

15

Urea Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

India
Client: Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals
Limited
CO2 source: Natural gas and naphtha reformer
Start up: 2009
Capacity: 450 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: License Package & Proprietary
Equipment Supply
Site Visit: Available
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

16

Urea Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

United Arab Emirates
Client: Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. (GPIC)
CO2 source: Natural gas boiler & steam reformer
Start up: 2009
Capacity: 400 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: License Package & Proprietary
Equipment Supply
Site Visit: Available

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

17

Urea Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

Pakistan
Client: Ghotki CO2 Recovery Plant: Engro
Chemical Pakistan Limited
CO2 source: Natural gas boiler & steam
reformer
Start up: Q3 2010 (under construction)
Capacity: 340 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: License Package & Proprietary
Equipment Supply

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Vietnam
Client: Petrovietnam Fertilizer and
Chemicals Corporation
(PETROVIETNAM)
CO2 source: Natural gas boiler &
steam reformer
Start up: Q3 2010 (under construction)
Capacity: 240 tpd
Product: Urea production
MHI Scope: License Package &
Proprietary Equipment Supply

18

Methanol Production
The largest use of methanol by far is in making other chemicals. About 40% of methanol is converted to formaldehyde, and
from there into products as diverse as plastics, plywood, paints, explosives, and permanent press textiles. Methanol is used on
a limited basis to fuel internal combustion engines.
Today, synthesis gas is most commonly produced from the methane component in natural gas rather than from coal. Three
processes are commercially practiced. At moderate pressures of 4 MPa (40 atm) and high temperatures (around 850 C),
methane reacts with steam on a nickel catalyst to produce syngas according to the chemical equation:
CH4 + H2O CO + 3 H2
This reaction, commonly called steam-methane reforming or SMR, is endothermic and the heat transfer limitations place limits
on the size of and pressure in the catalytic reactors used. Methane can also undergo partial oxidation with molecular oxygen to
produce syngas, as the following equation shows:
2 CH4 + O2 2 CO + 4 H2
This reaction is exothermic and the heat given off can be used in-situ to drive the steam-methane reforming reaction. When the
two processes are combined, it is referred to as autothermal reforming. The ratio of CO and H2 can be adjusted to some extent
by the water-gas shift reaction,
CO + H2O CO2 + H2
The carbon monoxide and hydrogen then react on a second catalyst to produce methanol. Today, the most widely used catalyst
is a mixture of copper, zinc oxide, and alumina. At 510 MPa (50100 atm) and 250 C, it can catalyze the production of
methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen with high selectivity:
CO + 2 H2 CH3OH

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

19

Use of CO2 to increase Methanol production

Case-1: CO2 Recovery - CO2 Injection at Reformer Inlet
MeOH
NG

REFORMER

COMPRESSION

SYNTHESIS

DISTILLATION

FLUE GAS

CO2
RECOVERY

Case-2 CO2 Recovery CO2 Injection at Reformer Outlet before Compression

MeOH
NG

REFORMER

COMPRESSION

SYNTHESIS

DISTILLATION

FLUE GAS

CO2
RECOVERY
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

20

Urea & Methanol Production

MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant

Bahrain
Client: Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co.
(GPIC)
CO2 source: Natural gas boiler & steam
reformer
Start up: 2009
Capacity: 450 tpd
Product: Urea & Methanol production
MHI Scope: License Package &
Proprietary Equipment Supply
Site Visit: Available
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

21

Chemical Application of CO2

Map of MHI Commercial CO2 Capture Plant Sites
33
88

77

2006 India (Aonla)

450 t/d

44

2006 India (Phulpur)

450 t/d

2010 Pakistan
340 t/d

22

2005 Japan
330 t/d

2010 Bahrain
450 t/d

99

2010 Vietnam
240 t/d

KEY
Plants under operation

66
Plants under construction
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

2009 Abu Dhabi

400 t/d

55

2009 India
450 t/d

11

1999 Malaysia
22
200 t/d

Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate)

Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda crystals or soda ash or "Soda
Carbonate"), Na2CO3, is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as
a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the
monohydrate; and is domestically well known for its everyday use as a water softener.
The manufacture of glass is one of the most important uses of sodium carbonate.
When it is combined with sand (SiO2) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and heated to
very high temperatures, then cooled very rapidly, glass is produced. This type of
glass is known as soda lime glass.
Sodium carbonate is also used as a relatively strong base in various settings.
Several processes exist today using CO2 to enhance production of Soda Ash such as
the Leblanc, Solvay & Hous processes

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

23

Synthesis of Polycarbonates using CO2

Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polymers. They are easily
worked and moulded and as such, these plastics are very widely used in the modern
chemical industry.
A process of forming a polycarbonate comprises providing a reaction mixture of at
least one polycarbonate-forming monomer and carbon dioxide; and then reacting the
polycarbonate-forming monomer and carbon dioxide in the reaction mixture to form
the polycarbonate.
DMC
MHI is developing a unique process using CO2 and
methanol in a 2 step process to produce dimethly
carbonate (DMC) which is an ambient liquid currently used
in the production of polycarbonates and lithium batteries.
However in the future we expect to utilise DMC derivatives
as an additive to gasoline and diesel to produce a cleaner
burning and high efficiency engine fuel.
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

24

Gas to Liquids (GTL)

Gas to liquids (GTL) is a refinery process to convert natural gas or other gaseous
hydrocarbons into longer-chain hydrocarbons such as kerosine or diesel fuel.
Methane-rich gases are converted into liquid synthetic fuels either via direct
conversion or via syngas as an intermediate, for example the Fischer Tropsch
process. Using gas-to-liquids processes, natural gas can be converted into valuable
fuel oils, which can be sold as is or blended only with diesel fuel.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

25

Dimethyl ether (DME) production

Dimethyl ether (DME) is the organic compound with the formula CH3OCH3. When combusted,
DME produces minimal NOx and CO. DME can act as a clean fuel when burned in engines
properly optimized for DME.
Today, DME is primarily produced by converting hydrocarbons, predominantly sourced from
natural gas (and to a lesser extent via gasification of coal), to synthesis gas (syngas). Synthesis
gas is then converted into methanol in the presence of catalyst (usually copper-based), with
subsequent methanol dehydration in the presence of a different catalyst (for example, silicaalumina) resulting in the production of DME.

CO2

CO2 Capture

Exhaust gas

Natural Gas
Steam

DME

Synthetic fuel
Boiler

Compressor

Methanol synthesis

DME synthesis

2CH3OH CH3OCH3+H2O
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu
Fuel

26

Part 3

Enhanced Fossil Fuel Recovery

1.
2.

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM)

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

27

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery

CO2 Injection and Recycling System in EOR
Compression
& Dehydration
Thermal
Power
Plant

CO2
CO2
Compression
Capture & Dehydration

Associated
Gas
Separator
CO2
Injection Production
Well
Well

CO2
CO2
Recycle
Plant

Tank

Natural Gas
NGL

Crude Oil

Cap Rock
Gas

CO2

Crude Oil

Oil Reservoir
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

28

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery

CO2
Recovery
Plant

Facts about CO2 EOR

Supercritical (fluid state) CO2 is easily dissolved in crude oil under reservoir conditions
This state increases flow-ability of crude oil to the well head and enhances production
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Crude oil recovery ratio can be increased significantly by means of CO2-EOR

29

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery

U.S. Experience With CO2 Pipelines for EOR
Coal
Gasification
LeBarge

McElmo
Dome

St. John
Dome

Sheep
Mountain

Bravo
Dome

Ammonia
Plant

Gas
Plants

Jackson
Dome

CO2 Sources
Natural
Industrial
Pipelines

~3,000 Miles of CO2 Pipe in U.S. Today350,000 for Natural Gas.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

30

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery

Natural Gas CO2 Recovery Plants Ready to go!!
Completed basic design for large single train PCC Plant
Offering this plant on a commercial basis with guarantees
Contract negotiation for several CO2-EOR commercial projects

Gas Boiler CO2 Capture Plant

3,000 t/d

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Gas Turbine CO2 Capture & Compression

Plant 3,000 t/d
31

CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery

MHIs Global Natural Gas Fired CO2-EOR/CCS Project Work in Various
Study & Negotiation Phases
Canada CO2-EOR / CCS Project,
Natural Gas Flue Gas

Norway CO2-EOR / CCS Project,

Natural Gas Flue Gas

b) Middle East CO2-EOR Project,

Natural Gas Flue Gas

US CO2-EOR Project, Natural

Gas Flue Gas
a) Middle East CO2-EOR Project,
Natural Gas Flue Gas

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

32

CO2 Enhanced Coal Bed Methane Recovery

ECBM recovery is a similar process to CO2-EOR whereby CO2 is injected into a
deep coal bed underground to enhance the recovery of methane which can then be
used for electricity production or exported to market.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

33

Part 4

Application of CO2 for Bio Use

1.
2.
3.

Greenhouses
Micro Algae Bio diesel
Kelp in sea water Bio diesel

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

34

Greenhouses
CO2 has long been used to enhance the production and growth of a variety of
vegetables, fruit and flowers in greenhouses throughout the world and especially in
Europe. Pure CO2 is injected via a tank into greenhouses whereby the plants within
rapidly utilise the CO2 in combination with sunlight and heat which enhances growth
along with fruit and flower production even in cool climates.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

35

Micro Algae Bio diesel

Algae live on a high concentration of carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide which are
released by automobiles, cement plants, fertilizer plants, steel plants & power plants.
These pollutants serve as key nutrients for the algae.
Scrubbed exhaust gas from a power plant and CO2 capture plant can be bubbled
through tanks or ponds with algae. The algae extract the CO2 from the exhaust and
convert it to sugars via photosynthesis. Via further metabolism these sugars are then
converted to oils and proteins, which can be extracted to form biodiesel and ethanol.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

36

Kelp in sea water Bio diesel

In the same way algae can be used to produce biodiesel, kelp too can be grown in
ponds injected with high purity CO2. Scrubbed exhaust gas from a power plant and
CO2 capture plant can be bubbled through tanks or ponds with kelp. The kelp extract
the CO2 from the exhaust and convert it to sugars via photosynthesis. Via further
metabolism these sugars are then converted to oils and proteins, which can be
extracted to form biodiesel and ethanol.

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

37

Part 5

MHI PCC application for low pressure CO2 removal

1.
2.

Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) Steel Making

Oxo Gas Low pressure steam reforming

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

38

Direct Reduced Iron Steel Making

Direct-reduced iron (DRI), also called sponge iron, is produced from direct reduction of iron ore (in the form
of lumps, pellets or fines) by a reducing gas produced from natural gas or coal. The reducing gas is a
mixture majority of Hydrogen (H2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) which acts as reducing agent. This process
of directly reducing the iron ore in solid form by reducing gases is called direct reduction. DRI production
may have an advantage in Australia due to the abundance of iron ore, coal and natural gas.

DRI Plant Simple Block Flow

Iron Ore
CO2

Feed ( NG ) or (Coal)

Cooling & H/R

Cooler
CO2
Recovery
Plant

Reduction Gas
Production
Unit

&
H/R

DRI Reactor

Compressor
H2O
H2
CO

H2
CO
Heater

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Cooler

39

Fuel
and O2
DRI Pellet

Oxo Gas Low pressure steam reforming

CO2 can be used as part of the steam reforming process to produce both a
synethesis gas and a CO2 by-product. CO2 captured from flue gas of a power plant
can be used to enhance the steam reforming process as per the figure below

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

40

Summary of CO2 re-use activities

Industrial Application of CO2
(yearly market with a large uncertainty)
Chemical product class or application

Yearly market
(Mt/yr)

Amount of CO2 used per

Mt product (MtCO2)

Urea

90

65

Methanol

24

<8

Inorganic carbonates (e.g. soda ash, waste

water neutralization, treating desalinated water)

Organic carbonates (eg ethylene carbonate,

propylene carbonate)

2.6

0.2

Polyurethanes (eg flexible foam seating, high

performance adhesives, sealants & gaskets,
hard plastics, carpet underlay)

10

<10

Technological (e.g. welding, medicinal, de

caffeination)

10

10

Food

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

Source : IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage

41

MHIs Japan Based Environmental Tour Facilities

MHI Yokohama Office
Engineering HQs
MHI CO2 Capture & FGD
R&D Center

Nanko 2 tpd Natural Gas

CO2 Capture Pilot Plant

Kurosaki 330 tpd

Commercial CO2
Capture Plant

Shikoku Electric
Tachibana-wan power
station
(MHIs DCFS FGD)

Mihara 400 MW
Multi-Pollutant Test Facility
(FGD & CO2 Capture )

Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

42

Final Words
FOR THE SUSTAINED LONG TERM USE OF FOSSIL FUELS FOR
CLEANER, SMARTER POWER GENERATION & CO2 RE-USE

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries can deliver integrated, reliable

post combustion CO2 capture solutions
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

43

Further Information

JAPAN
Ronald Mitchell
Manager Business Development
Environmental & Chemical Plant Project Department
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
3-3-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, 220-8401
Office Ph: +81-45-200-9131 | Cell Ph: +81-90-4420-3941
E-mail:
ronald_mitchell@mhi.co.jp
Insert file path on the 'Header and Footer' menu

44