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ScienceDirect
Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
Abstract
The GE Chilled Ammonia Process (CAP) is a post combustion CO2 capture technology that produces a high purity CO2 product
stream that can be utilized in the existing and new markets. The development of the CAP technology began with laboratory
bench-scale experiments to confirm that aqueous ammonia solution effectively absorbs CO2 with sufficiently low vapor phase
ammonia emissions at reduced temperatures. From these results, a technology development program was initiated to scale-up and
validate the process for commercialization.
The approach taken here is illustrative of industrial scale process development and improvement. For the CAP CO 2 capture
technology, the development effort involved an iterative approach as information from the different development stages was
obtained to set environmental & economic targets, develop predictive tools and models for process optimization, and to support
validation efforts at operating facilities. Over the course of the program, the technology was successfully tested on flue gasses
produced from coal, oil, and natural gas combustion, in addition to flue gas produced from refinery applications. Process know-
how and operational experience was gained and together with validated data from bench-scale and pilot plant facilities was
returned to push process design improvement and the development of predictive models. Currently, the CAP design is also
modified and extended into applications involving Urea, Methanol, and Soda Ash Production.
While many lessons learned and process improvement opportunities have been extracted from pilot plant and other test facilities,
pilot plant results and process modeling studies are still unveiling potential for further improvement. Optimization and integration
with the power generation facility occurred in the development phases of several FEED studies for large CCS plants. The CAP
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 6134 712 472; fax: +49 6134 712 590.
E-mail address: Olaf.Stallmann@ge.com
design is ready for a demonstration-scale project and now is much improved from the design that was tested originally at
laboratory bench-scale. For example, the CAP scrubbing solution is now operated in a non-solids mode where precipitation is not
a part of the overall operational strategy and the process flow scheme is now modified and improved from original flow schemes
implemented at early pilot facilities to improve performance at reduced cost.
This work summarizes the bench-scale, pilot-scale, and validation facility results and offers insights into the lessons learned and
effort required bringing the technology into commercialization at an industrial scale. The lessons learned from each of the pilot
plants at different sizes are illustrated and the associated impact of the results from each pilot plant in the current CAP product
offering is also discussed. A summary of the important results from CAP test facilities including Stanford Research International
(SRI), WE energies, EONCAP-Karlshamm, AEP Mountaineer, TCM and GE’s pilot facility in Vaxjo, Sweden are presented.
Distinguishing features of the GE CAP are provided drawing comparison to open literature versions of ammonia based CO2
capture processes. Evolution of key performance parameters such as energy demand, product quality, solvent strength, process
flow scheme, etc., at the different plant sizes are also discussed. In addition, the current state of development for extending the
technology into areas where CO2 may be utilized productively are also be addressed in addition to the latest improvement
concepts currently being studied on CAP. Finally, the paper will also summarize the advantages of CAP as compared to
conventional amine based processes.
Keywords: GE; CO2; Capture Process; Post Combustion; CAP; Chilled Ammonia Process; Lessons Learned; Status; Scale-up; SRI; WE-Energy;
EONCAP-Karlshamn; AEP Mountaineer; TCM; Technology Center Mongstad; Thermal Energy Demand
1. Introduction
The GE Chilled Ammonia Process (CAP) is a post combustion CO 2 capture technology that produces a high
purity CO2 product stream that can be utilized in the existing and new markets. Primary objective of this CCS
technology is to address GE’s installed base of power plants but also new build and industrial emitters.
The approach taken by GE is illustrative of industrial scale process development and improvement. For the CAP
CO2 capture technology, the development effort involved an iterative approach as information from the different
development stages was obtained to set environmental & economic targets, develop predictive tools and models for
process optimization, and to support validation efforts at operating facilities.
Development of CAP technology began with laboratory bench-scale experiments to confirm that aqueous
ammonia solution effectively absorbs CO2 with sufficiently low vapor phase ammonia emissions at reduced
temperatures. From these results, a technology development program was initiated to scale-up and validate the
process for commercialization. Several pilot and validation facilities using the Chilled Ammonia Process with
increasing capacity per evolution step have been built and tested. The CAP plants treated combustion flue gases
from both power and industrial boilers using several different fuels. In combination, pilot plant and validation
facilities have operated for over 22,000 hours.
Optimization and integration with the power generation facility occurred in the development phases of several
FEED studies for large CCS plants. The CAP design is ready for a demonstration-scale project and now is much
improved from the design that was tested originally in the lab at bench-scale.
2. Nomenclature
3. Technology
GE’s CAP is a wet-regenerable solvent process using ammonia-carbon dioxide based salts as the solvent. CO2 is
captured in an absorber and then cycled through a regeneration tower to drive off a concentrated stream of CO 2.
Traditionally water washing steps were also employed to recover ammonia.
The reaction mechanism of carbon-dioxide absorption with ammoniated solution has been reviewed in the
scientific community for many years. The following set of reactions, Equation 1 through 6, was used to describe the
chemical equilibrium.
2H 2O H 3O OH (1)
CO2 2H 2O H 3O HCO3
(2)
2
HCO3 H 2O CO3 H3O (3)
NH 3 H 2O NH 4 OH (4)
NH 3 HCO3 H 2O NH 2COO (5)
In the CAP absorber system, the reaction of gaseous carbon dioxide into the liquid phase results in reactions with
water and ammonia along with weak acid dissociation to form a temperature and concentration dependent
speciation, which after sufficient time approaches chemical equilibrium. The chilled ammonia process operating
with precipitated solids is designed around the reaction of flue gas CO2 with an aqueous ammonia solution to
precipitate ammonium bicarbonate NH4HCO3. The overall reversible chemical process is shown simplified in
Equations 7 and 8.
The capture reaction (Equation 7) is optimal at a temperature between 40ºF and 59ºF (5ºC and 15ºC); to which
the flue gas must be chilled. Regeneration of the capture solution (Equation 8) and recovery of the captured CO2 is
optimal at a higher temperatures and moderate pressure. The regenerated solution, lean in ammonium bicarbonate, is
returned to the absorber system where it is re-used to capture CO2.
The process was originally conceived to operate the absorption at a temperature and ammonium bicarbonate
concentration such that a freely-suspended ammonium bicarbonate precipitate would form. Concentrated,
precipitated ammonium bicarbonate solids could then be used for regeneration. The increased CO2 loading (per unit
water) in the rich solution would reduce the sensible heat load needed for regeneration that is strongly influenced by
the carrier water. Later, pilot operations indicated that the presumed net energy benefit of precipitating solids was
marginal at best and in conjunction with operational stability issues. As a result, current designs foresee operation in
non-solids mode.
More details on the rationale for switching to non-solids mode will be described in subsequent sections of this
article. Nevertheless, still some investigations for solids operation are undertaken in the scientific community, e.g.
by Mazzotti et al. [1], which are also partnered by GE.
4 Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000
The decision to further explore the potential of the CAP was also driven by its advantages over other solvent
based CO2 removal systems and features that differentiate it from those.
3.1. Process
While the following process description assumes application on a coal-fired utility boiler, the CAP can be
modified, as required, for post-combustion CO2 removal from many different utility and industrial combustion
processes.
A schematic of the CAP is shown in Figure 1 below:
Over the development phase the CAP process changed operation from solid mode, that is operating the rich
solvent loading beyond the solubility limit of ammonium salts to form slurry, to non-solids mode, where the solvent
CO2 loading is below the crystallization point.
The obvious difference to non-solid mode is the omission of the solid handling equipment, like the hydrocyclone
used to concentrate the slurry from the absorber.
GE has established a general approach in the development of new products and processes in the Environmental
Control Systems Sector. This approach formalizes the steps to be taken during the R&D phase.
For any process development, there is certain minimum information that is needed to allow a reliable design and
performance estimation for the commercial product or process. This typically includes:
Where no other sources of information (such as existing simulators, plants etc.) are available, the following
methods are generally used to obtain necessary data:
Literature data (satisfy information requirements of items 1-3)
Experiments at Laboratory or Bench scale (satisfy information requirements of items 1-3)
Lab pilot plant tests (satisfy information requirements of items 1-4; 5.1; 5.2)
Field pilot plant tests (satisfy information requirements of items 1-5 all)
Demonstration plant operation (To confirm underlying assessments at full scale and further detail / optimize
items 1-5 all)
Already existing knowledge of certain aspects of a technology in a company may allow shortcuts in the
development to be taken without increasing the risk position. In such cases the development comprises an adaptation
of an existing process or process modules to new boundary conditions rather than a full-fledged new development.
On the road to building full scale carbon capture facilities for power utilities, increasing capacities of pilot and
demonstration plants are necessary to minimize the risk associated with the knowledge available at the time of their
construction and use. The utility of new concepts is generally required to be proven, first in laboratory tests or at
bench scale, before a further development effort is initiated.
The development plan of the CAP technology as shown in Figure 3 shall serve as an illustrative example of this
approach. The program objectives at the start in 2004 were to provide a commercial product for CO2 capture using
the CAP technology by the end of 2015.
In order to reach this time-to-market requirement a rather tight schedule for the execution of the different test
phases was defined. This resulted in some overlap in the execution of the different test programs and required
proactive management of the knowledge transfer from one test program to the other.
Several pilot and validation facilities using the Chilled Ammonia Process have been completed to date. The CAP
plants treated combustion flue gases from both power and industrial boilers using several different fuels. In
combination, the pilot plant and validation facilities have operated for over 22,000 hours. A summary of the plants is
provided in Table 1.
After initial tests to show the principle of CO2 capture using Ammonia-salt based solvents, a small scale bench pilot
plant was used at SRI to further evaluate the chemistry and define the technical hypothesis for further investigations.
The objectives for the SRI facility were focused on proving the
chemistry concept in a CAP batch mode setup. The facility proved that the
CAP process is able to capture CO 2 in solid and non-solid mode. Test
results provided the preliminary mass and energy balances, which were
used to build the WE CAP pilot in Wisconsin.
The large bench scale pilot became operational at SRI in November
2006. Validation activities at SRI were conducted according to the test plan
that was outlined by the field validation team. The primary objectives of
this pilot were:
Investigating the performance of the chilled ammonia process (CAP) for
capturing CO2 from power plant flue gases;
Obtaining relevant design data for a pilot scale (1 to 5 MW) system;
Evaluate absorption solvent regeneration conditions with a batch
regenerator;
Picture 1: SRI Absorber Pilot
Create an inventory of regenerated solvent for injection in the absorber
system.
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 9
The construction comprised an 18” diameter large-scale bench absorber system and its auxiliary equipment (gas
and system coolers and water-wash). The batch testing of the absorber system started on November 9, 2006 when
the first test run was performed. Different rates of inlet CO 2 concentration, molarity of the solvent system, absorber
temperature and a wide-range of gas velocities to provide adequate residence time, L/G ratios, and sustained and
varying solvent loading were a few of the parameters that were used to get the data to enable more detailed
evaluations of the process.
Also, over time, many changes have been incorporated in the system to
determine the effect of the following on the CO2 capture efficiency:
Absorber Packing, Contactor Mechanism, conical/cylindrical shape change of
absorber bottom – To determine the best gas-liquid contacting device for the
required duty.
Alternative NH3 dosing methods
Injection of promoters such as Piperazine or MEA.
Most of the runs were basically scouting experiments to understand the effect
various parameters have on the process and to help in preparing a reliable and less-
time consuming strategy for subsequent parametric tests.
Furthermore these tests helped to define the operating conditions for later plant
designs. Particularly the next level pilot design was based on the findings of these
SRI tests.
Picture 2: SRI Regenerator Pilot
The following results from the large bench scale tests were applied to the design
of the WE Energies field pilot:
A multiple stage, two temperature CO2 absorber design to minimize packing volume to achieve 90 percent
removal, form ammoniumbicarbonate solids and manage ammonia slip to acceptable levels
Structured packing definition
Pressure criteria in the regenerator for producing required quality CO 2
Water wash design
Process logic and control mechanisms
Use of lean solution in scrubbing CO2 from flue gas
Baseline operating envelope for all key process parameters
Due to the small size it was not possible to resolute the behavior of the CAP process with regards to operational
issues. The formation of solids out of the gas phase containing NH3, CO2 and H2O on cold surfaces was detected and
first recommendations for design given. At this time operation in solids mode, having precipitated Ammonium salts
in the solution, was considered also for the next phase of the development.
After the test program at SRI was completed, the test plant was moved to GE’s Växjö laboratories in Sweden and
modified to reflect the latest findings also from the other pilot plants. For example, the operation in non-solid mode
was brought to the drawing board. Prior to the TCM Mongstad Verification Plant engineering a new idea for a
refinement of the non-solids operating mode, the single absorber flow scheme (SAFS), was evaluated and refined in
the Växjö Pilot.
10 Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000
5.2. WE Energies
GE, EPRI and WE Energies announced in 2007 the development of a CO2 capture, pilot system to be installed
and operated at the WE Energies Pleasant Prairie Power Plant (P4), located in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, US.
Picture 3 shows a picture of the P4 pilot. The P4 power plant was retrofitted with new wet FGD systems for control
of SO2 emissions and the retrofit included the construction of a new chimney.
The pilot logged over 7,000 operating hours and, from January 2009 till October 2009, the pilot reliably operated
24 hours per day, 7 days per week. There had been a total of nine outages, described as follows:
Two forced outages of the power plant (unrelated to the field pilot);
One planned outage to provide the pilot operations and validation teams a break over the Christmas and New
Year holiday;
Three planned outages to support additional modifications to the pilot plant; and
Three forced outages to: a) to perform maintenance on the mechanical chiller; b) inspect and troubleshoot a
malfunctioning electric heater for the ammonia stripper; and c) replace a gasket on the regenerator column.
The experience in operating the field pilot was invaluable, as the operations and validation teams refined start-up
and shutdown procedures and troubleshooted issues with process operation.
The WE Energies pilot was a first of a kind pilot designed for continuous operation. During the initial months of
operation, the validation team identified a number of issues that required design modifications. As these
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 11
modifications were implemented, pilot performance steadily improved to the point that stable absorber operation at
100% of design flue gas flow was established in April 2009. From this point, the pilot demonstrated the ability to
meet the key performance objectives, defined earlier. [6]
In 2009, parametric tests were performed on the various pilot sub-systems, including: the ammonia stripper, the
CO2 regenerator, the water-wash column and the CO2 absorber column. As parametric testing was performed,
operating parameters were intentionally adjusted to generate empirical data to be used to predict performance as a
function of these parameters. While this testing provided a deeper understanding of the process, the unit did not
always operate at optimized conditions. WE Energies operation subsequently showed that the energy benefit for
regeneration was offset by increased chilling in absorption.
It must be said that the problems encountered during operation of the pilot, mainly with the formation of solids
outside the absorber were simply categorized as initial operational problems. As a result these problems were not
analyzed into a depth that would have revealed that also some technological issues were involved as root cause.
After review of the development program history this subject is one of the major lessons learned from these early
days.
Aerosols became early on an issue that launched a special program at EONCAP, since this Pilot was the only one
which at this time had both adjustable flue gases and a dedicated stack where aerosols could observed. The aerosol
program included documentation, sampling procedure development, and parametric testing campaigns. Several
strategies and designs to handle aerosols, and circumvent potential plugging from process fluids were started. Since
this program grew and evolved it was not completed within the EONCAP’s operational period.
A CO2 capture and storage (CCS) pilot plant was constructed at American Electric Power’s (AEP) 1300 MW el
Mountaineer station in New Haven, West Virginia, employing GE Power’s Chilled Ammonia Process (CAP). The
CAP Product Validation Facility (PVF) is approximately a 12-fold scale-up from the 1.7-MW research and
development pilot tested during 2008-9 at WE Energies’ P4 in Wisconsin. The AEP unit was designed to provide
about 110,000 tons CO2/year (100,000 metric tons CO2/year) for injection into geological strata under the
Mountaineer station.
The post-combustion-capture (PCC) retrofit demonstration using GE’s CAP operated for 7900 hours from
September 2009 to May 2011 on the 20-MW equivalent slipstream. During the demonstration, CO 2 capture reached
the designed potential of up to 100,000 metric tons/year. Having been designed for 75% CO2 capture efficiency, the
CAP achieved capture efficiency between 75%–90% at purity of more than 99.9% during the demonstration. Over
50,000 metric tons of CO2 were captured and 37,000 metric tons were injected into permanent storage.
The goal of the capture part of this project was to be able to better judge the adequacy of the design and
performance objectives for the chilled ammonia process through the information obtained on:
Emissions of all media and pollutants and consumables
Energy demand, in what form and possibilities for thermal integration into a given power plant
Trade-offs between emission reductions and energy/reagent consumption
Finally, plant operability and reliability.
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 13
The following key features/modifications were incorporated into the plant to accomplish these goals:
The PVF design was adjusted to operate in non-solids mode (Based on the experiences from WE Energy
and EONCAP Karlshamn pilots).
A two absorber system to capture 75% of the flue gas CO2 achieving the total objective of 100,000
tonnes/yr was installed.
The Water Wash was reduced from three recirculated beds in series at WE Energies to two beds. The top
bed is once through and serves as a polishing stage. The lower bed is a re-circulated system where the
primary amount of NH3 is absorbed
The refrigeration system includes direct gas cooling with Refrigerant and free cooling during the months
with lower ambient temperatures. Two R-410a refrigeration systems are provided, Low Temperature for
NH3 capture and High Temperature to remove heat of reaction. This configuration improves refrigeration
system efficiency.
CO2 exits the top of the regenerator at 21 barg with less than 50 ppmv NH3. Moisture in this stream is
reduced to less than 600 ppmv in a CO2 chiller prior to compression. Dry CO2 product is pressured up to
100 barg in a reciprocating compressor.
The impact on energy penalty in non-solids operation mode was found to be minor and partly to be compensated
by proper process operation and heat integration system design. As Ammonia slip into both flue gas and CO2
product was properly addressed through process design, other routes for Ammonia losses came into focus.
Ammonium bisulphate forms in the CAP solution as heat stable salt solvent withdrawn from regenerator to balance
accumulation of impurities SOx slipping DCC and being captured in the Absorber. The continuous accumulation of
this heat stable salt becomes considerable in the amount of ammonia bound, and requires continuous purging.
Therefore another stripper, the appendix stripper, was developed. The use of the appendix stripper was realized in
14 Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000
this pilot plant allowing reliable main stripper operation and further decreased ammonia emissions and reduced
losses into the ammonium bi-sulfate by-product solvent draw.
Furthermore, conclusions from material tests conducted at the before mentioned pilots found way into the PVF
design increasing reliability and availability.
The goal of this pilot plant was to establish an energy efficient process and mitigate risks when implementing a
full-scale Carbon Capture Unit. This unit furthermore was able to show performance of the CAP technology for
industrial applications and flue gases from gas firing.
The TCM Verification Plant design was based on preliminary results obtained from the large bench scale pilot
that was operated at SRI International and later re-located to Växjö. This design included the solids operating
concept that the WE Energies operation subsequently showed that the energy benefit for regeneration was offset by
increased chilling in absorption. Residual elements of this design carried an energy penalty for the TCM
Verification Plant, which were reduced but not eliminated with the modifications implemented.
The TCM Plant was also designed to consider two flue gas sources RFCC flue gas from the refinery with
relatively high concentrations of CO2 and CHP gas with relatively low concentrations of CO2. An emphasis on
obtaining the capture rate and capacity for the RFCC case provided oversized refrigeration and regeneration systems
which reduced the efficiency of the CHP operation. However, by providing the unit with the ability to operate
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 15
significantly above design margins, the need for operator intervention was minimized. An optimization program
identified the areas where such margins are not needed and reduce them where possible.
During initial operation solid formation was discovered in stagnant piping systems and safety devices which were
relics of an obsolete solids-operation mode. Based on better understanding of the mechanism of solid formation in
different solution and vapor locations with the CAP solution, a solids formation mitigation plan was implemented
successfully to control the temperature in stagnant pipe sections. The required countermeasures were taken and
incorporated into the design standard.
During operation of the Mongstad CAP plant the unit demonstrated to be very robust and forgiving of upsets
including:
Unit trips at the refinery
Loss of electrical power
Control system communication failure
Flue gas fan trips
Wide variations in flue gas composition from the RFCC flue gas
The CAP plant normally recovered from significant operating upsets within a matter of one to a few hours. In the
case of substantial RFCC flue gas composition variations, the CAP pilot proved it could continue to operate with no
significant aerosol based environmental emissions and capture CO2 efficiently.
Finally, there was the finding from the AEP MTN PVF facility during which the simulation model was validated
and optimization studies were undertaken leading to an improved absorber design, this improved SAFS design, was
finally validated at the Växjö laboratories in a dedicated test campaign as previously discussed.
6. Test Results
In the following chapters key results that have been retrieved from the pilot operation shall be presented. These
results led a good portion of the decision making in the program execution.
6.1. Results from SRI Large Bench Scale implemented In the WE Energies Design
One of the main questions to be answered already in the initial phase was the behavior of the Ammonia and its
potential losses into the flue gas.
Therefore a parametric test at different operating
3.0
temperatures varying the loading of the solvent was
executed. Here the loading is the molar ratio of CO2 to 2.5
Ammonia species in the solution
The test results in Figure 5 show that with decreasing 2.0
loading, which is also associated with increasing free
NH3(g), vol%
a good starting point for the planning of the next phase in the CAP development program – the field pilot test
program.
The regenerator tests were done in a batch and semi-continuous column system. Objective was to study the
temperature dependency of CO2 and Ammonia release during regeneration. Therefore the test program did not
include the measurement of the required regeneration energy demand. With this in mind one of the immediate areas
of focus for the development team at the time (2007-2008) was to understand and validate the CAP solution/slurry
heat capacities and heat of reaction aspects of the process. Academic collaboration with several groups were
engaged to investigate details of speciation and energy, leading to an early internal energy target for total heating
requirements of 1.9 GJ/ t CO2.
After installation of the system in Växjö also regenerator and stripper energy demand were measured. The system
required about 7 GJ/tCO2.
Another question to be answered was the behavior of the Ammonia and its losses into the flue gas based on the
previous test program at SRI.
The design anticipated an Ammonia slip in the flue gas at the battery limit of less than 10 ppmv which could be
proven during plant operation. As shown in Figure 7 the Ammonia concentration in the flue gas leaving the DCC2
could be kept between 5 ppmv to 8 ppmv.
The thermal energy demand for the regenerator and
the stripper during solid mode operation of the pilot plant
with flue gas from a coal fired source was determined to
be at 2.5 GJ/tCO2, having an average CO2 capture
efficiency of 82%. This was substantially higher than the
expected 1.9 GJ/tCO2 based on internal theoretical
evaluations.
Based on test results and application of an updated
simulation model, an evaluation of a CAP system for a
reference 800 MW nominal power plant was made. Due
to various limiting factors during scale-up multiple
process trains were considered. Some of the more
obvious limiting factors identified at that time are listed Figure 7: Ammonia emissions via flue gas
below:
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 17
Absorber vessel Diameters – There exist practical limitations on the largest diameter mass transfer devices that
can be cost effectively fabricated; this can be limited by: gas flow distribution issues, structural requirements
with spanning the vessels to support the internal mass transfer devices and other issues.
Chiller Sizes – Larger chillers are custom designed and assembled; the largest chiller that is currently
manufactured is roughly 40,000 tons.
Pumps and heat exchangers – There might exist size limitations with some of the high pressure slurry pumps and
heat exchangers
Scale-Up methodology – Program management would ideally scale up the maximum train size on a gradual basis
to minimize the risk exposure on commercial projects. This would suggest initial commercial projects would be
limited to smaller train sizes.
Based upon the above, it was expected that the maximum size of a CO2 train for initial commercial projects
would be limited to around 200-400 MW in size. The various issues mentioned above were addressed after the pilot
operation and gradually the maximum size of a train rose to 400 MW and higher. The development for Wet Flue
Gas Desulphurization systems was a precedent for this approach.
Later process design work and system analysis eventual progressed the capacity of a single train to be suitable for
an 800 MW coal power plant. Nevertheless some of the equipment still required parallel installation.
In optimization studies done during this project it was found that there is little energy advantage between
optimized CAP systems for solids versus non-solids operation. However, running a design based on solids operation
in non-solids mode significantly impacts energy consumption. For example the optimal internal heat recovery
configuration (i.e. rich/lean heat exchanger network) is different between a “solids” design and a “no-solids” design.
Therefore corrected values were determined in order to give representative figures for key performance indicators
like specific thermal energy consumption. Table 1 is giving an overview on the key performance indicators that
were accomplished. Based on the test results the potential for a CAP system, featuring a design optimized to the
Mountaineer operating scheme, was evaluated. The related expected energy consumption for such plant is listed as
“corrected” value.
An economic study was performed using the updated design basis for CAP from the work done during the
Mountaineer project. The study scaled up the technology to model its application and integration on a 750-MW net
USC PC base plant with 1100°F (593°C) steam conditions and 90% CO 2 capture. Based on the study, the efficiency
loss when applying CAP was calculated to be 9.5 percentage points and the increase in LCOE compared to the base
plant was nearly doubled (the LCOE increased by 59 $/MWh). Although, through continuous improvements and
technology developments the LCOE is projected to be significantly reduced in the future.
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 19
If the cooling requirements can be reduced for chilling the ammonia, as is the case with the SAFS and also if
lower-temperature cooling water is available, the increase in LCOE can be as low as 50$/MWh.
Despite all these changes in concepts along the way, the TCM Verification Plant delivered the performance for
more than 1900 hours. Two different flue gases were tested during this period. One flue gas was generated by a CHP
plant using natural gas feed. The other flue gas was derived from the refinery fluidized catalytic cracking
regenerator (RFCC). Major difference between these two flue gases is in the CO2 concentration; the CHP flue gas
contained about 3-5% of CO2, whereas the RFCC flue gas had CO2 concentrations of 13- 15.1%. It shall be
mentioned that TCM was GE’s first installation processing CO2 from industrial sources like the RFCC flue gas.
Overall, the TCM test campaign on CAP presented excellent opportunities to demonstrate the effectiveness of
this carbon capture technology and also some of the areas of improvement. The major accomplishment from this
campaign is the demonstration of the process effectiveness on different flue gas sources. During the several months
of CAP operation, the process was very effective in capturing CO 2 efficiently from both CHP as well as RFCC flue
gas. This was accomplished with no reduction in solvent quality or with no emission issues after initial start-up. The
NH3 emission from the flue gas stack as well as CO2 product was well within the environmental limits.
For CAP solution, ammonia is diluted from its delivered concentration to 17 wt%. The literature suggests that
aqueous ammonia systems below 20% concentration require minimal special handling or permitting. As CO 2 is
captured, free ammonia forms ions including ammonium, carbamate, carbonate, and bicarbonate to reduce its
concentration to less than 2 wt%.
Different CAP Unit Operations have different operating conditions. Absorbers operate at 1.1 bara and at
temperatures below 35°C. The Regenerator operates at 19.5 barg and 150°C. With the modifications in place, the
NH3 Stripper operates between 1.0 barg / 125°C and 5.0 barg / 165°C. At these conditions, the ionic solution is not
flammable.
These process conditions have been consistently demonstrated during the TCM Verification Plant operations,
without any significant degradation to the solvent in terms of capture efficiency. A higher than expected ammonia
loss from the final absorber resulted in increased sulfuric acid usage. This is expected at the partial pressure of CO2
operated at the top of the absorber column. This issue is the focus of an optimization program currently underway.
The thermal energy demand for the regenerator and the stripper during operation of the pilot plant in non-solids
mode and processing flue gas from a gas fired source was determined to be at 3.0 GJ/tCO2, having an average CO2
capture efficiency of 87.4%.
removed, without correction for heat losses. During this period, a complete set of validation data was collected for
analysis. The data was reconciled using GE’s CAP simulation model where the measured specific heat consumption
of 2.6 GJ/tCO2 compared well compares to a simulated value of 2.3 GJ/t CO2 that considered with variation attributed
to deficiencies in heat recovery from the lean solution.
The operating data for all key parameters showed the general capability of the technology for conforming to the
design basis. Taken together, these findings support the design capabilities of GE, which incorporates the lessons
learned from the TCM Verification Plant that operated in situ under Mongstad conditions with a local operations
team and a design team familiar with the tenets of site protocols and guidelines.
After the simulation tools were validated against the results of the TCM tests a study was performed using the
updated design basis for CAP from the work done during the Mongstad project. The study scaled up the technology
to model its application and integration on an 800-MW net USC PC base plant with 600°C steam conditions and
90% CO2 capture. The flow scheme featured non-solids operation. Based on the study the specific heat energy
consumption was determined to be as low as 2.2 GJ/tCO2, when cooling water at adequate temperatures is available.
7. Conclusion
The development of the CAP technology began with laboratory bench-scale experiments to confirm that aqueous
ammonia solution effectively absorbs CO2 with sufficiently low vapor phase ammonia emissions at reduced
temperatures. From these results, a technology development program was initiated to scale-up and validate the
process for commercialization.
The approach outlined in this article is illustrative of industrial scale process development and improvement. The
iterations made in the development effort, as information from the different development stages was obtained to set
environmental & economic targets, develop predictive tools and models for process optimization, and to support
validation efforts at operating facilities, were described.
The CAP technology was applied to capture CO2 from different flue gas sources: SRI/Vaxjo Bench Pilot
(synthetic gas containing CO2), WE Energies industrial scale CAP facility (Coal), EONCAP Karlshamn industrial
scale CAP CO2 capture facility (High Sulfur Oil), AEP Mountaineer PVF (Coal), TCM Mongstad (Gas, Industrial
Sources).
In the SRI pilot plant the basic process concepts of CO 2 capture using Ammonium carbonate, first in solid-mode,
later, after relocation to Växjö, also for non-solid mode were proven. Areas for undesired solid formation out of the
gas phase were detected. The WE Energy pilot was the first installation on real flue gas showing the capabilities of
the process with capture rates of up to 89% while having a low Ammonia slip. Solid-mode operation showed to be
challenging and induced the switch to non-solid-mode. With the EONCAP Karlshamn pilot, processing heavy oil
22 Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000
flue gas with high SOx and NOx concentrations, the non-solid-mode operation was proven and valuable information
about materials of construction were gained. The AEP Mountaineer pilot was the first plant in the world to feature
the whole post CCS chain and furthermore design improvements, derived from Karlshamn and WE Energy
operation, were realized and showed effective. TCM Mongstad finally proved that the CAP can be operated under
feasible boundary conditions with a competitive performance also for flue gas sources other than utility boilers.
The evolution of the thermal energy demand can be seen from Figure 14. Associated with the improvement of the
thermal energy demand over the evolution of the CAP there was also an increase in capture efficiency. In the
beginning the plants were able to achieve about 75% in non-solids mode whereas the TCM Mongstad plant achieved
up to 90% CO2 capture.
AEP Mountaineer
TCM Mongstad
system operating in non-solids
WE Energy
EONCAP Karlshamn
Latest Scheme
TCM Mongstad
mode the specific heat
consumption for the post-
combustion capture of a coal fired
power plant is as low as
2.2 GJ/tCO2.
In comparison, conventional
amine-based solvents introduce a
variety of practical problems: Figure 14: Thermal Energy Demand and CO2 Production Capacity Evolution
costly amine solutions, a high rate
of corrosion of the process
equipment and a high rate of amine degradation in the presence of oxygen. In general oxidative degradation mostly
occurs at short times and low temperature with contact in the absorber, but at a rather low rate and at longer and
higher temperature in the stable regenerator. The degraded solvent has to be replaced with make-up and this can be a
significant cost in the other CO2 capture processes like the amine-based ones. The degradation characteristics and
environmental impact of the CAP solvent were also investigated. Oxidative degradation does not occur due to the
presence of oxygen in the flue gas. The formation of heat stable salts leading to a loss of the solvent occurs with the
co absorption of residual SOx entering the absorber with the CO2 rich flue gas.
Several Front End Engineering & Design (FEED) efforts for larger-scale demonstrations of the CAP process
have been carried out, with significant design efforts conducted for these projects, including the 1.5 million tons per
year AEP Mountaineer II project and another 1 million tonne per year CCS project in Alberta, Canada.
Currently, GE is extending CAP technology into other applications and industries involving Urea, Methanol,
Petroleum Refineries, and Soda Ash Production where product yield is further increased when flue gas CO 2 is
reused further downstream in the process. By integrating CAP technology into these processes, there is an
opportunity for improving production efficiency in a cost effective manner.
Author name / Energy Procedia 00 (2017) 000–000 23
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