FlashCO2, CO2 at $23 per tonne. A cost-effective solution of capturing CO2 from steam methane reforming hydrogen production plants using the FlashCO2 process.
Introduction to a cost-effective solution
Driven by headlines about flooding, tsunamis, and global temperature rises, reducing CO2 emissions has become an everyday conversation topic. Even though it is possible to capture the emitted CO2 from fossil-fuel power plants and various industrial processes, the process is hindered by the vast energy consumption required. This is especially true for the post-combustion capture processes using various types of amines, as they are considered energy consumers resulting in large reductions in electricity output if integrated into a power plant.
The projects with the best chances of being implemented feature a combination of low OPEX and the possibility of increasing the plant’s main production. Fortunately, some refineries and petrochemical plants offer these opportunities. Steam methane reformers (SMR) with CO2 recovery facilities can generate higher H2 yields and CH4 /CO fuel gases while offering recovery of affordable high-CO2-concentration sources.
But not only environmental concerns fuel the interest for CO2-capture systems in the future. Possibilities for extending the lifetime of oil wells are being examined throughout the world. The benefits of this are two-fold: easily accessible on-shore wells can be maintained in production at a considerably lower cost per oil drum compared to deep-sea exploration, and oil-formation storages offer one of the few long-term solutions available for CO2 sequestration.
We have prepared a technical calculation for our proprietary CO2-capture technology, FlashCO2. A cost-effective solution for CO2 recovery from e.g. PSA off-gas from a hydrogen manufacturing unit (HMU). By utilizing an innovative process combining conventional physical absorption using chilled MeOH and cryogenic CO2 liquefaction technologies, the FlashCO2 process eliminates the requirement for steam stripping while minimizing power consumption.
The FlashCO2 process aims to provide an attractive solution for CO2-capture in medium-rich CO2 sources such as PSA off-gas from hydrogen plants, for which a production price of under $30 per tonne of CO2 is achievable. In addition, an up to 15% increase in H2 production and additional syngas production makes the FlashCO2 process an attractive alternative to conventional CO2 recovery systems.
Benefits of the FlashCO2 process:
- The FlashCO2 unit can be installed off-site as a stand-alone unit (no need to be placed beside the reformer unit)
- One FlashCO2 unit can combine PSA tail gas from multiple steam-reforming units
- No steam consumption
- High solvent stability and very low consumption
- Non-corrosive solvent replaces the need for stainless steel
- High-purity CO2 and affordable food grade quality
- No liquid or solid waste
- High purity (95%) hydrogen off-gas for reprocessing in the existing SMR PSA
- Additional syngas