CO2 utilization through integration of post-combustion carbon capture process with Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquid (GTL) processes

Carbon capture is addressed as a medium term solution while industry and society are in their path towards future clean energies. However, in the absence of demand market and a revenue source for the recovered almost-pure CO2, the remained option, i.e. storage, does not seem to justify the economic feasibility of this climate change mitigation approach. In our current integration study, we consider existence of a Fischer-Tropsch Gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant in the vicinity of a fossil-fuel based power plant. The captured CO2 with post-combustion carbon capture technologies is fed into the GTL plants’ reformer, i.e. a steam reformer or an auto-thermal reformer. We have presented a few case-studies based on optimal process simulation in Aspen Hysys software package. Unlike most of the studies, our objective is to maximize the wax production rate as upgrading could be carried out at demand market side. The results for a 300 MW coal-fired plant, and a GTL plant with the capacity of one train of Sasol Oryx GTL plant in Qatar show that an auto-thermal reformer (ATR) based GTL process does not have flexibility for CO2 intake, while all of the captured CO2 fed into the steam-methane reformer (SMR) process could be consumed. In summary, one train of Sasol Oryx GTL plant with a SMR reactor can utilize a net quantity of 105.5 tonnes-CO2/h with subtracting the purged CO2. The paper provides a detailed optimization-based data

Trends in CO2 conversion and utilization: A review from process systems perspective

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) community has been struggling over the past few decades to demonstrate the economic feasibility of CO2 sequestration. Nevertheless, in practice, it has only proven feasible under conditions with a market for the recovered CO2, such as in the beverage industry or enhanced oil/gas recovery. The research community and industry are progressively converging to a conclusion that CO2 sequestration has severe limitations for the value proposition. Alternatively, creating diverse demand markets and revenue streams for the recovered almost-pure CO2 may prevail over CO2 sequestration option and improve the economic feasibility of this climate change mitigation approach. As such, research in the carbon capture and management field is seen to be shifting towards CO2 utilization, directly and indirectly, in energy and chemical industries. In this paper, we have critically reviewed the literature on carbon capture, conversion, and utilization routes and assessed the progress in the research and developments in this direction. Both physical and chemical CO2 utilization pathways are studied and the principles of key routes are identified. The literature is also probed in addressing the process integration scenarios and the performance assessment benchmarks

Trends in CO<inf>2</inf> conversion and utilization: A review from process systems perspective

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) community has been struggling over the past few decades to demonstrate the economic feasibility of CO2 sequestration. Nevertheless, in practice, it has only proven feasible under conditions with a market for the recovered CO2, such as in the beverage industry or enhanced oil/gas recovery. The research community and industry are progressively converging to a conclusion that CO2 sequestration has severe limitations for the value proposition. Alternatively, creating diverse demand markets and revenue streams for the recovered almost-pure CO2 may prevail over CO2 sequestration option and improve the economic feasibility of this climate change mitigation approach. As such, research in the carbon capture and management field is seen to be shifting towards CO2 utilization, directly and indirectly, in energy and chemical industries. In this paper, we have critically reviewed the literature on carbon capture, conversion, and utilization routes and assessed the progress in the research and developments in this direction. Both physical and chemical CO2 utilization pathways are studied and the principles of key routes are identified. The literature is also probed in addressing the process integration scenarios and the performance assessment benchmarks

Does battery storage lead to lower GHG emissions?

A study of the Australian National Electricity Market shows that using battery storage in the Australian national electricity grid reduces CO emissions by providing further flexibility for the operation of conventional generators and also by decreasing the amount of unused renewable energy. Interestingly, energy storage is more efficient at reducing carbon emissions in the context of higher carbon and/or fuel prices. In addition to reducing emissions, battery storage can decrease the cost of delivered energy