Potential cost savings of large-scale blue hydrogen production via sorption-enhanced steam reforming process

As countries work towards achieving net-zero emissions, the need for cleaner fuels has become increasingly urgent. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage (blue hydrogen) has the potential to play a significant role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. This study examined the technical and economic potential of blue hydrogen produced at 600 MWth(LHV) and scaled up to 1000 MWth(LHV) by benchmarking sorption-enhanced steam reforming process against steam methane reforming (SMR), autothermal gas-heated reforming (ATR-GHR) integrated with carbon capture and storage (CCS), and SMR with CCS. Aspen Plus® was used to develop the process model, which was validated using literature data. Cost sensitivity analyses were also performed on two key indicators: levelised cost of hydrogen and CO2 avoidance cost by varying natural gas price, electricity price, CO2 transport and storage cost, and carbon price. Results indicate that, at a carbon price of 83 £/tCO2e, the LCOH for SE-SR of methane is the lowest at 2.85 £/kgH2, which is 12.58% and 22.55% lower than that of ATR-GHR with CCS and SMR plant with CCS, respectively. The LCOH of ATR-GHR with CCS and SMR plant with CCS was estimated to be 3.26 and 3.68 £/kgH2, respectively. The CO2 avoidance cost was also observed to be lowest for SE-SR, followed by ATR-GHR with CCS, then SMR plant with CCS, and was observed to reduce as the plant scaled to 1000 MWth(LHV) for these technologies

Modelling of sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SE-SR) process in fluidised bed reactors for low-carbon hydrogen production: A review

Sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SE-SR) offers lower capital costs than conventional steam reforming with carbon capture, which arises from the compact makeup that allows reforming and CO2 capture to occur in a single reactor. However, the technology readiness level (TRL) of SE-SR technology is currently low and large-scale deployment can be expedited by ramping up activities in reactor modelling and validation at pilot scale. This work first explores the concept of SE-SR technology, then the experimental activities and pilot tests performed for this technology, followed by the review of progress made on SE-SR modelling. It was found that the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid model is the most popular approach widely adopted for modelling SE-SR in fluidised bed reactors. However, the averaging method used to close equations ignores flow details at particle level and simplifies the particle system. Moreover, while hydrogen purity and yield have been predicted within an acceptable error, larger errors for CO2 gas output relative to experimental data have been reported for this model type. Limitations and future perspectives for reactor designs and the various models and modelling approaches are also analysed, to provide guidance and advance research, modelling and scaleup of SE-SR technology

Evaluation of Mathematical Models for CO2 Frost Formation in a Cryogenic Moving Bed

Moving bed heat exchangers (MBHE)s are used in industrial applications including waste heat recovery and the drying of solids. As a result, energy balance models have been developed to simulate the heat transfer between a moving bed and the gas phase. Within these energy balance models, phase change of components within the gas phase has not been considered as the liquefaction or desublimation of the gas phase does not occur in typical industrial applications. However, available energy balance models for cryogenic CO2 capture (CCC) have only focused on fixed packed beds. The development of a suitable energy balance model to predict the energy duties for MBHEs that include phase change would be beneficial for CCC applications. This work investigated the development of moving bed energy balance models for the design of moving bed columns that involve phase change of CO2 into frost, using existing models for MBHEs and fixed-bed CCC capture. The models were evaluated by comparison with available moving bed experimental work and simulated data, predicted energy duty requirements and bed flow rates from the suggested moving bed CCC models to maintain thermal equilibrium. The comparisons showed a consistent prediction between the various methods and closely align with the available experimental and simulated data. Comparisons of energy duty and bed flow rate predictions from the developed energy balance models with simulated cases for an oil-fired boiler, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) and biogas upgrading showed energy duty requirements for the gas phase with a proximity of 0.1%, 20.8%, and 3.4%, respectively, and comparisons of gas energy duties from developed energy balance models with energy duties derived from experimental results were compared with a proximity of 1.1%, 1.1% and 0.6% to experimental results for CO2 % v/v concentrations of 18%, 8% and 4%

Methods for the Treatment of Cattle Manure—A Review

Environmental concerns, caused by greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere and overrunning of nutrients and pathogens to water bodies, have led to reducing direct spread onto the land of cattle manure. In addition, this practice can be a source of water and air pollution and toxicity to life by the release of undesirable heavy metals. Looking at the current practices, it is evident that most farms separate solids for recycling purposes, store slurries in large lagoons or use anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. The review explores the potential for cattle manure as an energy source due to its relatively large calorific value (HHV of 8.7–18.7 MJ/kg dry basis). This property is beneficial for thermochemical conversion processes, such as gasification and pyrolysis. This study also reviews the potential for upgrading biogas for transportation and heating use. This review discusses current cattle manure management technologies—biological treatment and thermochemical conversion processes—and the diverse physical and chemical properties due to the differences in farm practices

Production of Biomethane from Agricultural Waste Using a Cryogenic Carbon Capture Process

This paper evaluates a novel cryogenic carbon capture process to upgrade biogas produced from agricultural waste. The A3C cryogenic process offers simplicity and compactness with lower capital and operating costs compared to many alternative processes. The work addresses potential technical issues presented by trace contaminants in the raw biogas including hydrogen sulphide, organics and siloxanes. It is found that the A3C process offers high CO2 removal with minimal biomethane losses while requiring simple raw gas treatment

Accelerating sustainability transitions: the case of the hydrogen agenda in the North West region of England

Low-carbon hydrogen can assist in addressing the global crisis of climate change by significantly decarbonizing a range of heavy-emitting sectors. In the United Kingdom, hydrogen technologies are at the forefront of the net zero-emission roadmaps of many industrial clusters. However, with impending timeframes linked to emission targets and other decarbonization objectives, it is increasingly important to understand how to accelerate such transitions to hydrogen. There is, to date, a notable gap in the academic literature concerning the acceleration of sustainability transitions. Using the case of the hydrogen agenda in England’s North West region, we explore how the transition to hydrogen can be accelerated and thus begin to contribute toward filling this omission. In doing so, we use data collected through semi-structured interviews and from the public domain to unpack and develop upon an existing framework that emerged from the European Commission funded-project Accelerating and Rescaling Transitions to Sustainability (ARTS). The framework comprises five acceleration mechanisms which local sustainability transition initiatives have adopted. This analysis generates novel findings in relation to why actors in the region have faced difficulties in instrumentalizing as well as the mechanism’s overall importance in acceleration. We use these challenges to inform several recommendations which policy makers could adopt to accelerate the North West’s, and wider UK’s, transition to hydrogen

Review of Cryogenic Carbon Capture Innovations and Their Potential Applications

Our ever-increasing interest in economic growth is leading the way to the decline of natural resources, the detriment of air quality, and is fostering climate change. One potential solution to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from industrial emitters is the exploitation of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Among the various CO2 separation technologies, cryogenic carbon capture (CCC) could emerge by offering high CO2 recovery rates and purity levels. This review covers the different CCC methods that are being developed, their benefits, and the current challenges deterring their commercialisation. It also offers an appraisal for selected feasible small- and large-scale CCC applications, including blue hydrogen production and direct air capture. This work considers their technological readiness for CCC deployment and acknowledges competing technologies and ends by providing some insights into future directions related to the R&D for CCC systems

Experimental Exploration of CO2 Capture Using a Cryogenic Moving Packed Bed

This study examines a novel cryogenic post-combustion capture process, based on a moving bed of cold beads to freeze CO2 out of a flue gas, and this paper presents the first steps in experimental work. The preliminary experiments included the test of fluidization of bed material, if the flow rate of bed material can be kept constant in and out of the column and the estimation of heat transfer coefficient. The obtained results are encouraging for the running of the rig at cryogenic conditions

Prospects for petcoke utilization with CO 2 capture in Mexico

This paper evaluates the introduction of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to Mexico. The gasification technology is presented as a potential alternative to be applied into refinery plants due to high petcoke production. Although economic aspects, such as fuel price and selling CO2, are important in the selection of CCS alternatives, there are other limitations, i.e. water availability and space. In March 2014, Mexico launched its CCS technological roadmap. However, an evaluation of the installation of new CO2-capture ready power plants was not considered. For that reason, this study could be useful to create a technology roadmap that includes the design of CO2 capture plants into refineries and how they will have to operate for CO2 emissions reduction, and taking advantage that most of refineries and petrochemical plants are close to oil fields for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) with CCS was chosen in this paper for power generation using petcoke as feedstock. The emissions of CO2 in kg/kWh could be reduced by 68%