Oxycombustion for Carbon Capture on Coal Power Plants and Industrial Processes: Advantages, Innovative Solutions and Key Projects

AbstractFor decades oxycombustion has contributed to improving efficiency, flexibility, emissions and the cost of many industrial processes such as for metals and glass production. More recently, oxycombustion has emerged as a competitive option for CO2 capture on many industrial processes.Air Liquide has been a key contributor to this evolution by developing specific technologies essential to the technical feasibility, flexibility and economic competitiveness of the oxycombustion route. This primarily concerns the ASU (Air Separation Unit) and the CPU (Cryogenic Purification Unit) which represent the largest share of investment (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) costs of CO2 capture. Their technical development has been consistently driven by two key objectives: to reduce the cost of capture and to ensure solution reliability. Over the last ten years, in collaboration with boiler companies this work has led to significant improvements, making it potentially the most attractive carbon capture option.Beyond CO2 capture on power production, “CryocapTM” CPU technology has been adapted to other industrial processes such as hydrogen and iron & steel production.This paper describes the recent technical achievements and advantages of oxycombustion and the adaptation of the technology to other industries. The status and results of the key projects which underpin Air Liquide's CO2 capture technology development work will be also discussed