Pathways from laboratory to full scale carbon capture—Technology demonstrations in plant settings

AbstractThe Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) was setup with distinct programs focusing on storage, capture, demonstration, education and international collaboration designed to address the many issues facing potential carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. In particular the Capture Program aims to research, develop and deploy technologies that can achieve significant cuts in capture cost (75%–80%) and provide Australia with a research and education capability to support industries using these technologies. This paper provides details on the capture research activities within the centre, the major demonstration projects underway, including outlines of the equipment employed and how they are enabling the progression of separation technologies from laboratory through to eventual large scale commercial operation.Aided by recent initiatives of the Victorian State Government, under their Energy Technology Innovation Strategy (ETIS) program, CO2CRC is leading the research in two such research and development projects. These three year projects, one a $6 million post combustion demonstration incorporating a 10,000 tpa CO2 capture plant, and the other a $5.5 million pre-combustion application, each designed to test the CO2CRC’s full range of capture technologies (solvents, membranes and adsorption systems), in purpose built rigs under actual power plant conditions. The ability to demonstrate both conventional and novel capture techniques in the one facility is, we believe, unique