Nanomembranes for CO2 capture

The emission of CO2 is a present threat for the global climate. Every year Europe emits more than one gigaton CO2, contributing to climate change around the globe.

In an effort to meet objectives of the Kyoto protocol, the ultimate way to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil-fired power plants is through CO2 capture. However, existing capture methods, such as adsorption and non-selective cooling, are not very cost-effective and consume a great deal of energy - up to 25% of power plant output.

Project
CO2 emission reduction by gas separation, through nano-structured membranes, is an approach that has not been used yet in any industrial-scale application in spite of the technology’s substantial potential. However, the main obstacle to adopting this CO2 capture technology is the availability of suitable, reliable, and affordable membranes.

Objectives
The objective of this project is to develop optimal nano-structured membranes and installations for various CO2 capture applications at power plants. The use of this technology for gas separation processes has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, which is a Kyoto protocol recommendation. Developing and using cost-effective membranes to remove CO2 from flue gases in industrial applications will reduce the energy costs associated with CO2 separation to less than 20 € per ton. Smart-design modules-that have a long life and low degradation and contamination, and will be combined with integrated performance monitoring-will be developed and tested in both the laboratory and the field. Another innovation goal for this project is to the liquefaction of the gases after separation, which will promote reduced transportation costs.

Benefits
The project will help the European Union (EU) meet Kyoto protocol requirements to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions (-6.0% in 2010), since CO2 accounts for >80% of such emissions. It will also enable the EU to become a more environmentally friendly and sustainable society.

Project coordinator
> KEMA, the Netherlands

Project partners
> About 25 partners from 14 countries are involved. Leading industrial partners in the project are Endesa Generación, E.ON Engineering, Portuguesa de Producau de Electricidade, Siemens and Dong Energy

Project details
> Sixth Framework Program
> Duration: December 2006 – December 2011