This document discusses methods for capturing carbon from power plants and the atmosphere. It received a £4M science and innovation award. Key methods discussed include cryogenic distillation, liquid absorption with amines, adsorption using novel materials, and membranes. The document also discusses using biochar to achieve negative carbon emissions from biomass and establishing a UK biochar research centre.

1. Carbon Capture from power Established expertise on storage
Plant and atmosphere
Science and Innovation Award £4M EP/F034520/1
CCS: Biochar:
reduced CO2 emissions negative CO2 emissions from
from fossil mega-sources biomass mini-sources
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North Capture methods
• Cryogenic distillation – mature
Sea • Liquid absorption (amines) – rollout and testing
rim:
• Adsorption (CO2, O2, H2 – pre or post combustion)
CCS – Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes
– Novel packings (monoliths)
grid – Novel optimized materials
UK and • Membranes (CO2, O2, H2 – pre or post combustion)
Scotland – Novel optimized materials
can offer – Mixed matrix materials
offshore
storage • Looping post combustion gas or coal: carrier, fluid dynamics
capacity to
EU 27 Basic science ==> materials ==> test performance ==> industrial scale
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New methods of industrial Amine optimisation (Graeme White)
scale CO2 capture
1 new staff University of Edinburgh:
Dr
2 new staff Heriot-Watt University
Gas-Liquid Contacting Column Optimise internal packing to
Amines, Engineered microporous solids, chemical looping ensure good gas-liquid contact to gain maximum mass transfer
efficiency
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2. Pressure swing (Stefano Brandani) Chemical looping (Raffaella Ocone)
• Combining power generation with CO2 separation
• CCL low cost, high efficiency
N2, O2
MxO y
CO2 + H2O
Air
Reactor
Fuel
Reactor
! Most common set-up:
" Air Reactor CFB
# Air
MxO y-1
Fuel Fuel Reactor Bubbling Bed
! Oxygen carrier MCO3, MOx
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Biochar Dimensions
Proposition: Three new lecturer staff, UK and international links
Anthropogenic emissions are committed to > 2C rise Dr Simon Shackley (ex-Tyndall) - Techno-social, also CCS
Extracting CO2 from atmosphere is desirable Dr Saran Sohi (ex-Rothamsted) - Soil science
Storing carbon in soil can maintain / increase fertility Dr Ondrej Masek (ex-Cranfield) - pyrolysis engineering
Slow pyrolysis (200-800 C) of biomass, 3 x PDRA Peter Brownsort, Miranda Prendergast-Miller, Andy Cross
Producing ‘charcoal’ intended for application to soil
Impact ambitions globally : 1 Gt C /yr 6 - 12 PhD - 2 in place
UK Biochar Research Centre @ Edinburgh
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Example activity Co-firing BECS
UK mandates 3-5% biomass in central power plant
Drax is planning 10% by 2011
Co-fired plants tested to 10% , progressing to 30%
UK slow pyrolysis unit Field trials : UK + 7% yield
Since January 2009, research sponsorship £ 400k
from: DEFRA, Shell, ProNatura, C Gold ….
If CCS (90%) fitted to co-fired plant, ==> neutral, potentially -ve
Dedicated UK laboratory: under construction
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3. Carbon Capture Interactive
Public Understanding $ %&' ' ()%*
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