Ansaldo Ricerche S.p.A.Carbon Dioxide capture

Berlin, March 2008

Content

•Ansaldo Ricerche activity synthesis on fuel pre-treatment for energy production

•CO2 capture schemes and survey on storage possibilities

Ansaldo Energia Corporate Chart

Ansaldo Ricerche is controlled by Ansaldo Energia, created as a Corporate R&D Center of Ansaldo Energia group.

Our mission

Within the Power Generation Area, Ansaldo Ricerche is aimed at product development to satisfy needs from industrial customers, research centres, public research programs administration

based upon its know how and experience in high-tech technologies acquired in combustion, electromechanics, power electronics and system integration

to create value through the start-up of new businesses based upon its new products

Products development:Gasification and reforming

Coal and biomass gasifiers for energy production (700-2500 kWe) gas cleaning and treatment, small-size reformers for different hydrocarbon fuels.

Gasification and Reforming

CO2 capture:

Pre-combustion

Post combustion

Gasification and Reforming

Pre-combustion CO2 capture from gasification syngas

Power cycle

Gasification

Pellettized primary fuel

Gas engine

Desulphuration

120°C

Heating

Gas cleaningTar storage

W

CO2 separationCondenser

Cooling

Heating

Shift conversion

450°C250°C

Cooling

Example of Integration

Gasification and Reforming

Fixed bed gasifier

Relevant topics:

• Development of fixed gasification technologies for a

wide variety of coals, primary biomass and waste

Main gasification technology data:

• Actual internal diameter 1.3 m

• Thermal power 1000 ÷

4000 kW

• Efficiency > 85%

• Maximum internal diameter 3 m ARI fixed bed gasifier pilot plant. Operative thermal power : 3 MW

Gasification and Reforming

Bubbling bed gasifier

Relevant topics:

• Development of gasification technologies for fuel

with high plastic content

• Gasifiyng agents air and/or steam

oxygen enriched,

CO2, any

proportion

Main gasification technology data:

• Actual internal diameter 0.4 m

• Thermal power 500 kW

• Efficiency > 70%

ARI fixed bubbling gasifier pilot plant. Operative thermal power : about 0.5 MW

Gasification and Reforming

Pre-combustion CO2 separation from reformate syngas

Schematic view of the system

Relevant topics:

Hydrophilic, MEA sorbent, Hydrophobic, membrane concept

Low temperature, high efficiency separationCompactness enhancedNo liquid dragging into the gas phase Noiseless when compared to scrubbing Potential CO2 separation at high pressure

Distributor

Hydrophobic membraneDP

Gas inlet

Gas outlet

MEApressurized

tankP

P

F

F

Gasification and Reforming

Autothermal oxygen reforming

Relevant topics:

• Pure oxygen reforming using a

catalyst resistant to high gradient

temperature

• Fast response to load variation

• High quality of reformed gas

• High thermal overall efficiency (up to

80%)

Autothermal steam reforming demo plant. Operative electrical equivalent power :

about 30 kW

Gasification and Reforming

Gas treatment

Relevant topics:

• High sulphur resistant catalysts

LT shift reactor

Examples of single operations:

High and low temperature water gas shift

Post-combustion CO2 capture processes

•Amine based solvents

•Carbonate based adsorbents

•New materials adsorbents

Amine based solvents

Continuous absorption of CO2 from combustion gases based on solvent capture

Desorption of CO2 from the solvent utilising process steam

Carbonate adsorbents

Pilot absorption plant

This kind of plant operates with two reactors in an alternated manner; when the first reactor is saturated the gas flow is diverted to the second one and the first is regenerated. Energy consumption for regeneration is lower than the amount needed by the liquid sorbents.

New materials solid adsorbents

•Existing capture technologies are relatively unsuitable for wide use. In fact liquid absorbent are energy intensive and expansive. Current solid adsorbents (carbonate based) suffer from low adsorption capacities and lack of stability after extended use.

•New materials to be utilised as solid adsorbents are under rapid development. For example Hyperbranched Aminosilica seems to be able to capture up to seven time more carbon dioxide than the conventional solid materials. Also the thermal stability is great allowing to recycled numerous times.

Survey on CO2 storage possibilities

Storage

•Geological storage

•Mineral storage

Re-use

•Enhanced oil recovery

•Enhanced coal bed methane

•algae

Thank you