A promising research of solar-thermal-assisted CCS in Abu Dhabi

Dr. Matteo Chiesa, the head of the Laboratory of Energy and Nano Sciences (LENS) at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, and his team are experimenting on the viability of a hybrid CO₂ capture process using solar thermal energy to assist the capture of CO₂ from power plant flue gases.

Solvent-based post-combustion CO₂ capture (PCC) is one of the most promising technologies for reducing CO₂ emissions from existing fossil fuel power plants, as it is relatively easy to retrofit. According to the research team at Masdar, the very costly regeneration of the solvent used in the process requires thermal energy of lower quality. It could be provided cost-effectively by a solar thermal plant, leaving the higher quality energy for use in electricity generation at the plant, which would make the overall PCC process cheaper.

The performance of the process was modelled on a 300MWe pulverized coal power plant in New South Wales, Australia (due to its sunny weather conditions over the year and reliance on coal), using actual weather and wholesale electricity price data from the area. The results of the test were favourable.

"It is shown that the proposed technology can be economically viable for solar collector costs of US$100/m2 (76,26 EUR/m2)at current retail electricity prices and optimal Solar load-Fraction of 22%," the authors state (Solar load-Fraction is the portion of solvent regeneration energy provided by solar energy). They add that reducing the need for heat energy during the daytime coincides with peaks in wholesale electricity prices – having further positive effect on the overall costs. Solar-assisted PCC plants could become even more attractive as electricity prices increase and solar collector prices go down.

Read more: earthandindustry.com/2012/01/can-solar-energy-lower-the-cost-of-carbon-capture/