Objective and hypothesis
Available CCU technologies require year-round, constant operation to be commercially viable. The reality is, however, that an energy system is characterised by increasingly larger f luctuations. Thus, this project will investigate, design, and plan a research platform to enable the development of second-generation technologies for flexible carbon capture and utilisation/sequestration in combination with bioenergy (BECCU/S). In addition, the project will model both a full scale and pilot plant.
Approach
The project consists of two stages:
- The first stage implies the design of a 100-kW research platform. The platform will be complete with biomass combustion and carbon capture, the partial commissioning of the plant and the creation of digital models for f lexible BECCU/S. This will also include an upscaling of a co-electrolysis process for chemicals from captured CO2 . Data from a combined heat and power plant and electricity grid data will be used to digitally scale up BECCU/S technologies and prepare for the physical testbed.
- The second stage of the project is the completion of the physical testbed/pilot plant, including coupling with an improved co-electrolysis process.
Expected impact/output
Flexibility in operation is key to applying CCU in a PtX framework. Current CCU technologies are not economically attractive for medium-sized, combined heat and power plants as they are operated following heat demand or participate in grid balancing. CO2 from these plants is thus not accessible as an energy carrier or material in PtX-concepts. This research platform will be an important step in closing this gap as it integrates well with fluctuating energy and CO2 availability.