Page 37 - Gi_March2021

igem news – yppc

FIGURE 2 POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS FOR DECARBONISING THE GAS NETWORK

formations in the North Sea. Cork CCS feasibility study Aghada and Whitegate combined cycle
Equinor, along with Total and Shell, Following on from the SEI/EPA 2008 gas turbine (CCGT) power stations and
is developing the Northern Lights report⁴, Option 1 - the Cork CCS to industry. These would use an amine-
project to accept CO₂ from carbon project - was the logical starting point based⁵ solvent technology to separate
emitters across Europe. for studies regarding the potential the CO₂ from the flue gases. After the
to capture CO₂ from emitters in the fuel is combusted, the exhaust gas
Option 3: Hydrogen project Cork area and potentially store the would be diverted into a chemical plant
Capture CO₂ from a reforming CO₂ in the Kinsale Head gas field. In that utilises a liquid solvent separation
hydrogen production process and use July 2020, PSE Kinsale Energy Ltd method. This method can capture up
transportation and storage from Option 1 announced it had ceased production to 95 per cent of CO₂ emissions. The
or 2. Hydrogen is a gas suitable for long- and would start decommissioning flue gas is removed from the power
term storage which, when combusted, some of its facilities. The field presents plant exhaust stack. Pre-conditioning
produces water vapour alone with no a unique opportunity to examine the of flue gases is utilised to remove
carbon emissions. This means it could Kinsale area facilities in greater detail. contaminants from the flue gas stream.
viably be used to decarbonise the heat CO₂ could be captured from two gas- The gas is then blown upward into
and transport sectors as well as for fired power stations in the Cork region an absorption tower. CO₂ is absorbed
electricity generation. (Aghada and Whitegate) and from by a downward flowing liquid (an
The current most commonly used industry, then transported offshore for amine-based solvent diluted in water),
production process, known as steam storage in the depleted Kinsale Head which chemically reacts with the CO₂
methane reforming (SMR), involves gas field. If developed, 1.5 to 2.5Mt of by absorption. The remaining treated
splitting natural gas into its two CO₂ per annum could be captured with and cleaned flue gas passes through
constituents of CO₂ and hydrogen. the Cork CCS project. the absorber to vent to atmosphere via
Option 3 envisages using CCS to capture a chimney as normal. The CO₂-laden
the CO₂ from this hydrogen production Capture amine is taken from the bottom of the
process and then deploying transport A post-combustion CO₂ capture process absorber and heated to over 100°C,
and storage from Option 1 or 2. could be retrofitted to the existing which releases the CO₂ in a stripper

37

11/02/2021 15:08
IGEMNews_YPPC.indd 2
IGEMNews_YPPC.indd 2 11/02/2021 15:08