Scientists and engineers working for ScottishPower and Aker Clean Carbon have been able to demonstrate reduction in the energy requirement in the improved capture process by about a third from a reference plant, ScottishPower said.
Technicians have been monitoring the effectiveness of the amine plant that captures the CO2 under a range of operating conditions. The improved process has been verified in the pilot plant, with the energy required being reduced by approximately a third. Testing at Longannet will continue until February next year and scientists believe this technology is ready to be applied at full scale demonstration.
Nick Horler, chief executive of ScottishPower, said: “The testing at Longannet has resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of energy required to capture CO2, a reduction of about a third on what was previously thought to be achievable.
“What this means in real terms is that we’re not just reducing energy, but also reducing the cost. And that is key to the future of CCS, being able to capture CO2 effectively and efficiently without it being cost prohibitive to ourselves or consumers.”
The prototype carbon capture unit is said to be the first of its kind to be demonstrated on a working coal-fired power station in the UK, and has been operating for over 2000 hours. The unit is monitored 24 hours a day and has been capturing around 90% of the carbon content from 1000 cubic metres an hour of exhaust gas at Longannet.
