Enzymatic Technology for Low-Cost Post-Combustion CO2 Capture

AIChE 2013 Carbon Management Technology Conference

 Enzymatic Technology for Low-Cost Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture

Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Utilization (CCSU) is widely viewed as an essential tool for the large-scale reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions as part of overall global efforts to mitigate climate change.  However, current post-combustion CO₂ capture approaches using solvents are largely uneconomic for commercial deployment .

As a solution to this cost challenge, CO₂ Solution of Québec, Canada is commercializing a patented biotechnological capture approach using the powerful enzyme catalyst carbonic anhydrase (CA).   In the process, CA is employed with certain aqueous amines, carbonates and amino acids which have low energies of regeneration, but which are kinetically limited.  CA dramatically accelerates the rate of capture of CO₂ in these solvents, increasing their kinetics to near the level of a conventional monoethanolamine (MEA) process.  The result is lower energy consumption combined with suitable absorber equipment sizing, and the industrial enablement of more environmentally benign solvents.  Results to date have demonstrated that the technology has strong potential as a low-cost carbon capture approach which can be retrofitted into existing gas scrubbing process technology.

The presentation will discuss the basis of the technology, development status, pilot testing results achieved for coal-fired power generation, and the Canadian application of the process to reduce the environmental footprint of Alberta oil sands production.