Process Integration of Advanced Amine-based Solvents in Power and Industrial Plants: A New Benchmark for Post-combustion Carbon Capture?

Reducing the cost of CCS is necessary to achieve a cost point that encourages its large-scale deployment. In this work, we have evaluated if the second generation solvent CESAR1 (a blend of AMP (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol) and piperazine) can be established as the new state-of-the art benchmark solvent system, replacing monoethanolamine (MEA). We provide cost estimates for the integration of MEA and CESAR1 in selected reference cases that are representative of power (lignite-fired Power plant) and industrial (Waste to Energy and Cement) processes. The findings reported here do not indicate that CESAR1 (or AMP/PZ blends) should be used as the updated benchmark for post-combustion CO2 capture. It seems fair to assume that both MEA and CESAR1 can be cost-competitive solutions, and the decision to use either of them should be taken case by case, with CESAR1 possibly being a preferable solution in case the heat availability is a limiting factor, or the heat costs are high. For more reliable results, and a clear differentiation between MEA and CESAR1, cost estimations should take emission and degradation countermeasures into account. Additionally, more experimental data from long-term pilot testing campaigns is needed to further quantify the solvent replacement rates in terms of volatile emissions and degradation rates. Only then, a fairer comparison between the two solvent systems could be established.