Engineering-Scale Demonstration of the High CO2 Capture Rate by the Water-Lean Solvent at Technology Centre Mongstad

Abstract

NAS, a novel water-lean solvent, has demonstrated its technical and economic feasibility through extensive testing and demonstration projects. This study presents results from a recent campaign conducted at Technology Centre Mongstad, Norway, where NAS was evaluated under high CO₂ capture rates for both coal- and natural gas-derived flue gases. With minor process modifications, the NAS operated effectively within the existing amine plant. Accurate mass and energy balances were essential for assessing performance, particularly at high capture rates. The capture rates of 97.63% and 99.72% were achieved under coal- and natural gas- derived (NGCC) flue gas conditions, respectively. The specific reboiler duty of 2.59–2.63 GJ/t-CO₂ is reported for coal cases and 3.08–4.19 GJ/t-CO₂ for NGCC cases. The study found that NAS consistently outperformed traditional 30 wt % MEA in terms of CO₂ avoided costs, with reductions ranging from 36 to 38% across various capture rates. These findings highlight the potential of NAS as a promising solution for efficient and cost-effective CO₂ capture.