Fully Integrated Regenerative Carbonate Cycle (FIRCC) – Pre study

Regenerative carbonate cycle (RCC) is a CO₂- capture technology with potential to be very cost effective. The principle is that CO₂ in the flue gas reacts with calcium oxide in an exothermic reaction (carbonation) to form calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is in turn regenerated to calcium oxide in an endotherm reaction (calcining). Carbonation and calcining is done in separate reactors and the sorbent is transported between the reactors in a continuous process. Carbonation/calcining is carried out at high temperatures, approx. 600 and 900 ̊C respectively, which allows efficient heat integration with the power plants steam cycle. Energy for calcination is provided by oxy-combustion of fossil fuel. This concept allows for relatively easy capture of CO₂ in the carbonator and release of pure CO₂ in the calciner.

This project is about developing next generation RCC where CO₂ is released through calcining in an indirectly heated calciner. This is to eliminate the need for an air separation unit (ASU) to produce the oxygen for the oxy-combustion. The energy consumption is thereby reduced and the potential is to reduce the efficiency loss connected with the capture process for power generation down towards only one percent point (exclusive of compression).
The first development is executed in two phases. The objective for this project (Pre-study) is to establish a techno-economical basis for design/construction of a 0,3 MW pilot. Additionally, work is done to find suitable sorbents. In an eventual next phase, the pilot will be built and tests carried out to demonstrate the potentially low efficiency loss for the FIRCC technology. The pilot would most probably be built as a mobile unit.