Co2 Capture and Work Environmental Sampling - Lessons Learned

Abstract

With almost a decade of operational experience from an amine-based post combustion carbon capture plant in Norway, Technology Centre Mongstad has under multiple occasions and operating scenarios monitored the work environment exposure risk for such facilities. Primary focus has been on concentrations of Nitrosodimethylamine in the work environmental atmosphere. This paper presents some findings from work environmental gas sapling collected between 2012 and 2020, where Thermosorb-N filters, impingers and PTR-MS were used for sampling. The main objective has been to investigate work environment exposure risk in a CO2 capture plant. The findings show that the median outdoor background concentration during the different test campaigns have been 0.2 ng/m3(Arithmetic Mean 5.8 ng/m3, range <0.01 - 39 ng/m3). The average and maximum concentration represents 3% and 20% of the given Occupational Exposure Limit Value of 200 ng/m3 for NDMA, respectively. Our results suggest that Nitrosodimethylamine can be present at an amine-based CO2-capture test plant, but at acceptable concentrations. In conclusion, the design and operational conditions at Technology Centre Mongstad maintain exposure background levels for the working atmosphere at a satisfactory level.