Research Activities of CO2 Capture and Utilization Technologies at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center

Abstract

The State of Wyoming along with private partners has constructed a post combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and utilization test center, the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC) for the testing of post-combustion CO2 separation and utilization technologies at a coal-fired electric generation power plant located at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station (DFS). The plant is located seven miles north of Gillette, Wyoming. Additional project partners include Tri-State G&T, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Black Hills Energy, and Rocky Mountain Power. The ITC provides space for researchers to test CO2 capture, utilization (CCU) technologies using a combined 26 MWe of actual coal based flue gas. The 26 MWe equivalent of flue gas is split among one large test center and six smaller test bays. During commissioning of the flue gas delivery system, 23.5 MWe was determined to be available for the large test center while 2.5 MWe was available for distribution to the 6 smaller test bays. The flue-gas slip-stream is taken downstream of the state-of-the-art emissions control systems which substantially reduce criteria pollutants such as SO2, NOX, and Hg. Flue gas is supplied to the test bays with the following composition for the coal derived flue gas: Component Minimum Maximum Average CO2 12% 13.1% 12.7% O2 1.7% 4.2% 2.5% N2 + Ar 66.7% 66.7% 66.7% H2O 15.2% 18.3% 18.1% SO2 0.0 ppm 114.9 ppm 23.1 ppm NOx 19.2 ppm 38.4 ppm 27.8 ppm Temperature (1) 80 C 90 C 85 C The ITC’s first tenant deployed in 2019, and is a hybrid CO2 capture system designed by TDA Research. Using a membrane supplied by Membrane Technology and Research, the TDA system uses a combination of membrane and proprietary sorbent developed by TDA Research to capture 90% of the CO2 from the flue gas with a lower energy penalty than conventional amine based systems. TDA’s system will be followed up by a novel system developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries that uses a solid sorbent combined with temperature and pressure swing to regenerate the material using waste heat. This project is advancing into the detailed design phase to determine precise footprint and utility interconnect requirements at the Wyoming ITC. In addition, in Q1 of 2020, teams competing for the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE will begin to deploy. The XPRIZE is a $20 million global competition to develop breakthrough technologies that will convert CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities into valuable products like building materials, alternative fuels, and other commercial products. Carbon Upcycling UCLA is in the process of finalizing HAZOP analyses and permitting, and will move to site in February or March 2020 to deploy their system capable of using CO2 from flue gas to cure precast concrete pieces. They will soon be followed by Dimensional Energy which has obtained an operating permit to photo-catalytically convert CO2 to CO for making synthesis gas. Additional contestants include C4X which plans to make polymers and insulation materials, Breathe which will manufacture methanol, and Carbon Capture Machine which has a process to produce precipitated calcium carbonate. Additional research activity continues with the subdivision of the large test center into two bays to accommodate two additional large pilot CO2 capture systems of approximately 200 tons per day each. One system utilizes technology developed at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research and will utilize amine based solvents with advanced heat integration. The other system will be a membrane system provided by Membrane Technology and Research. Both projects are currently funded through a phase 2 contract through the National Energy Technology Laboratory and US Department of Energy. Dry Fork Station and the ITC have completed a relative accuracy test audit to verify a sufficient supply of flue gas for both projects. Additionally, utility requirements have been determined to be within the scope and capability of the ITC to provide the necessary power, water, and space requirements to accommodate both systems. Finally, a memorandum of understanding between the Japanese Coal Association (JCOAL), Columbia University, and GreenOre LLC to pursue research in CO2 utilization at the Wyoming ITC. The goal would be to produce a range of products from coal derived fly ash as well as investigate the possibility of concentrating rare earth elements in the residual ash. This paper provides a comprehensive update of the research activities at the Wyoming ITC which has been selected to host nine different technology providers from five different countries at scales ranging from 10 MWe.