NETL’s Carbon Capture Program helps develop projects that have been licensed for use

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has been instrumental in developing several technologies that have been licensed for use to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from power and industrial plants.

One of the most recent developments from NETL’s Carbon Capture Program is Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) — a technology developed with NETL oversight and financial assistance that has been acquired by Chart Industries for commercial deployment.

The CCC process cools down a waste stream that contains CO2, such as flue gas from a fossil energy plant. When the waste stream is cold enough, the CO2 de-sublimates into dry ice, which is then separated from the light gases. Then, the cold products are utilized in recuperative heat exchangers to assist in cooling the incoming waste stream. During this process, the dry ice melts, forming liquid CO2. The liquid CO2 can then be pumped up to pipeline pressures for transport and permanent sequestration in subsurface storage sites.

The plan is to develop the CCC technology for applications such as cement production, which is a significant industrial source for CO2 emissions.

In October 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced nearly $5 million in funding to design, build, commission, and operate an engineering-scale CCC process at the Eagle Materials/Central Plains Cement Sugar Creek Plant in Sugar Creek, Mo. Sustainable Energy Solutions, the industry partner in developing the CCC technology, and other partners are providing $10.5 million in cost-shared funding. NETL will manage the project.

“The licensing of these technologies is the result of decades’ worth of research and development to find science-based, cost-effective solutions to address climate change while sustaining the economic prosperity and equity of our domestic power and industrial sectors,” José Figueroa, supervisor, NETL Carbon Capture Team, said.

Another recent example of a technology developed with NETL project governance that has been licensed for commercial deployment is an advanced solvent to capture CO2 from point sources at fossil-fueled power plants, as well as from steel and cement manufacturing sites.

Honeywell and the Texas Carbon Management Program at the University of Texas at Austin announced a licensing agreement to leverage the technology in which CO2 is absorbed into an amine solvent and then sent to a stripper where CO2 is separated from the solvent.

“The advanced solvent is an organic compound that reacts faster than other compounds to CO2 and is stable at higher temperatures, allowing it to operate at higher pressures. The technology can be retrofitted within existing facilities or included as part of a new installation,” NETL’s Krista Hill, a federal project manager, said.

Also, Baker Hughes announced it has entered into a global exclusive licensing agreement with SRI International to use SRI’s innovative mixed-salt process (MSP) for CO2 capture. The SRI MSP will soon be tested at an engineering scale at the University of Illinois Abbott Power Plant in a 0.5-megawatt electric (MWe) equivalent pilot campaign.

“At NETL, our expertise and support enable researchers in industry and academia to undertake challenging issues related to carbon management. With NETL oversight and guidance, projects can advance from the conceptual stage to pilot studies and eventually to the point where they are ready for licensing and commercial application,” Hill said.