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    June, 2005

Vol 1 Chapter 23: Grace: Pre-Combustion De-Carbonisation Hydrogen Membrane Study

Peter Middleton, Paul Hurst and Graeme Walker

Abstract: This chapter details the GRangemouth Advanced CapturE (GRACE) project to develop new membrane technology to preferentially permeate hydrogen as part of a pre-combustion de-carbonisation process to capture CO₂. The project forms part of the wider CO₂₂ via either pre-combustion de-carbonisation, the use of oxygen-rich combustion systems or post-combustion CO₂ recovery. In addition to developing a new hydrogen membrane, the remit of the GRACE project includes applying the new technology to a specific scenario to evaluate installation costs and the amount of CO₂ emissions that could be avoided if the technology were to be implemented. In this study, the capture of 2 million tonnes/year of CO₂ from BP’s Grangemouth complex in Scotland has been selected as the “real-life” scenario. Previous study work completed by the GRACE project identified a Palladium/Silver metal membrane, developed by SINTEF, as the best membrane technology for hydrogen permeation. This study is based on the use of the SINTEF membrane coupled to conventional hydrogen production technology. The results of this study are that:

• the option of using conventional hydrogen production technology and the SINTEF hydrogen membrane to capture CO₂ and produce hydrogen suitable for combustion is technically feasible;
• a SINTEF membrane module design has been developed;
• the fabrication cost of each membrane module is estimated to be $3.12 million;
• the total cost to capture 2 million tonnes of CO2 from the Grangemouth complex using pre-combustion de-carbonisation technology that incorporates the SINTEF membrane is estimated to be $251 million;
• this cost represents the lowest cost of any technology developed in the CCP programme, and represents a 28% cost reduction compared to the CCP baseline technology (post-combustion amine absorption);
• the selected process incorporates a high degree of self-sufficiency in terms of power demand.

However, a certain amount of electrical power will have to be imported from local sources. Assuming that conventional gas turbines are used to generate this shortfall, this reduces the amount of CO₂ emitted to atmosphere that is avoided by implementing the selected process scheme to about 112 million tonnes per year.

Carbon Dioxide Capture for Storage in Deep Geologic Formations – Results from the CO₂ Capture Project Capture and Separation of Carbon Dioxide from Combustion Sources - Volume 1
Edited by: David C. Thomas, Senior Technical Advisor, Advanced Resources International Inc, USA

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