CO₂ Capture Technology: CO₂ Capture Process

[ ENGINEERING ]

KS-1^™ & KM CDR Process^™

A variety of CO₂ capture technologies exists. Currently, chemical absorption is the proven method for capturing CO₂ from combustion exhaust gases.
MHI has been developing KM CDR Process^™, with own unique amine solvent KS-1^™ in collaboration with Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO) since 1990, which has several outstanding features as follows:

1. Can be applied to various types of flue gas sources
2. Advanced energy saving process - significant operation cost saving
3. Highly efficient proprietary solvent KS-1^™, with the lowest energy consumption and the least degradation

KS-21^™ & Advanced KM CDR Process^™

MHI developed KS-1^™ and Advanced KM CDR Process^™ with KEPCO. The original technology consisted of KS-1^™ - a solvent whose high reliability in commercial plants worldwide - and KM CDR Process^™ for CO₂ capture. Cost-saving Advanced KM CDR Process^™ improves that earlier configuration and incorporates KS-21^™ solvent.
Commercialization of KS-21^™ solvent was completed following demonstration testing in 2021 at the Technology Centre Mongstad in Norway, one of the world's largest carbon capture demonstration facilities.

Major characteristics (compared to KS-1^™ and generally used amine-based solvent MEA):

1. KS-21^™ solvent offers lower volatility and higher stability against degradation. Its contribution of reducing absorption reaction heat and capture energy translate to potential economic benefits with respect to lower operating costs for the customer, etc.
2. A low level of amine emissions results in reduced solvent consumption and lighter impact on the environment. (Environmental impact assessment by a third-party institution has yielded highly reliable emissions measurements.)
3. The new system can accommodate carbon capture from a variety of flue gas sources. It supports customers in industrial and infrastructure areas including not only conventional power generation and chemical plants, but also biomass and LNG liquefaction plants, steel and cement factories, waste incineration facilities, etc., from project formulation stages including basic design, pilot demonstration, licensing, etc.

Process Flow

Flue gas containing CO₂ is cooled in an flue gas cooling tower, then exposed in the absorption tower to alkaline KS-1^™ (KS-21^™) solvent, which absorbs the CO₂ in the flue gas. Solvent containing a high concentration of CO₂ is sent to the regeneration tower, where it is heated with steam to release and regenerate the CO₂. The regenerated solvent is returned to the absorption tower, where it is reused. This process can capture more than 90% of the CO₂ contained in the target gas (with a purity of more than 99.9% by volume), and also reduces steam consumption thanks to our original energy-saving regeneration system.

KS-21^™ Application

Bio Energy with Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (BECCS)

MHI is working with Drax Group, a renewable energy company engaged in renewable power generation the production of sustainable biomass and the sale of renewable electricity to business based in the United Kingdom.
Using its carbon capture technology, Advanced KM CDR process^™,would be the largest deployment of negative emissions in power generation anywhere in the world.
The project, which combines UK innovation and world-leading Japanese technology, will see Drax license MHI's unique carbon capture solvent, KS-21^™, to capture CO₂ at its power station near Selby, North Yorkshire.
(Voices of our Partners : Mr. Will Gardiner, CEO, Drax).