Selecting the Best Pump for CCS Applications

Published Jan 11, 2023 7:15 PM by The Maritime Executive [By: DESMI]   Selecting the best pump for CCS applications Pumps play an important role in Carbon

Capture and Storage (CCS), and selecting the most effective pump is the key to achieving low operating costs, cut CO2 emissions, and limit the global temperature increase.

  For nearly three decades, the UN has brought together almost every country on earth for global climate summits. The final text of the latest summit, the COP27

in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, includes a provision to boost low-emissions energy. In practice, this means that many different technologies must be used to help cut emissions –

including Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) systems (1).   What is the potential of CCS?   The International Energy Association (IEA)

has provided an excellent overview of the potential of capturing, storing, and utilizing carbon dioxide (2).   It estimates that 45 Mt/year is currently

being captured and that this must increase to about 1300 Mt/year in 2030 to meet a net zero emission scenario (NZE). Around 35 facilities are already in operation, and over 200 new

facilities are planned to be in operation by 2030. However, this corresponds “only” to 220 Mt/year of CO2 being captured, so facilities for at least an additional 1000 Mt/year

will be required soon to meet the NZE target.   Today, most facilities are installed to capture CO2 emitted from natural gas and hydrogen processing plants.

Somewhat ironically, the captured CO2 is mainly used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, as oil production must decrease in the future, most of the new planned facilities are

aimed for power plants and the cement and steel industries, as these sectors are impossible to electrify completely due to the nature of their raw materials. Furthermore, the

captured CO2 should not be used for EOR but stored permanently underground.   How does the CO2 scrubbing process work?   Capturing

the CO2 in a scrubber or absorption tower is the most common and well-known method for Carbon Capture. As shown in figure 1, a liquid mixture of water and an organic amine is

circulated between an absorber and desorber unit.   The inlet flue gas is brought in direct contact with the liquid in the absorption or scrubber tower. The

scrubber is usually a packed-bed type and typically 20-40 meters in total height (only the height of the bed is indicated on the figure). A relatively high tower is required if the