Carbon Capture Technologies

From flue to blue hydrogen

Global warming and climate change concerns are intensifying global efforts to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) in our atmosphere. Increasingly, attention is focusing on the need to remove CO₂ from the flue gases released by several processes in countless industries including power, chemicals and steel. Carbon capture is a key strategy in meeting today’s CO₂ emission reduction targets.

There are three different carbon capture strategies to choose from, depending on the source of the gas:

1. Pre-combustion, combining upstream gasification of fuel with pre-combustion separation of the CO₂
2. Oxyfuel combustion, combusting the fuel with pure oxygen to create mainly steam and CO₂, which can be easily separated from the flue gas
3. Post-combustion, where the CO₂ is scrubbed from the flue gas following combustion

Many chemical applications rely on CO₂ scrubbing. Oxyfuel technology is an ideal way to increase the efficiency of combustion processes in new power plants. And post-combustion capture (PCC) is targeted specifically at flue gas in existing power plants, typically using a solvent to chemically absorb the CO₂ from the flue gases after the combustion process.

The captured gas can be further purified and liquefied for commercial use – for example, as food-grade CO₂ for the production of food and beverages, as a feedstock for the production of commodities like methanol or urea or in greenhouses. Alternatively, it can be stored underground (sequestered) as a carbon abatement measure.

Blue Hydrogen is produced by applying a carbon capture step into the production of hydrogen via steam methane reforming. With this additional step, up to 95% of the carbon can be captured, resulting in low-carbon hydrogen. Please see the diagram below for reference.

Industries face the challenge to decarbonize their value chains. Implementing carbon management technology into industrial processes helps future-proof businesses.