Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CaLby2030 (CALCIUM LOOPING TO CAPTURE CO2 FROM INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES BY 2030)
Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-01-31
The justification for CaLby2030 R&D remains unchanged since the project's inception. CaLby2030 aims to commercialize Calcium Looping (CaL) technology using Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) reactors by 2030. CFB-CaL captures CO2 from flue gases using CaO, forming CaCO₃, and regenerates CaO in an oxy-calcination step, producing a pure CO2 stream for utilization or storage. CFB reactors, known for technological maturity from commercial CFB combustors, are ideal for industrial-scale deployment, particularly due to efficient heat integration for industrial operations or power generation. CaLby2030 targets decarbonization in three challenging, high-temperature sectors: electricity-based steelmaking with unavoidable carbon usage; cement production with inherent CO2 emissions from limestone decomposition; and Waste-to-Energy (WtE) and Bio-CHP plants, capable of negative emissions. Together, these sectors emit over 5 Gt CO2 annually, benefiting further from utilizing CaO-rich by-products from CFB-CaL. The project includes operating three TRL6 pilot plants in Sweden, Germany, and Spain, generating over 4,000 data points under industrial conditions. This data supports scaling up reactors through modeling, techno-economic analyses, cluster optimization, and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), promoting renewable energy use and material circularity. Results will underpin FEED studies for demonstration plants at multiple EU sites. Innovations aim for CO2 capture rates above 99%, with Specific Primary Energy Consumption per CO2 Avoided (SPECCA) below 0.8 MJ/kgCO2 in some configurations. Additionally, studies on public acceptance of zero or negative emissions technologies will help mitigate societal barriers. The CaLby2030 consortium comprises a leading CFB provider, key industrial end-users, and top academic institutions, ensuring robust support for technology commercialization.
During the second reporting period, significant progress was made in pilot testing to advance the objectives of CaLby2030. An additional 1,400 operational hours were completed at the La Pereda pilot operating under TRL6 conditions for biomass-fired and WtE plants, covering most planned activities. Notably, steady-state biomass-fueled oxy-calcination was successfully demonstrated, achieving CO2 capture efficiencies above 99% via Ca(OH)2 injection (even exceeding 100% under some conditions, as part of the CO2 in the combustion air was also captured in the carbonator). Additionally, the behavior of acid gases (HCl, HF, NOx, SO2) in the CFB carbonator and calciner was monitored in detail, generating valuable data for future CFB-CaL deployment in Bio-CHP and WtE plants doped with plastic polymers containing Cl and F. Further retrofits and one experimental campaign were conducted at the MAGNUS CFB-CaL facility in Stuttgart to adapt it to TRL6-relevant conditions for cement applications, accumulating approximately 200 hours of operational experience. These tests identified key operational challenges and highlighted the need for further retrofits, to be addressed in upcoming campaigns. Significant engineering progress was made on the newly constructed CaL-CFB pilot in Sweden. Despite some delays due to economic factors and redesign needs, detailed engineering was completed, and procurement, construction, and commissioning are currently underway. Advancements were also made in modelling and simulation. Non-validated CFB submodels and pilot-scale models were developed to optimize key parameters for high CO2 capture rates. Time series data for transient CFB-CaL operation in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) applications were generated, along with improved simulation tools to analyze cyclone performance in the MAGNUS pilot. Additionally, base-case definitions and KPI calculations were completed for various CaL process applications, both with and without CO2 capture. Ongoing work includes process design simulations and techno-economic optimization for EAF-steel applications, particularly exploring solid storage options. A related patent application was submitted to the EPO by SFW. Moreover, the multi-criteria optimization methodology for CO2 transport from capture to storage or utilization sites was further refined to apply to potential future commercial-scale CFB-CaL demonstrations. Technical developments in retrofit concepts for first-of-a-kind CCUS applications in cement, steel, Bio-CHP, and WtE sectors proceeded as planned. Evaluations of integration strategies and multimodal CO2 transport solutions for industrial clusters are ongoing. Progress was also made in assessing the socio-economic and environmental aspects of CaLby2030. An initial Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report was completed for the Bio-CHP case study. Research on societal acceptance of CaL-based CCUS also advanced, including the completion of a choice experiment survey validated through multiple focus groups, which will be implemented in the next reporting period. Semi-structured stakeholder interviews and discussions with CCUS experts provided valuable insights into societal readiness, helping to identify potential adoption and deployment barriers.
The project has made notable progress in its experimental campaigns, including steady-state tests at the La Pereda pilot and dynamic tests at both La Pereda and MAGNUS facilities. The development of modelling tools for scale-up is progressing largely as planned, with results disseminated through peer-reviewed literature. Breakthrough results in CO2 capture efficiency—achieving 99% efficiency—were selected for a Special Issue of ACS Journal *Energy & Fuels*, while recent outcomes exceeding 100% have confirmed performance well beyond the current state of the art. Six project communications were presented at GHGT17 in Calgary, the leading global CCUS conference by IEA-GHG, covering both experimental and modelling activities. One presentation was selected for inclusion in a Special Issue of the *International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control*. Additional peer-reviewed publications are expected, including outputs from societal and environmental studies. Many results are also being used internally to support future project phases, as planned. Further impact has been achieved through dissemination and communication activities, notably the event in Stuttgart, which attracted a significant number of industrial participants, including advisory council members. Specific project impacts will continue to be shared via official channels, including CaLby2030’s Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles. These results are expected to influence the global CCUS community and contribute to the advancement of CFB-CaL technology toward commercial deployment.