European Commission logo
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

High performance MOF and IPOSS enhanced membrane systems as next generation CO2 capture technologies

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GENESIS (High performance MOF and IPOSS enhanced membrane systems as next generation CO2 capture technologies)

Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2022-04-30

Global warming due to greenhouse gases has become a serious worldwide concern. In the EU energy consumption strongly depends on fossil fuels. With no possibility of large-scale replacement of fossil fuels with alternative ones in the near future, CCS seems to be the best solution for mitigating CO2 emissions.

CCS is applicable to both the power sector and the industrial sectors and will therefore play a vital role in the move to a low-carbon economy. This allows an improved security of supply by reducing the need for extra fuel to produce goods and power and increased use of indigenous resources. Moreover, increased competitiveness of CCS, in particular by reducing the cost of CO2 capture and the sustainability of the final products and benefits from the export of skills and technology internationally.

GENESIS will demonstrate that 2nd generation nanotechnology enhanced membrane systems achieve at least 90% of CO2 recovery at a cost lower than 15€/MWh in pre-combustion and post-combustion applications. Achieving the European SET-Plan6 (Strategic Energy Technologies) targets of 90% CO2 recovery at a cost lower than 25€/MWh.

To conclude, GENESIS successfully proved this membrane technology is a viable pathway for CCS.
In WP1 the requirements, in terms of the gas characteristics, operational and engineering system requirements for demonstrators at CEMEX and ARCELOR and the characteristics and performance of the current IPOSS and MOF membrane systems were defined.

For the IPOSS development in WP2 the yield and structure of POSS building block synthesis were optimized. Fabrication and optimization of IPOSS layer first on an alumina mono channel and subsequently on multichannel ceramic supports. The multi-channel IPOSS membranes were tested under operative conditions.

For the MOF membranes the synthetic procedures of the MOFs for incorporation in the polymeric membrane were optimized and the colloidal stability of MOF-Polymer-solvent coating solutions for the selective layer was improved. Fabrication and characterization of the multi-layer MOF multi-layer membrane. Validation of the membranes at lab-scale under operative conditions, as well as humidity and contaminants (such as CO and SO2).
In WP4 the POSS and MOF materials were upscaled from few grams to hundreds of grams to be inserted in the targeted formulation of the final POSS and MOF membranes developed. For the prototyping of the IPOSS membranes tubular multichannel membranes were inserted in a stainless-steel housing. Membrane surface of 0.45 m2 was obtained on industrial tubes and on semi-industrial tubes. The MOF membranes were upscaled using two geometries: flat sheet, and hollow fibers. For both geometries a MOF module prototype was designed and fabricated, realizing a Plate & Frame configuration for the flat sheet membranes and a tubular module configuration for the hollow fiber membrane.

In WP5 the Genesis post-combustion process & pilot was designed, having a capacity of 250 Sm3/hr. The pilot was successfully constructed at SCHWENK in Lativa having a membrane surface area of about 140 m2, divided to into two separation stages. A techno-economic evaluation was performed for the specific schemes for the use of IPOSS type H2 separating membranes and MOF type CO2 separating membranes in the steel industry and for the MOF type CO2 separating membranes in the cement industry.

In WP6 TNO tested the Upscaled IPOSS membranes from CTI in the semi-pilot test facility to demonstrate the performance and the stability of the membranes for the GENESIS pre-combustion case.
The validation post-combustion pilot at Schwenk was performed using a double stage membrane system on a flue gas side stream coming from the cement kiln. The validation included the calculation of membrane performance, and overall mass balance. The membrane pilot was successfully operated, which produced promising results, which can be used as a reference for future system design and performance.

Evaluations of the nanosafety were performed in WP7, including mapping of potential occupational exposure scenarios of the nanomaterials and toxicological literature review of the nanomaterials used. An environmental assessment of the new technologies developed in GENESIS project, and comparison with the conventional systems have been carried out. Life cycle inventory data from the nanomaterial synthesis, manufacturing, and installation of membranes to operation have been gathered from partners, both for GENESIS systems and conventional technologies. Two types of GENESIS membranes were evaluated: 1) MOF membranes (Flat sheet membrane and Hollow fiber) and 2) IPOSS membranes.

Analysis of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) deployment in Europe under various cost-base scenarios was performed by TNO. Two main activities were completed: 1) a CCS scenario modelling analysis to evaluate the CCS diffusion in Western Europe by using the TIAM-ECN model 2) a CCS public perception analysis.

For exploitation, dissemination, and communication of the GENESIS project creation of the project visual identity (logo, leaflets, templates, website, social media account). A private and secure platform was created to store and exchange project related archives. Partner dissemination activities are being collected and an Internal Knowledge Output Template for the preparation of the GENESIS Key Exploitable Results (KER) spreadsheet and the GENESIS Business Model Canvas. The IPR development issues, key players and market related information relevant to the project has been constantly monitored.
Upscale of POSS synthesis in Kg scale. Upscale of MOF synthesis: ZIF-8 (30nm): > 10 g/week; ZIF-8 (50nm): 60 g/week; ZIF-67 (75nm): 150 g/week; MOF-74 (<30nm): 1 kg/week.

Successfully upscaling of the robust IPOSS membranes with thermal stability up to 400°C on multichannel tubular ɣ alumina ceramic support. The IPOSS membranes were validated in the pre-combustion case pilot study obtaining similar results as in the lab experiments. The results show a stable performance for 800 hours of the IPOSS multi-channel membrane in a simulated COG mixture and a predictable behaviour to different process conditions.

Successfully upscaling and validation of the multi-layer MOF membranes. The operation and validation of a double stage membrane system in real-life industrial conditions was performed at SCHWENK Latvia. Achieving a purity of about 80% using an initial CO2 feed concentration between 6% - 10% and obtaining a 90% recovery.

For the steel industry the hydrogen separation cases outperform the GENESIS CO2 separation cases with a higher CO2 reduction for similar power import, higher CO2 emissions reduced /GJ of renewable electricity and lower cost per CO2 avoided because of hydrogen sales revenues. For the cement industry the two GENESIS concepts for using CO2 selective membranes can avoid the CO2 emissions up to 78% (90% removal from cement stack). The corresponding CO2 avoided cost is 58 €/tonne CO2 for the optimized Membrane case, which is competitive with the Reference case (64 €/tonne CO2).

The GENESIS pilot test case and project communications ambitions are to reduce uncertainty over CCS costs and increase the public acceptance for CCS.
Logo of GENESIS