Demonstrating a Refinery-Adapted Cluster-Integrated Strategy to Enable Full-Chain CCUS Implementation

Project Information

REALISE

Grant agreement ID: 884266

DOI

10.3030/884266

Project closed

EC signature date 7 April 2020

Start date 1 May 2020

End date 31 October 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost

€ 7 131 752,50

EU contribution

€ 6 444 163,75

Coordinated by

SINTEF AS
Norway

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - REALISE (Demonstrating a Refinery-Adapted Cluster-Integrated Strategy to Enable Full-Chain CCUS Implementation)

Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2023-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

What is our research focus?

REALISE CCUS is an ambitious three-year project to support decarbonisation of oil refining through carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), a critical technology in the net-zero transition. It brings together partners (backed by strategic and sector support from an Advisory Board and Industry Club) from science and industry in Europe, China and South Korea to demonstrate the full CCUS chain – from CO2 capture, transport and geological storage to CO2 reuse – for industrial clusters centred on refineries.

What will we achieve?

Our vision is to support the rapid and large-scale delivery of CCUS technology in the refining sector by 2025, with follow-on projects from 2030. We aim to almost double CO2 capture rates while also cutting costs significantly. Specifically, REALISE CCUS will:
- Assess full-chain CCUS potential at refineries within industry clusters
- Cut costs associated with CO2 capture by at least 30%
- Develop technology to cut CO2 emissions at defined clusters by 10Mt a year from 2030
- Demonstrate the capabilities of solvent-based CO2 capture technology
- Highlight financial, political and regulatory barriers to CCUS delivery
- Support cooperation between CO2 emitters and providers of technology solutions
- Build societal awareness of CCUS as part of industry’s net-zero transition
- Share our results and strengthen collaboration with Mission Innovation countries

How will this support climate action?

- CCUS is crucial to decarbonise energy-intensive industries with high levels of emissions, such as refining. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), without CCS the cost of reaching Paris Agreement targets will increase by 40%.
- Cost is identified as the most significant hurdle to industrial uptake of CCS; REALISE aims to reduce CO2 capture costs by at least 30%.
- Developing CCUS in clusters – where several facilities share infrastructure and knowledge – is increasingly viewed as key to accelerating uptake. REALISE will work within a planned cluster in Cork, Ireland and employ a ‘sector-coupling’ strategy, enabling smart sharing of assets.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

A novel second generation solvent (REALISE solvent or HS-3) and solvent management technologies were optimized based on the results from an extensive testing program in the laboratory. Through long-term materials compatibility tests, one of the tested plastic material was found to be suitable for use as absorber packing material to reduce capital cost. The experimental data were implemented in three simulation tools: AspenPlus, CO2SIM, and CENIT. The models were validated using data from demonstration campaigns.
Two demonstration campaigns were performed: (1) on-site Irving Oil Whitegate refinery in Cork (Ireland) using TNO's mobile pilot. The first campaign was focused on solvent performance and stability during 3000 operation hours of capturing CO2 from 4 flue gases; (2) at SINTEF's Tiller CO2 capture plant, equipped in the project with a compact CO2 compression and liquefaction unit (CCLU). The objectives of the second campaign included optimisation of process with regards to energy consumption, identification and quantification of emissions, and accessing quality of the produced CO2.
The simulation tools were further used for the development of OCTOPUS, an open-access tool for high level assessment of cost of CO2 capture from oil refineries or industrial clusters with multiple emission sources, and for Techno-Economical assessment (TEA) of full-scale CO2 capture plants for three refineries (three business cases). CO2 transport and storage options were also assessed for these refineries - a real-life case studies for full-scale CCUS projects in Ireland, China and S. Korea, strengthening collaboration with partners from Mission Innovation countries.
Proper communication strategy of the large-scale infrastructure project is critical with regards to public perception. Therefore, REALISE has built and trailed a unique Education and Public Engagement (EPE) program based on the critical review and lessons learned from the large-scale projects around the globe. The results and knowledge generated in the project were made available to CCUS stakeholders through different dissemination and communication channels.
Although it was demonstrated at least 10% lower energy consumption and 3 times lower solvent loss compared to the reference solvent, techno-economical assessment of full-scale carbon capture shows that the overall cost of capture will be similar to that of the reference solvent system, assuming the cost of the novel solvent is 10 times higher than the cost of MEA.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Reference solvent system used in REALISE (30 wt % MEA) is considered by majority of CCS technology providers as State of the art. REALISE has optimized a new second-generation solvent, which showed potential to lower energy consumption, higher stability and much lower corrosivity than the reference system. The open-access solvent system was demonstrated in the pilot scale with real flue gases on-site an oil refinery. For the first time, CO2 capture from several emission sources was demonstrated by performing the tests with several flue gases in the same demonstration campaign. The results are applicable to other refineries and industrial clusters with multiple CO2 emission sources.
Application of the Non-Linear Model-Predictive control (NMPC) is of high importance for such a complex process. REALISE has developed models and simulation tools to enable process design, optimization, and model-predictive control. The developed tools were used for techno-economic assessment of full-scale capture plant integrated with specific refineries in Ireland, China, and South Korea.
For the assessment of the CO2 capture from oil refineries and industrial clusters with multiple emission sources, an open-access simulation tool was developed and distributed to the stakeholders. High-level assessment of CO2 capture cost can be easily used by the stakeholders to develop strategy for CO2 capture implementation.
A compact CO2 compression and liquefaction unit was designed and tested in REALISE project: the quality of CO2 captured in the pilot plant was analysed after each compression stage, producing data critical for CO2 transport and storage.
Use of plastics, removal of oxygen and iron from the solution – are other innovations investigated in REALISE. Prototypes of two first-of-a-kind solvent management technologies (patented by TNO) were tested in REALISE using a degraded solvent from the demonstration campaigns. Even though the effect on solvent stability and cost of CO2 capture was not significant at the tested conditions and duration of the campaigns, further study is recommended to optimize application.
REALISE is one of a few projects, where experts in CO2 capture, transport and storage are involved in the development of a unique Education and Public Engagement program which was trailed it in the Cork area where the first refinery is located.

REALISE mission