Periodic Reporting for period 1 - REALISE (Demonstrating a Refinery-Adapted Cluster-Integrated Strategy to Enable Full-Chain CCUS Implementation)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-05-01 do 2022-01-31
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.
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.
During the first reporting period, the REALISE solvent (HS-3) and technologies for the solvent and emission management were optimized in WP1 based on the results from an extensive testing program in the laboratory. The test program included tests of chemical stability of the solvent under conditions relevant to real capture plant. The work related to solvent and emission management included optimization of the technologies for removal of dissolved oxygen using DORA (Dissolved Oxygen Removal Apparatus) and in-situ removal of dissolved iron using IRiS (Iron Removal Setup) allowing to reduce solvent degradation rate.
To validate potential for reduction of cost through use of plastics as construction materials, a long-term compatibility testing of two plastic materials with REALISE solvent was started. Samples of the plastic materials, exposed to the solvent system at relevant operation conditions, are collected bimonthly for mechanical testing.
The simulation tools developed in the project based on measured data, are used for optimization of the process design, for intelligent plant operation using NMPC (Non-linear Model-based Process Control), and for techno-economic assessment of CO2 capture process integration in a refinery or an industrial cluster. Preliminary evaluations of the capture process using REALISE solvent have shown potential for lower energy consumption and reduced solvent degradation rate.
To confirm these findings, in WP2, the technologies were prepared for demonstration on-site Irving Oil Whitegate refinery. A mobile pilot unit was made ATEX-compliant and moved to Ireland for a long-term demonstration campaign. Preparation of the test site and necessary utilities was competed at the refinery, and an internet-based infrastructure was set up to enable remote control of the mobile pilot.
In the preparation for the second demonstration campaign, SINTEF's Tiller CO2 capture plant was equipped with a compact CO2 compression and liquefaction unit (CCLU). The main objective of this task is to access quality of the produced CO2, which is a very important information for CO2 transport and storage providers.
CO2 transport and storage options were assessed in WP3 for the refinery-centred cluster in Cork – a real-life case for a full-scale CCUS project in Ireland. The Cork cluster study has shown that adopting CCS as one of the technical solutions to deliver net zero emission by 2050 facilitates more economic outcomes for the period of transition. It also facilitates negative emissions which may be necessary if all industrial sectors cannot deliver the necessary emission reductions. Results from this study will be presented to stakeholders outside consortium in the project webinar #3 on April 26th.
Communication of the large-scale infrastructure project are critical with regards to public perception. Therefore, in WP4, REALISE is building a unique Education and Public Engagement (EPE) program based on the critical review and lessons learned from the large-scale projects around the globe, which were summarized in the open Deliverable 4.1.
Collaboration with partners from Mission Innovation countries (China and South Korea) was established in WP6. Feasibility of applying REALISE technologies to refineries of different locations and complexity will be assessed together in the project for two other real-life cases.
To validate potential for reduction of cost through use of plastics as construction materials, a long-term compatibility testing of two plastic materials with REALISE solvent was started. Samples of the plastic materials, exposed to the solvent system at relevant operation conditions, are collected bimonthly for mechanical testing.
The simulation tools developed in the project based on measured data, are used for optimization of the process design, for intelligent plant operation using NMPC (Non-linear Model-based Process Control), and for techno-economic assessment of CO2 capture process integration in a refinery or an industrial cluster. Preliminary evaluations of the capture process using REALISE solvent have shown potential for lower energy consumption and reduced solvent degradation rate.
To confirm these findings, in WP2, the technologies were prepared for demonstration on-site Irving Oil Whitegate refinery. A mobile pilot unit was made ATEX-compliant and moved to Ireland for a long-term demonstration campaign. Preparation of the test site and necessary utilities was competed at the refinery, and an internet-based infrastructure was set up to enable remote control of the mobile pilot.
In the preparation for the second demonstration campaign, SINTEF's Tiller CO2 capture plant was equipped with a compact CO2 compression and liquefaction unit (CCLU). The main objective of this task is to access quality of the produced CO2, which is a very important information for CO2 transport and storage providers.
CO2 transport and storage options were assessed in WP3 for the refinery-centred cluster in Cork – a real-life case for a full-scale CCUS project in Ireland. The Cork cluster study has shown that adopting CCS as one of the technical solutions to deliver net zero emission by 2050 facilitates more economic outcomes for the period of transition. It also facilitates negative emissions which may be necessary if all industrial sectors cannot deliver the necessary emission reductions. Results from this study will be presented to stakeholders outside consortium in the project webinar #3 on April 26th.
Communication of the large-scale infrastructure project are critical with regards to public perception. Therefore, in WP4, REALISE is building a unique Education and Public Engagement (EPE) program based on the critical review and lessons learned from the large-scale projects around the globe, which were summarized in the open Deliverable 4.1.
Collaboration with partners from Mission Innovation countries (China and South Korea) was established in WP6. Feasibility of applying REALISE technologies to refineries of different locations and complexity will be assessed together in the project for two other real-life cases.
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 and emissions in the capture process. The open-access solvent was prepared for demonstration in pilot scale with real flue gases on-site an oil refinery. For the first time, stability of a solvent exposed to several flue gases in the same demonstration campaign, will be assessed. This will mimic a multi-absorber concept which would be applicable to other refineries and industrial clusters with multiple CO2 emission sources.
To monitor and control potential emissions from CO2 capture plant, knowledge on possible solvent degradation compounds is crucial. Possible reaction pathways have been suggested and 29 components identified. Reducing solvent degradation will improve solvent health and reduce solvent losses (reduce cost).
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 optimized in REALISE for demonstration onsite oil refinery in the next reporting period.
Enabling model-predictive control would be of high importance for such a complex process. REALISE have been preparing models and simulation tools to enable process design, optimization, and model-predictive control. The developed tools will be also used for techno-economic assessment of full-scale capture plant integrated with specific refineries in Ireland, China, and South Korea.
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 will be tested it in the Cork area where the first refinery is located.
To monitor and control potential emissions from CO2 capture plant, knowledge on possible solvent degradation compounds is crucial. Possible reaction pathways have been suggested and 29 components identified. Reducing solvent degradation will improve solvent health and reduce solvent losses (reduce cost).
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 optimized in REALISE for demonstration onsite oil refinery in the next reporting period.
Enabling model-predictive control would be of high importance for such a complex process. REALISE have been preparing models and simulation tools to enable process design, optimization, and model-predictive control. The developed tools will be also used for techno-economic assessment of full-scale capture plant integrated with specific refineries in Ireland, China, and South Korea.
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 will be tested it in the Cork area where the first refinery is located.