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ExxonMobil, FuelCell Energy trial MCFCs in carbon capture
NEWS FEATURE
ExxonMobil, FuelCell Energy trial MCFCs in carbon capture Connecticut-based FuelCell Energy has signed an agreement with oil & gas giant Exxon Mobil Corporation in Texas to pursue novel technology in power plant carbon dioxide capture, through a new application of molten carbonate fuel cells. This unique process, which generates power while capturing carbon, could substantially reduce costs, and lead to a more economical pathway towards large-scale global applications.
Carbon capture and Fuel cells can be utilised sequestration is essential to capture carbon Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is a process by which CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere is captured, compressed, and injected into underground geological formations for permanent storage. ExxonMobil is a leader in CCS applications with extensive experience over the last three decades with all of its component technologies, including participation in several CO2 injection projects. ExxonMobil believes that the greatest opportunity for future large-scale deployment of CCS will be in the natural gas power generation sector. The company is therefore partnering with FuelCell Energy to advance new technologies that can substantially improve CCS efficiency, effectiveness, and affordability for large natural gas-fired power plants. Achieving meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require a wide range of solutions, and CCS has the potential to play an important role in managing emissions.
Carbon capture at natural gas power plants ‘Advancing economic and sustainable technologies to capture carbon dioxide from large emitters such as power plants is an important part of ExxonMobil’s suite of research into lower-emissions solutions to mitigate the risk of climate change,’ says Vijay Swarup, Vice President for R&D at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company. ‘Our scientists saw the potential for this exciting technology for use at natural gas power plants, to enhance the viability of carbon capture and sequestration while at the same time generating additional electricity,’ continues Swarup. ‘We sought the industry leaders in carbonate fuel cell technology to test its application in pilot stages, to help confirm what our researchers saw in the lab over the last two years.’ 12
Fuel Cells Bulletin
‘Carbon capture with carbonate fuel cells is a potential game-changer for affordably and efficiently concentrating carbon dioxide for largescale gas and coal-fired power plants,’ says Chip Bottone, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy. ‘Ultra-clean and efficient power generation is a key attribute of fuel cells, and the carbon capture configuration has the added benefit of eliminating approximately 70% of the smogproducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) generated by the combustion process of these large-scale power plants,’ explains Bottone.
Carbon capture with extra power generation ExxonMobil scientists have been pursuing new technology – based on a molten carbonate fuel cell – that could reduce the costs associated with current CCS processes. This innovative approach increases the amount of electricity a power plant produces, while simultaneously delivering significant reductions in CO2 emissions. When natural gas is burned in a gas turbine, the exhaust produced is only about 4% carbon dioxide. Molten carbonate fuel cells can collect that CO2, and concentrate it into a stream that is around 70–80% CO2, while creating more electricity at the same time. Further processing increases the CO2 concentration to over 95%. While this is a promising start, ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy are planning to test and improve the technology to further increase its efficiency and demonstrate it at larger scale. The goal is to minimise emissions while maximising power output.
Lab tests show highly efficient carbon capture Two years of comprehensive laboratory tests have demonstrated that the unique integration of two
existing, proven technologies – molten carbonate fuel cells and natural gas power generation – captures CO2 more efficiently than current, conventional capture technology based on scrubbers. The potential breakthrough comes from an increase in electrical output using the fuel cells, which generate power, compared to a nearly equivalent decrease in electrical output using conventional carbon capture technology. The resulting net benefit could substantially reduce the costs associated with carbon capture for natural gas-fired power generation, compared to the expected costs associated with conventional separation technology. A key component of the next stage of research will be to validate initial projected savings of up to one-third. During the conventional capture process, a chemical – such as an amine – reacts with the CO2, extracting it from the power plant exhaust. Steam is then used to release the CO2 from the chemical – steam that would otherwise be used to move a turbine, thus decreasing the amount of power the turbine can generate.
Increased power output, and producing hydrogen Using fuel cells to capture CO2 from power plants results in a more efficient separation of CO2 from the power plant exhaust, and with an increased output of electricity. Power plant exhaust is directed to the fuel cell, replacing air that is normally used in combination with natural gas during the fuel cell power generation process. As the fuel cell generates power, the CO2 becomes more concentrated, allowing it to be more easily and affordably captured from the fuel cell’s exhaust and stored. ExxonMobil’s research indicates that a typical 500 MW power plant using a carbonate fuel cell may be able to generate up to an additional 120 MW of power, while current CCS technology consumes about 50 MW of power. The research at ExxonMobil indicates that by applying this technology, more than 90% of a natural gas power plant’s CO2 emissions could be captured. Natural gas is already the least carbon-intensive of the major energy sources. In addition, carbonate fuel cell technology has the potential to generate significant volumes of hydrogen. Simulations suggest that
May 2016
NEWS FEATURE
Two-phase focus for pilot demonstration ExxonMobil has been assessing a number of carbon capture technologies for many years, and believes that carbonate fuel-cell technology offers great potential. The technology’s capability has been demonstrated in the laboratory, and data from those simulations are currently under analysis. Further development will involve a more detailed examination of each component of the system, and optimisation of the system as a whole. The scope of the agreement between ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy will initially focus for one to two years on better understanding the fundamental science behind carbonate fuel cells. The partners will also investigate how to increase efficiency in separating and concentrating CO2 from the exhaust of natural gas-fueled power turbines. Depending on reaching several milestones, the second phase will test the technology more comprehensively for another one to two years in a small-scale pilot project. This will be followed by integration at a larger-scale pilot facility, which is currently being evaluated.
ExxonMobil has longterm experience in CCS
How ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy will use molten carbonate fuel cells to capture carbon from natural gas-fired power plants, for storage underground.
the new technology can produce up to 150 million cubic feet (4.25 million m3) per day of hydrogen while capturing CO2 from a 500 MW power plant. To put this in perspective, a world-scale, conventional steam methane reforming (SMR) hydrogen plant produces around 125 million cubic feet (3.5 million m3) per day. In addition, synthesis gas (syngas), comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO), can be produced that can be upgraded to other useful products such as methanol, olefins, or higher molecular weight hydrocarbons for use in transportation fuels or lubricants.
May 2016
Oil & gas multinational ExxonMobil – the world’s 8th-largest company by revenue – is a leader in carbon capture and sequestration, and has extensive experience in all of the component technologies of carbon capture and storage, including participation in several CO2 injection projects over the last three decades. In 2015, the company captured 6.9 million metric tonnes of CO2 for sequestration – the equivalent of eliminating the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 1 million passenger vehicles. ‘We are continually researching technologies that have an ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,’ says Vijay Swarup. ‘Most solutions that can make an impact of the scale that is required are not found overnight. Our research with FuelCell Energy will be conducted methodically to ensure that all paths toward viability are explored.’
FuelCell Energy busy in carbon capture projects FuelCell Energy is a global leader in providing ultra-clean baseload distributed generation to utilities, industrial operations, universities, municipal water treatment facilities, government installations, and other customers around the world. The company’s Direct
FuelCell® power plants can be operated on a variety of fuels, including renewable biogas from wastewater treatment and food processing, as well as clean natural gas. Last autumn FuelCell Energy was selected to negotiate a US$23.7 million cost-share carbon capture project with the support of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, with DOE providing $15 million of the total funding.[1] The Small Pilot-Scale Post-Combustion Capture project, sponsored by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), will install and operate a 2 MW Direct FuelCell system configured for carbon capture in addition to power generation. In this NETL project, FuelCell Energy will design, fabricate, and test a small pilot-scale system that incorporates its combined electric power and CO2 separation (CEPACS) system, based on electrochemical membrane (ECM) technology.[2] The modified DFC3000® MCFC system will be installed next to an existing coalfired power plant, to capture CO2 from its exhaust. The initial installation represents the first of an expected two-phase project at the selected site. The second phase would be to install 11 additional fuel cell power plants to capture approximately 635 tonnes per day of CO2, while generating about 27 MW of clean power. And earlier this year FuelCell Energy announced a contract with Canadian oil sands company Cenovus Energy, to complete preliminary design and engineering for siting a molten carbonate fuel cell system to capture CO2 from flue gas.[3] The system is focused on separating 75% of the CO2 from the flue gas from an existing 14 MW natural gas-fired turbine cogeneration facility at the University of Calgary in Alberta. The project aims to quantify the benefits of the fuel cell carbon capture solution for separating CO2 from the flue gas of boilers used to make steam in oil sands production, an industry that is concentrated in Alberta.
References 1. FuelCell Energy in $23.7m DOE scalable carbon capture project, Fuel Cells Bulletin (October 2015) 2015(10) 7. 2. FuelCell Energy using MCFCs in largescale carbon reduction role, Fuel Cells Bulletin (April 2015) 2015(4) 8. 3. FuelCell Energy in Canada carbon capture study with Cenovus, Fuel Cells Bulletin (March 2016) 2016(3) 6.
More information FuelCell Energy, 3 Great Pasture Road, Danbury, CT 06813, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fuelcellenergy.com ExxonMobil: www.exxonmobil.com
Fuel Cells Bulletin
13
ExxonMobil, FuelCell Energy trial MCFCs in carbon capture Connecticut-based FuelCell Energy has signed an agreement with oil & gas giant Exxon Mobil Corporation in Texas to pursue novel technology in power plant carbon dioxide capture, through a new application of molten carbonate fuel cells. This unique process, which generates power while capturing carbon, could substantially reduce costs, and lead to a more economical pathway towards large-scale global applications.
Carbon capture and Fuel cells can be utilised sequestration is essential to capture carbon Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is a process by which CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere is captured, compressed, and injected into underground geological formations for permanent storage. ExxonMobil is a leader in CCS applications with extensive experience over the last three decades with all of its component technologies, including participation in several CO2 injection projects. ExxonMobil believes that the greatest opportunity for future large-scale deployment of CCS will be in the natural gas power generation sector. The company is therefore partnering with FuelCell Energy to advance new technologies that can substantially improve CCS efficiency, effectiveness, and affordability for large natural gas-fired power plants. Achieving meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require a wide range of solutions, and CCS has the potential to play an important role in managing emissions.
Carbon capture at natural gas power plants ‘Advancing economic and sustainable technologies to capture carbon dioxide from large emitters such as power plants is an important part of ExxonMobil’s suite of research into lower-emissions solutions to mitigate the risk of climate change,’ says Vijay Swarup, Vice President for R&D at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company. ‘Our scientists saw the potential for this exciting technology for use at natural gas power plants, to enhance the viability of carbon capture and sequestration while at the same time generating additional electricity,’ continues Swarup. ‘We sought the industry leaders in carbonate fuel cell technology to test its application in pilot stages, to help confirm what our researchers saw in the lab over the last two years.’ 12
Fuel Cells Bulletin
‘Carbon capture with carbonate fuel cells is a potential game-changer for affordably and efficiently concentrating carbon dioxide for largescale gas and coal-fired power plants,’ says Chip Bottone, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy. ‘Ultra-clean and efficient power generation is a key attribute of fuel cells, and the carbon capture configuration has the added benefit of eliminating approximately 70% of the smogproducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) generated by the combustion process of these large-scale power plants,’ explains Bottone.
Carbon capture with extra power generation ExxonMobil scientists have been pursuing new technology – based on a molten carbonate fuel cell – that could reduce the costs associated with current CCS processes. This innovative approach increases the amount of electricity a power plant produces, while simultaneously delivering significant reductions in CO2 emissions. When natural gas is burned in a gas turbine, the exhaust produced is only about 4% carbon dioxide. Molten carbonate fuel cells can collect that CO2, and concentrate it into a stream that is around 70–80% CO2, while creating more electricity at the same time. Further processing increases the CO2 concentration to over 95%. While this is a promising start, ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy are planning to test and improve the technology to further increase its efficiency and demonstrate it at larger scale. The goal is to minimise emissions while maximising power output.
Lab tests show highly efficient carbon capture Two years of comprehensive laboratory tests have demonstrated that the unique integration of two
existing, proven technologies – molten carbonate fuel cells and natural gas power generation – captures CO2 more efficiently than current, conventional capture technology based on scrubbers. The potential breakthrough comes from an increase in electrical output using the fuel cells, which generate power, compared to a nearly equivalent decrease in electrical output using conventional carbon capture technology. The resulting net benefit could substantially reduce the costs associated with carbon capture for natural gas-fired power generation, compared to the expected costs associated with conventional separation technology. A key component of the next stage of research will be to validate initial projected savings of up to one-third. During the conventional capture process, a chemical – such as an amine – reacts with the CO2, extracting it from the power plant exhaust. Steam is then used to release the CO2 from the chemical – steam that would otherwise be used to move a turbine, thus decreasing the amount of power the turbine can generate.
Increased power output, and producing hydrogen Using fuel cells to capture CO2 from power plants results in a more efficient separation of CO2 from the power plant exhaust, and with an increased output of electricity. Power plant exhaust is directed to the fuel cell, replacing air that is normally used in combination with natural gas during the fuel cell power generation process. As the fuel cell generates power, the CO2 becomes more concentrated, allowing it to be more easily and affordably captured from the fuel cell’s exhaust and stored. ExxonMobil’s research indicates that a typical 500 MW power plant using a carbonate fuel cell may be able to generate up to an additional 120 MW of power, while current CCS technology consumes about 50 MW of power. The research at ExxonMobil indicates that by applying this technology, more than 90% of a natural gas power plant’s CO2 emissions could be captured. Natural gas is already the least carbon-intensive of the major energy sources. In addition, carbonate fuel cell technology has the potential to generate significant volumes of hydrogen. Simulations suggest that
May 2016
NEWS FEATURE
Two-phase focus for pilot demonstration ExxonMobil has been assessing a number of carbon capture technologies for many years, and believes that carbonate fuel-cell technology offers great potential. The technology’s capability has been demonstrated in the laboratory, and data from those simulations are currently under analysis. Further development will involve a more detailed examination of each component of the system, and optimisation of the system as a whole. The scope of the agreement between ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy will initially focus for one to two years on better understanding the fundamental science behind carbonate fuel cells. The partners will also investigate how to increase efficiency in separating and concentrating CO2 from the exhaust of natural gas-fueled power turbines. Depending on reaching several milestones, the second phase will test the technology more comprehensively for another one to two years in a small-scale pilot project. This will be followed by integration at a larger-scale pilot facility, which is currently being evaluated.
ExxonMobil has longterm experience in CCS
How ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy will use molten carbonate fuel cells to capture carbon from natural gas-fired power plants, for storage underground.
the new technology can produce up to 150 million cubic feet (4.25 million m3) per day of hydrogen while capturing CO2 from a 500 MW power plant. To put this in perspective, a world-scale, conventional steam methane reforming (SMR) hydrogen plant produces around 125 million cubic feet (3.5 million m3) per day. In addition, synthesis gas (syngas), comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO), can be produced that can be upgraded to other useful products such as methanol, olefins, or higher molecular weight hydrocarbons for use in transportation fuels or lubricants.
May 2016
Oil & gas multinational ExxonMobil – the world’s 8th-largest company by revenue – is a leader in carbon capture and sequestration, and has extensive experience in all of the component technologies of carbon capture and storage, including participation in several CO2 injection projects over the last three decades. In 2015, the company captured 6.9 million metric tonnes of CO2 for sequestration – the equivalent of eliminating the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 1 million passenger vehicles. ‘We are continually researching technologies that have an ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,’ says Vijay Swarup. ‘Most solutions that can make an impact of the scale that is required are not found overnight. Our research with FuelCell Energy will be conducted methodically to ensure that all paths toward viability are explored.’
FuelCell Energy busy in carbon capture projects FuelCell Energy is a global leader in providing ultra-clean baseload distributed generation to utilities, industrial operations, universities, municipal water treatment facilities, government installations, and other customers around the world. The company’s Direct
FuelCell® power plants can be operated on a variety of fuels, including renewable biogas from wastewater treatment and food processing, as well as clean natural gas. Last autumn FuelCell Energy was selected to negotiate a US$23.7 million cost-share carbon capture project with the support of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, with DOE providing $15 million of the total funding.[1] The Small Pilot-Scale Post-Combustion Capture project, sponsored by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), will install and operate a 2 MW Direct FuelCell system configured for carbon capture in addition to power generation. In this NETL project, FuelCell Energy will design, fabricate, and test a small pilot-scale system that incorporates its combined electric power and CO2 separation (CEPACS) system, based on electrochemical membrane (ECM) technology.[2] The modified DFC3000® MCFC system will be installed next to an existing coalfired power plant, to capture CO2 from its exhaust. The initial installation represents the first of an expected two-phase project at the selected site. The second phase would be to install 11 additional fuel cell power plants to capture approximately 635 tonnes per day of CO2, while generating about 27 MW of clean power. And earlier this year FuelCell Energy announced a contract with Canadian oil sands company Cenovus Energy, to complete preliminary design and engineering for siting a molten carbonate fuel cell system to capture CO2 from flue gas.[3] The system is focused on separating 75% of the CO2 from the flue gas from an existing 14 MW natural gas-fired turbine cogeneration facility at the University of Calgary in Alberta. The project aims to quantify the benefits of the fuel cell carbon capture solution for separating CO2 from the flue gas of boilers used to make steam in oil sands production, an industry that is concentrated in Alberta.
References 1. FuelCell Energy in $23.7m DOE scalable carbon capture project, Fuel Cells Bulletin (October 2015) 2015(10) 7. 2. FuelCell Energy using MCFCs in largescale carbon reduction role, Fuel Cells Bulletin (April 2015) 2015(4) 8. 3. FuelCell Energy in Canada carbon capture study with Cenovus, Fuel Cells Bulletin (March 2016) 2016(3) 6.
More information FuelCell Energy, 3 Great Pasture Road, Danbury, CT 06813, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fuelcellenergy.com ExxonMobil: www.exxonmobil.com
Fuel Cells Bulletin
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