Above: NTPC’s Vindhyachal power plant (photo: NTPC)

NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA) selected Carbon Clean and EPC contractor Green Power International Pvt Ltd to install the carbon capture plant, which employs Carbon Clean’s CDRMaxTM capture technology.

The CO2, with a purity of over 99%, will eventually be combined with hydrogen to produce 10 tonnes per day of methanol via a catalytic hydrogenation process.

The carbon capture system has been installed at unit 13 of the Vindhyachal power plant, one of seven 500 MWe units at the site, which also hosts six 210 MWe units.

The capture of CO2 from the flue gas of coal-fired power plants, and its conversion to methanol, is said to be a priority area for NTPC and is “expected to create potential new business opportunities and revenue streams for the company.’

Carbon Clean’s CDRMaxTM process, which uses a tertiary amine and can work with flue gases with CO2 concentrations between 3% and 25% by volume, employs Carbon Clean’s proprietary solvent, process equipment design, and advanced heat integration to “significantly reduce both capital and operating costs.”