Germany’s E.On and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan are to test and verify MHI’s carbon capture technology at a pilot project at one of E.On’s coal fired power plants in Germany.
The test plant will use MHI’s proprietary KS-1 solvent to absorb CO2 from flue gases at the plant, starting in early 2010. The project is part of E.On’s long-term plan to develop and commercialize carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for coal fired power plants.
The pilot project will capture up to 100 metric tonnes/day of CO2 and will focus on reducing the amount of energy consumed by the CO2 recovery process. MHI’s technology has been undergoing tests since 2006 at a power plant in Nagasaki, Japan, recovering up to 10 tons of CO2/day.
In Germany, E.On Energie will build a CO2 recovery pilot plant comprising a flue gas cooling tower, a CO2 absorption tower and a CO2 desorption tower. MHI will supply part of the facility equipment as well as the KS-1 solvent.
The project, in which E.On is investing EUR10 million, will conduct tests over a two-year period.
E.On was recently named as one of four companies to successfully pre-qualify as a bidder in the UK’s CCS competition. It has joined forces with five other companies – including MHI – to develop a proposal for the contest to win funding for construction of a commercial-scale demonstration of CCS technology in the UK.
