The Impacts of CO2 Capture Technologies in Power Generation
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Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation The impacts of CO 2 capture technologies in power generation and industry on greenhouse gases emissions and air pollutants in the Netherlands Date 8 July 2009 Author(s) Arjan van Horssen (TNO) Takeshi Kuramochi (UU) Magdalena Jozwicka (TNO) Joris Koornneef (UU) Toon van Harmelen (TNO) Andrea Ramírez Ramírez (UU) Project coordinator Erik Lysen (UCE) Keywords Capture CO 2 Greenhouse gas Transboundary air pollution Customer Ministry of VROM Milieu- en Natuur Planbureau Reference number BOLK Number of pages 164 (incl. appendices) Number of appendices 8 BOLK report on CO 2 capture technologies in the Netherlands Preface This study has been performed for the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency / Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (contact: Pieter Hammingh) within Dutch programme entitled Policy Research Programme on Air and Climate / Beleidgericht Onderzoeksprogramma Lucht en Klimaat (BOLK) for the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment and Environment / Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer (VROM, contact: Jan Wijmenga). The report presents the final results of a second research phase of one out of four projects conducted within the framework. The first phase report ‘The impacts of CO 2 capture technologies on transboundary air pollution in the Netherlands’ by Toon van Harmelen (TNO), Joris Koornneef (UU), Arjan van Horssen (TNO), Andrea Ramírez Ramírez (UU) and René van Gijlswijk (TNO) was published in May 2008. 3 / 164 BOLK report on CO 2 capture technologies in the Netherlands 4 / 164 BOLK report on CO 2 capture technologies in the Netherlands Executive summary Main conclusions − Changes in the level of NEC emissions (National Emission Ceiling Directive, being SO 2, NO x, Particulate Matter, NMVOC and NH 3) are not a bottleneck for CCS implementation. Even for those substances that could increase significantly at the plant level as a consequence of CO 2 capture (e.g. NH 3), mitigation measures can be applied using current available technology without significantly changing the economic feasibility of the options. − At the national level, PM 10 , SO 2 and NO x are the most relevant substances that may be affected by the large scale deployment of CCS. The level of SO 2 emission will most likely decrease (compared to coal fired plants without CCS) while changes in the emission of NO x strongly depend on the capture and conversion technology applied and on any additionally installed NO x mitigation measure. − At the moment, there is no clear winning capture technology; Different types of carbon capture technologies have different development phases and pro’s and con’s (economically, CO 2 avoidance costs, fuel use, emissions, waste). − The effect of CO 2 capture on NEC emissions from the Dutch industrial sector in 2020 is largely dependent on the CO 2 capture technology applied at the Corus IJmuiden iron and steel plant. There is a large uncertainty on NO x emissions. SO 2 emissions will most likely decrease and NH 3 and particulate matter emissions will likely be unaffected. Introduction The European Union has committed itself to reducing its GHG emissions by 20% by 2020. In January 2009, the European Parliament called on the EU and other industrialised countries to reduce GHG emissions by between 25% and 40% by 2020 with a reduction of at least 80% to be achieved by 2050 (all compared to 1990 levels). Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technological concept to reduce the atmospheric emissions of CO 2 that result from various industrial processes, in particular from the combustion of fossil fuels (mainly coal and natural gas) in power generation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regards CCS as “an option in the portfolio of mitigation actions” to combat climate change (IPCC, 2005). Furthermore, the IPCC states in its Special Report on CCS that confidence is required on the environmental performance of full scale capture facilities. One of the key environmental stressors caused by the industry and energy sector that may be affected by deployment of CO 2 capture units is the emission of atmospheric pollutants. The inclusion of GHG mitigation options in general and of CCS in particular, could have large impacts on transboundary air pollution 1 by a change in (fossil) fuel supply and demand and by the emissions from CCS itself. Therefore, the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) requires more detailed information on the synergy and/or trade-offs of CCS as well as of other technologies which could be used together with CCS for GHG mitigation and transboundary air pollution (AP) policies. This request has translated into the CCS research being done as part of the BOLK project. 1 sulphur dioxide (SO 2), nitrogen oxides (NO x), ammonia (NH 3), particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compound (VOC). 5 / 164 BOLK report on CO 2 capture technologies in the Netherlands CCS is one of four projects addressed in the BOLK research. In phase I an inventory of the impacts of different CO 2 capture technologies in the power sector on transboundary air pollution in the Netherlands in 2020 were assessed. Other possible environmental impacts such as toxic emissions and safety were also considered. Recommendations for further research were provided in order to address the current knowledge gaps found on this subject. Phase 2 focuses on the knowledge gaps identified in the first phase of BOLK. What has been done? The general aim of the second phase of the project was to generate a more detailed analysis of the effects of different CO 2 capture technologies on transboundary air pollution in the Netherlands in 2020 and 2050. To reach this aim the following activities have been carried out: − Update existing information on the performance of CO 2 capture technologies, developments in solvents, biomass and CCS and effects on NEC emission factors. Also, the possibilities for deploying CO 2 capture technologies in the Dutch industry were examined. This was done by reviewing international and national literature and also by interviewing international and national CCS and biomass experts. − Characterization, harmonisation and evaluation of technologies. Parameter standardisation was performed with respect to year, type of plant, costs (OPEX, CAPEX, O&M), interest rates, lifetime, reference technologies, fuel quality (sulphur content) and fuel prices, and CO 2 compression pressure. The standardization of parameters was performed using parameter values representing the Dutch situation. − Assessment of the effect of implementing CO 2 capture technologies in the Dutch power sector on the emission levels of NEC substances in 2020 and 2050 and in the Dutch industry in 2020. Assessment of effects and costs of additional mitigation measures for NEC emissions. Effects on air pollutants of CO 2 capture technologies in the power sector The effects on air pollutant emissions of three types of CO 2 capture technologies have been investigated, viz. post combustion, pre combustion and oxyfuel combustion. All three CO 2 capture technologies are likely to be ready for large(r) scale demonstration before 2020. For all coal firing conversion technologies, the application of CO 2 capture results in a decrease of SO 2 emissions per kWh. Standardisation of the sulphur content of the coal resulted in even lower SO 2 emissions from coal fired power plants with CO 2 capture than indicated in phase 1. It was found that the implementation of all capture technologies will result in very low SO 2 emissions, below the BAT level for power plants. Standardisation of parameters to assess changes on NO x emissions was not possible due to lack of supporting information in the relevant literature and the amount of factors affecting the end-of-pipe NO x emission level. Data, as taken from the literature, point out that for facilities equipped with pre- and post combustion capture NO x emissions seem to increase per kWh almost proportionally with the increase in primary energy demand due to the energy penalty induced by CO 2 capture. In general, NO x emissions from oxyfuel concepts are expected to be very low, particularly for gas fired concepts. 6 / 164 BOLK report on CO 2 capture technologies in the Netherlands In this study we have added data sources on NH 3 emissions from power plants with post combustion capture resulting in wider range of emission estimates. NH 3 emissions are estimated to significantly increase up to a factor 45 (average 14) compared to coal- fired power plants without capture. NH 3 emissions are also expected to increase at gas fired plants with CCS, although lower rates are expected compared to coal fired plants with CCS. NH 3 emissions are caused by the slip of ammonia (in the case of the chilled ammonia concept) or by the degradation of an amine based solvent that may be used in post-combustion capture. However, NH 3 emissions can be mitigated by implementing additional equipment or by solvent selection. All in all, the uncertainty regarding the estimates is considered to be high but their effect in the national NEC levels is estimated to be low. The emission of particulate matter (PM) from natural gas fired cycles can be considered negligible. For coal fired power plants equipped with post-combustion capture, PM emissions are expected to decrease per MJ primary energy. On a kWh basis, however, PM emissions may also slightly increase due the efficiency penalty. For coal fired oxyfuel concepts PM emissions are estimated in literature to be lower per kWh, compared to conventional pulverized coal fired power plants. The already low PM emissions for IGCC power plants are not expected to be significantly affected due to the application of pre-combustion capture and thus will result in an increase per kWh due to the efficiency penalty. CO 2 capture may lower PM 2.5 emissions from an IGCC, quantitative estimates are however not available.