Assessment of Novel Technologies for CO2 Capture Separation

摘要

Subsequent to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, developed nations have been looking at ways to minimise growth in greenhouse gas emissions. Large scale capture and separation of carbon dioxide at source and its permanent sequestration, while currently not attractive because of the costs and limitations of current technologies, nonetheless represents one of the few pathways by which very significant reductions from point sources might be achieved from the existing industrial infrastructure. As a result, a number of novel technological solutions have been put forward in the public domain for direct capture and separation of carbon dioxide from industrial flue gas streams. This paper summarises these novel options and compares them with the currently available commercial technologies for CO_2 capture and separation for their technical and cost advantages/limitations. The study shows that some of these novel technologies have potential to reduce the cost of CO_2 capture and separation from oil and gas processing operations further from their current levels. Similarly, when applied to the power plant flue gas streams, they are effective to the point where recovered CO_2 could be sold for enhanced oil recovery at US $10-15 per tonne. However, for the purpose of substantial greenhouse mitigation, these technologies have a long way to go.