INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

NITROGEN & SYNGAS

28 FEB 3 MARCH 2010
The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain

Current Status of MHIs CO2 Recovery Technology and Road Map to

Commercialization for Coal Fired Power Plant Application

Naoya Okuzumi and Ronald Mitchell

Environmental & Chemical Plant Division, Plant and Transportation Systems Engineering & Construction Center,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., 3-3-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-8401, Japan

Abstract
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Kansai Electric Power Co. KEPCO, 2nd largest utility company in
Japan, initiated collaboration in 1990 in response to concerns relating to Global Warming. This industrial alliance
has led to the development of proprietary technology aimed at reducing atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide
(CO2 1) from the combustion of fossil fuels, through the mergence of specific expertise and capital. MHI and
KEPCO have developed, and continue to develop, highly advanced PCC 2 solvents, processes and special equipment
to further refine and enhance certain process features and to reduce the energy penalty associated with CO2 capture.
MHI is a world leader in the field of PCC technology which stems from almost 20 years of RD&D 3. In addition
MHI also has also been awarded an increasing number of commercial CO2 capture plants and we currently have in
excess of 20 years of cumulative commercial operating experience.
MHI currently has six (6) commercially operating PCC plants in the chemical and fertiliser industry, up to 450 T/D 4.
This experience includes CO2 capture from a natural gas and heavy oil fired boiler and natural gas steam reformers.
MHI has also recently been awarded an additional three (3) commercial projects, currently under construction and
expected on stream within the next few years.
The paper introduces the recent status of process technology and the history of the technology improvements that
will enhance the performance especially those applied for large scale CO2 capture from coal fired boilers, advanced
concept relating to heat and process integration starting from power generation system, air quality control system
and CO2 compression for the delivery of advanced power generation and environmental equipment.
Keywords; MHI, global warming, carbon dioxide, fossil fuels,
integration

CO2

capture plants, coal fired boilers, process

1. Introduction
The stationary energy sector is the largest net contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, with most emissions
attributed to coal-fired power stations. These emissions can be reduced by deploying CCS 5 technology into new

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

coal-fired power stations and retrofitting to existing facilities. Widespread deployment of CCS may also
allow nations around the world to continue using important domestic fossil fuels such as coal in an economic and
environmentally sustainable way.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, in collaboration with Kansai Electric Power Company, has developed an advanced flue
gas CO2 recovery technology capable of significantly reducing emissions from industrial power plants, the result
from almost 20 years of RD&D.
MHI has now commercialized the proprietary Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery, or KMCDR, Process,
which requires significantly lower energy to capture CO2. MHI has been awarded an increasing number of
commercial CO2 capture plant contracts and currently has in excess of 20 years of cumulative commercial operating
experience. MHIs first commercial CO2 capture plant, using the KMCDR process, commenced operation in
Malaysia in 1999. Since delivery of the Malaysian plant, MHI has constructed many CO2 capture plants worldwide,
notably in Japan, Asia and the Middle East.
With regards to coal fired flue gas CO2 capture MHI, in collaboration with a Japanese electric utility, conducted a
demonstration project to capture CO2 from flue gas at a coal fired power plant. The project provided much know
how, in relation to coal fired flue gas, following successful long term operation. MHI has also formed a partnership
with Southern Company, one of the largest US electric utilities, to build a 500 T/D CO2 capture demonstration plant,
with operation commencing in 2011. This strategically important project aims to develop commercial CO2 recovery
technology for coal fired electric power companies, along with the long term storage of CO2 in a saline aquifer deep
underground.
MHI has extensive power systems, environmental plant and CO2 compression plant experience, including the supply
of more than 200 commercial Flue Gas Desulphurization (or FGD) units. Unparalleled know how generated from
our commercial FGD experience has aided in the design of commercial flue gas CO2 capture plants for natural gas
applications. MHI has completed the basic engineering for large scale CO2 capture from natural gas fired power
generation facilities and following large scale demonstration of the KMCDR Process will be ready to provide
commercial CO2 recovery plants for the coal fired electric utility sector.
Additionally MHI has also developed advanced process and heat integration schemes to further reduce the energy
penalty of the CO2 capture process when integrated with a power plant. These strategies will continue to improve
the economics of CCS as a viable technology to address global CO2 emissions.
Through an increasing number of worldwide CCS projects and the development of reliable, economical new
technologies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries continues to provide significant contributions to aid in mitigating global
warming and thus helping to ensure the sustainable future of our planet.

2. Commercial CO2 capture plants

The experience gained from the deployment of several commercial plants has been invaluable in strengthening the
knowledge of CO2 capture at a range of sites throughout the world.
Six major MHI CO2 capture plants are currently under operation (Fig 2.1) in the chemical and fertilizer industry
with another three under construction (Table 2.1).

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PCC Post Combustion Capture
3
RD&D Research, Development and Demonstration
4
T/D Metric Tons Per Day
5
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage
1
2

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

200 T/D Malaysia

1999

330 T/D Japan

2005

CO2 Recovery (CDR) Plant IFFCO Aonla Unit (India)

CO2 Recovery (CDR) Plant IFFCO Phulpur Unit (India)

450 T/D India

2006

450 tpd India

2006

450 T/D India

2009

450 T/D Bahrain

2009

Figure 2.1 MHIs commercial CO2 capture plants under operation

Table 2.1 MHIs commercial CO2 capture plants under construction
Other projects

Abu Dhabi

Pakistan

Vietnam

Project Status

Commissioning

Under
Construction

Under Construction

Nat. Gas Boiler & Nat. Gas

Reformer

Nat. Gas.
Reformer

Nat. Gas. Reformer

Expected on Stream

2009

2010

2010

CO2 Capture capacity

450

340

240

Flue Gas source

(T/D)

3. Application of an advanced solvent - KS-1

The most common type of amine solvent used in the commercial market place is mono-ethanol-amine (MEA). The
main concerns with MEA and other amine solvents are high levels of corrosion and degradation in the presence of
O2 and other impurities, excessive solvent degradation rates following reaction with SOx and NOx and the large
energy consumption requirements needed for regeneration. These factors contribute to the use of large equipment,
high solvent consumption and large energy losses leading to increased operating costs.
During a comprehensive RD&D phase, MHI tested more than 200 different solvents with the most efficient of these
critically examined in the final stage of pilot plant testing. This led to the development and commercialization of the
proprietary KS-1 solvent. In parallel with the development of the solvent, the process itself has also been optimized,
leading to superior, demonstrated performance of CO2 recovery from the flue gases of fossil fuel combustion
processes.
The development of KS-1 is seen as a breakthrough because of the significant number of advantages it offers. KS1 has an exceptionally low corrosive nature and, unlike MEA, does not require a corrosion inhibitor. This factor
means carbon steel can be used for the majority of construction within the CO2 capture plant. Furthermore, the
process operates at atmospheric pressure (ensuring a safe work environment), has few exotic materials and a simple
configuration.

6
7
8
9

IPCC - Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

IEA - International Energy Agency
J-POWER - Electric Power Development Co., Ltd
RITE - Research Institute of Innovative Technology for Earth

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

Additionally KS-1 offers superior CO2 absorption and regeneration, lower degradation and a reduced circulation
rate when compared to other amine based systems. All of these features lead to decreased operating costs.
Importantly, KS-1 together with the patented improved CO2 recovery process which utilizes the heat of the lean
KS-1 solvent leads to a 30% reduction in steam consumption over the conventional MEA process.

4. The MHI post combustion CO2 capture process

MHI has concentrated its extensive research and development programs on the use of advanced sterically hindered
amines and the post combustion, chemical absorption process in particular. MHIs post combustion technology
process consists of three main sections: the flue gas cooler, the absorber (for CO2 recovery) and the stripper (for
solvent regeneration). A process flow figure of the MHI CO2 recovery process is represented in Fig 4.1
The main function of the Flue Gas Cooler (Quencher) is to cool the flue gas prior to entering the CO2 absorber.
The lower flue gas temperature increases the efficiency of the exothermic CO2 absorption reaction and minimizes
KS-1 solvent loss due to gas phase equilibrium increases.
The CO2 Absorber has two main sections, the CO2 absorption section (bottom section), and the treated flue gas
washing section (top section). The conditioned flue gas from the FGWC flows upward through structured, stainless
steel packing material while the CO2 lean KS-1 solvent is distributed evenly from the top of the absorption section
onto the packing material. The flue gas comes into direct contact with the KS-1 solvent and CO2 in the flue gas is
absorbed. The CO2 rich KS-1 solvent (rich solvent) is pumped to the CO2 Regeneration unit for steam stripping.
The clean flue gas then moves up into the treated flue gas washing section of the absorber. This section is where the
flue gas is again cooled to maintain water balance within the system and the clean flue gas then exits the top section
of the CO2 Absorber. The rich solvent is pre-heated in a heat exchanger using heat from the hot lean solvent coming
from the bottom of the CO2 Stripper.
The heated rich solvent is then introduced into the upper section of the CO2 Stripper (Regenerator), where it will
come into contact with low pressure stripping steam of around. The rich solvent is then stripped of its CO2 content
and is converted back into lean solvent. The high purity CO2 (>99.9%) exits the top of the stripper vessel and is
compressed and dehydrated, prior to transportation. Once stripped, the now lean solvent is cooled and reintroduced
to the top of the absorption section of the CO2 Absorber unit.

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PCC Post Combustion Capture
3
RD&D Research, Development and Demonstration
4
T/D Metric Tons Per Day
5
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage
1
2

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

Flue Gas
Outlet

CO2 Purity 99.9 %

ABSORBER
STRIPPER
(Regenerator)

C.W.

Cooling Tower
Deep FGD
C.W.

Flue Gas

Pre-treated Flue gas

C.W.
Steam

Reboiler

Figure 4.1. Process flow of MHI CO2 recovery process showing major vessel components.

5. CO2 capture from a coal fired boiler

As highlighted by many of the worlds climate and energy experts, including the IPCC 6 and IEA 7, there is an
urgent need to address CO2 emissions from coal fired power plants. Coal fired power generation is expected to form
the dominant part of the fuel energy mix for the foreseeable future (Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1. 2009 IEA energy outlook showing the expected dominance of coal for energy production by 2030.
In response, MHI constructed a CO2 capture pilot plant in 2002, with a capacity of 1 T/D, capturing CO2 from coalfired flue gas at the Hiroshima RD&D Center. MHI subsequently built a larger pilot plant at 10 T/D scale capturing
CO2 via a slip stream from the 1000MW (2 x 500MW units), J-POWER 8 coal fired power station in Matsushima,
Japan, with grant funding (50% of project costs) from RITE 9 and cooperation from J-POWER.
Long term operation of this plant has enabled MHI to observe the influences of coal fired flue gas impurities and
develop countermeasures for these items. It is only through actual in-situ demonstration testing that some of these
influences were identified and subsequently resolved through the deployment of specific countermeasures. MHI has
completed nearly 6,000 hours of near-continuous operation of this facility and has gained significant know how with
regards to the impact of specific impurities and the countermeasures necessary to abate these impacts.
5.1 Outline of the coal fired CO2 capture demonstration plant
Table 5.1-1, Figure 5.1-1 and Figure 5.1-3 show the plant specifications, a flow diagram and a photograph of the
demonstration plant.
5

6
7
8
9

IPCC - Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

IEA - International Energy Agency
J-POWER - Electric Power Development Co., Ltd
RITE - Research Institute of Innovative Technology for Earth

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

Table

5.1-1

Specifications

of

CO2

recovery Demonstration Plant

Figure 5.1-2 Flow Diagram of CO2 Recovery Demonstration Plant

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PCC Post Combustion Capture
3
RD&D Research, Development and Demonstration
4
T/D Metric Tons Per Day
5
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage
1
2

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

Figure 5.1-3 Matsushima Demonstration Plant Photograph

5.2
a.

Demonstration test results

CO2 recovery efficiency and recovered CO2 quantity

Following nearly 6,000 hours of demonstration operation, both CO2 recovery efficiency and recovered CO2
quantities indicated equivalent or higher performance than our baseline prediction.
b.

Heat consumption required for CO2 recovery

Performance of heat consumption required for CO2 recovery: 730 to 820kcal/kg- CO2, which exceeded our original
baseline forecast. If MHIs Improved process is applied, the heat consumption is expected to decrease by
approximately an additional 15% to 630~700kcal/kg CO2, which is better performance than that recorded for natural
gas fired flue gas due to the high CO2 concentration in coal fired flue gas.
c.

Purity of recovered CO2

The results for CO2 product purity shows that the KMCDR process can achieve a CO2 product purity of >99.9%,
similar to our results for a natural gas-fired boiler.
d.

Identifying the influence of dust

With a filter added to remove dust from the solvent, the dust concentration in the solvent does not increase thus the
dust concentration of approximately 10mg/kg can be maintained. Our examination of the dust concentration in the
solvent, and the foaming tendency of the solvent, indicated no interrelation with either the absorber pressure loss or
the regenerator pressure loss. A dust concentration of 10mg/kg, or lower accumulated in the solvent, does not cause
flooding.
e.

Identifying the influence of SOx

The flue gas cooler provided with a desulfurization by caustic soda, removed 98% or more of the SO2 entering the
7

6
7
8
9

IPCC - Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

IEA - International Energy Agency
J-POWER - Electric Power Development Co., Ltd
RITE - Research Institute of Innovative Technology for Earth

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

system. This resulted in a SO2 concentration at the CO2 absorber inlet of less than 0.1 ppm as per our expectation.
Almost all the SO2 at the outlet of the flue gas cooler was absorbed by the solvent and generated HSS*8.
f.

Identifying solvent loss

The solvent loss recorded was close to our expectation. In this test, we assessed the solvent loss quantitatively from
the flue gas of the coal-fired boiler. We will apply the test results to actual projects.
6. Next steps and road map to commercialization for coal fired boilers
MHI has already gained considerable commercial experience in CO2 capture from natural gas-fired boilers.
Combined with extensive experiences from large scale commercial FGD deployment and the flow dynamic data
obtained from our large scale multi pollutant test plant, MHI is ready to provide large scale, single train commercial
CCS plants for natural gas fired installations, and intends to leverage this experience to commercialise CO2 capture,
from coal fired flue gas streams, through deployment of a large scale demonstration project in the US.
6.1 Large scale demonstration project
MHI together with southern Company plan to demonstrative the KMCDR process together with CCS at 25MW
scale (500 T/D) at Plant Barry in Alabama, US with plant start up in 2011.
Below are the key objectives of the project;

Industrial scale demonstration of integrated capture and compression

Focus on key engineering and operational issues for scale up

Build on MHI experience in gas processing

Through SECARB Phase III, validate southeastern saline geology for sequestration

Develop and validate subsurface models for predicting CO2 behavior

Ensure protection of Under Sources of Drinking Waters and permanence of storage

Engage local and regional stakeholders to ensure a seamless commercialization process

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PCC Post Combustion Capture
3
RD&D Research, Development and Demonstration
4
T/D Metric Tons Per Day
5
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage
1
2

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

Plant Barry Power Station, Alabama

Figure 6.1-1 3D Model diagram of the MHI 500 T/D CO2 capture plant proposed for demonstration at Plant Barry in
the US.
Following successful demonstration operation of the 500 T/D Southern Company demonstration plant, MHI expects
to apply significant know how and experience to the engineering design of commercial scale CO2 capture plants for
coal fired boilers as evidenced in Fig 6.1-2 below.
Year

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

MHI Pilot Test (1 t/d)

Know how from demo applied to future

commercial project
MHI Small Scale Demo (10 t/d)
Southern Company & MHI Large Scale demo plant (500 t/d)

2 Operation phases completed

Commissioning

Commercial CCS Plant US/EU (>3000 t/d)

Commissioning

FEED

Project
Organization

Construction

Operation

Figure 6.1-2. MHIs schedule for large scale coal fired demonstration and commercial CO2 capture plant
MHIs has developed a technically robust road map to commercialization of CO2 capture technology for coal fired
boilers which adopts a scale up approach in terms of our experience with coal fired flue gas. As defined in Fig 6.1-3
MHI is aiming to offer commercial scale CO2 capture plants for coal application as early as 2015, following the
successful deployment of a large scale demonstration plant. This allows two learning by doing experiences prior
to 2020, by which it is expected commercial market based incentives will be in place to allow the wider adoption
and deployment of CCS technology. Following our experiences in related industries (eg FGD) we also expect cost
9

6
7
8
9

IPCC - Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

IEA - International Energy Agency
J-POWER - Electric Power Development Co., Ltd
RITE - Research Institute of Innovative Technology for Earth

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

10

reductions to occur prior to 2020 which will further facilitate the market place to invest in CCS as a reliable
and effective means of reducing CO2 emissions from large stationary sources, noting that the appropriateness of
deploying CCS at specific sites will depend on several local factors such as the suitability and distance of storage
options available.
Single Train Deployment

(c) CCS cost

$/T-CO2

CO2 emissions
Business as Usual

PCC
Norway

PCC
Various

3000

~3000

(c)
CCS CO2 emission
reduction
contribution

(b) CO2
emissions

Up to
1,000 MW

>3,000 tpd
200 MW
500 tpd
25 MW

(a) Number
of plants
2010

2015

FIRST Step:
Large Scale
Demo

2020
SECOND Step:
Medium Scale
Commercial

MHIs Operating Experience

Black coal

(b)

PCC
Demo
US

Expected CCS
cost reduction
with incentives
$/T-CO2

Time
THIRD Step:
Full commercial deployment for new
build and retrofit

1 tpd

10

200

330

450

450

Pilot scale experience

(Natural Gas & Coal)

450

Commercial Experience
(Natural Gas)

500
Demo
(Coal)

Commercial Commercial
(Natural Gas)
(Coal)

Figure 6.1-3 Scale up & road map for commercialization of PCC for coal fired boilers

6. Efficient Integration of CO2 Recovery (PCC) Plant with the Power Plant
6.1. MHIs process improvements to reduce energy penalty of CO2 capture
MHI has developed a number of plant and heat integrations schemes to further reduce the energy penalty of CO2
capture. To reduce the steam consumption at the reboiler, we employ a unique concept to utilize lean solvent and
steam condensate heat for regeneration inside the stripper heating the semi-lean solution. Figure 7.1-1 shows the
outline of the KMCDR improved process flow (Bold line section).
Through application of this process, the steam consumption is reduced by a further 15% compared with the
conventional KMCDR Process achieving 660kcal/kg CO2 recovered. Other elements of the improved process are
also effective in recovering flue gas heat and the CO2 compression heat to the CO2 regenerator to reduce the steam
consumption, utilizing the semi lean solvent heat integration concept shown in Figure 7.1-2 and explained below.
CO2
CO2
Regenerator
Condenser

Treated Gas

LP Turbine
HP/MP
Turbine

Heat Extractor
Air Heater

CW
Absorber

Flue gas
Cooler

ESP

CW
Boiler

CW

Heat
Recovery
&Solvent
Regeneration

Flue Gas
Lean
Solvent

Flue Gas
Blower

CO2Regenerator
(Stripper)

Condenser

CO2
Regenerator
Condenser

0.3 MPaG
Steam

CO2
Reboiler
CW

Boiler Feed Water Pump

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PCC Post Combustion Capture
3
RD&D Research, Development and Demonstration
4
T/D Metric Tons Per Day
5
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage

Boiler Feed Water Pump

Figure 7.1-2 Heat Integration in Power Plant

10

CO2 Regenerator

Deaerator

Steam
Condensate

Figure 7.1-1 MHIs Improved Process

CO2
Reboiler

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

11

6.2. MHIs additional heat integration methods to reduce requirements

MHI has identified further opportunities to reduce the impact on the net output via astute integration of the power
plant and CO2 capture plant. MHI has investigated the following concepts which we aim to apply to future projects.
Heat integration between Power Plant and PCC Plant is shown in Figure 7.1-2.
(1)

Utilization of the waste heat of PCC plant for the power plant

The boiler feed water (BFW) is used to cool the regenerator condenser, which raises the temperature of BFW and
saves the low pressure steam consumption required to heat up BFW in the power plant, increasing the gross output.
(2)

Utilizing the Recovery heat of the flue gas for the CO2 recovery Process

Flue gas heat at the outlet of the air heater is recovered by the semi-lean solvent flowing inside of the heat extractor,
which is one of the important components utilized in one advanced MHI concept titled MHIs High Efficiency
System Proven Technology for Multi Pollutant Removal. In this case, the flue gas temperature is the important
parameter and the steam consumption in the reboiler is reduced by approximately 9% for the case where the flue gas
is cooled from 158degC to 106degC by the heat extractor.
(3)

Utilization of the compression heat of the CO2 for the CO2 recovery process

Additional intercooler cooled by the semi-lean solvent is added at the outlet of each stage of the compressor where a
4 stage compression system is utilized. The CO2 compression heat is recovered by the semi-lean solvent to be
utilized in the regenerator to reduce the steam consumption in the reboiler by approx 5%. MHI has extensive
commercial experience in delivering power systems, environmental plant and CO2 compression plant on a global
basis and accordingly has advanced know how in relation to the efficient integration of these core technologies (Fig
7.2)
Steam Turbine

Boiler

SCR

ESP

FGD

CO2
Capture

NOx

Dust

SOx

CO2

CO2
Transport

CO2
Compression

Centrifugal Compressors

Coal Fired Power Station

FGD

CO2 Capture Plant

MHI Can Supply All Technology Advanced Integration

Figure 7.2 MHI provides advanced integration for powers systems, environmental plant and CO2 compression plant
technology

11

6
7
8
9

IPCC - Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change

IEA - International Energy Agency
J-POWER - Electric Power Development Co., Ltd
RITE - Research Institute of Innovative Technology for Earth

DRAFT AS OF 10 NOVEMBER, 2009

12

7. Conclusion
(1)
MHI has 6 commercially operating CO2 capture plants with a further 3 plants under construction in the
chemical and fertilizer industries. Further, MHI is now ready to deliver commercial scale CO2 capture plants for
various natural gas fired applications.
(2)
For coal fired flue gas application, MHI has undertaken a significant, long term demonstration test in Japan
and has accumulated almost 6,000 hours of operational experience, at 10 T/D capacity. The results confirm the
applicability of MHIs KMCDR Process to coal fired flue gas streams.
(3)
As a next step MHI, and our partners are deploying a 500 T/D coal fired CO2 capture demonstration plant
in the US, complete with transport and storage. Following the successful demonstration operation, MHI will be
ready to deploy commercial scale projects for coal fired power stations.
(4)
MHI has developed and continues to investigate heat and process integration schemes and concepts to
further reduce the energy penalty associated with CO2 capture. MHI through our extensive commercial power
systems, environmental plant and CO2 compression plant experiences is advancing the CO2 capture technology to
ensure the improved economics of the process.
(5)
MHI, through advanced RD&D and significant commercial CO2 capture plant experiences is working
diligently with our partners and clients to providing reliable and economical technology which can provide an
effective means of addressing global warming and ensuring the long term, environmentally sustainable use of
important fossil fuel reserves.

12

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

PCC Post Combustion Capture
3
RD&D Research, Development and Demonstration
4
T/D Metric Tons Per Day
5
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage
1
2