The LAUNCH project (Lowering absorption process uncertainty, risks and costs by predicting and controlling amine degradation) investigates questions such as the following for the purpose of commercial operation: When is the best time to make up the lost scrubbing agent (on a continuous basis, or should the entire inventory be replaced)? How can accumulated breakdown products and trace substances in the scrubbing agent be most efficiently removed (e.g. ion exchangers, adsorption agents)? Are there trace substances or breakdown products that act as a catalyst for breakdown or even protect the scrubbing agent? What impacts do the accumulating breakdown products have on the corrosiveness of the scrubbing agent, emissions and foaming in the plant?
The LAUNCH project thus pursues the investigations aimed at answering these questions from the ALIGN-CCUS project. In addition, small, mobile test modules are installed on several scrubbing systems in order to simulate an accelerated breakdown of the scrubbing agent using real flue gas, and compare against the processes in the large-scale pilot and demonstration facilities.
Additional CO2 scrubbing facilities in the LAUNCH project are located at AVR (commercial CCU project, exhaust gas from waste combustion, NL), the University of Sheffield (exhaust gas from gas or biomass combustion, UK) and the National Carbon Capture Center (hard coal-fired power station, USA). If, at the end of the LAUNCH project, it’s possible to show that these test modules let us predict scrubbing agent consumption for different qualities of flue gas, that will enable us to significantly reduce the uncertainties associated with the design and operation of capture facilities at waste-to-energy plants, cement works and industrial facilities.
The test programme in Niederaussem began with a 5,000-hour test phase without an activated charcoal filter in the flow of scrubbing agent. In mid-December 2020, the filter was commissioned, and we’re waiting with anticipation to learn which trace substances can be removed from the scrubbing agent, and what impacts this has on the performance of the CO2 scrubbing process.
