The Introduction of CCS Innovative Demonstration Projects in Huaneng CERI

Liu Lianbo from Huaneng CERI attended the 1st Guangdong International CCUS Expert Workshop and UK-China (Guangdong) CCUS Centre Launch Ceremony hold on December 18, 2013, making an introduction on CCS Innovative Demonstration Projects of Huaneng CERI.

Huaneng CERI is the second largest power plant and the largest coal-fired generation plants, which is the largest carbon emitter. So the company shoulders the pressure of emission reduction and takes the responsibility to deploy CCS through learning by doing. In 2008, it built CO₂ capturing facility and another 120000t/a CO₂ capturing facility constructed in Shanghai has been in operation at the end of 2009, thus the capture amounts have reached its saturation in Shanghai. The first IGCC power plant has been built in Tianjin and put into operation, and the company plans to build a pre-combustion carbon capture projects, which is under construction.

Huaneng adopted the combination way of lab study and theoretical study to deploy projects. The properties and challenges of coal-fired power plants are low carbon density and high oxy density, so it’s relatively difficult to be captured. So, according to Liu Lianbo, the process should be perfected to improve the capture efficiency of low density carbon, replacing the energy dissipation with electricity.

He said, Huaneng started to build the CCM flue gas capturing facility in the early 2012 and went into operation in the end of this year. It has competed 4000-5000 hours of tests till August, 2013 with data acquisition and analysis system during the process.

They have tested the two important figures of carbon capture. The main energy consumption of carbon capture is in the absorber, so they tested steam with advanced data acquisition and analysis system during the process to get honest and reliable data; it is the great breakthrough that the solution consumption of the project is 50% lower than that of Huaneng coal-fired power plant for capture. In addition, regeneration needs 3.35Gj/tCO₂ energy consumption, 15% lower than coal-fired power plant for capture. But, we find out that ammonia gas emission has caused secondary pollution during the process. The way to solve the problem is to improve capture materials, such as stainless steel corrosion coupons etc.

He said: “I’m glad to see that White Rose project is the first commercialized CO₂ capture and storage to get the 1 billion pounds. We can say that UK-China (Guangdong) CCUS Centre is initiative, and the critical task is to focus on developing practical projects. Huaneng hopes to continue the cooperation with this centre.”