(58a) U.S. DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory: Carbon Capture R&D Program’s New Direction for Operational Versatility

U.S. DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory:

Carbon Capture R&D Program’s

New Direction for Operational Versatility

José D. Figueroa¹, Lynn Brickett¹, and Kanwal Mahajan²

U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory

¹626 Cochran Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940, U.S.A

U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory

²3610 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, WV 26507-0880, U.S.A

ABSTRACT:

The Carbon Capture Program implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) supports the fundamental understanding and applied research development of a suite of transformational post-combustion and pre-combustion carbon capture technologies. These transformational capture systems and enabling technologies that promote favorable performance characteristics of capture systems must also address the technical and operational flexibility required to align with the changing energy profile of the United States. In 2016, CO₂ emissions from natural gas power generation surpassed coal emissions due to low-cost shale gas production. However, the cost of capture systems continued to represent approximately 75% of the total cost of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) systems that impact the economic opportunity for domestic deployment and export markets.

This presentation will discuss the breadth of the Department of Energy’s Carbon Capture Program transformational carbon capture systems and enabling technologies, a new focus on optimal operational levels not relegated to 90% capture rates in order to achieve low capital and economic costs, and the latest status and lessons-learned from the largest and diversified capture project portfolio that also includes hybrid, traditional and non-traditional capture technologies.