Technoeconomic Analysis of the Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration CO2 Capture Process

The electrochemically mediated amine regeneration (EMAR) process presents an alternative route to the conventional thermal amine regeneration for carbon capture from a flue gas source. In this study, we conducted an economic analysis on the EMAR system for postcombustion CO2 capture from a 550 MWe power plant capturing 3.1 Mt(CO2), annually and from a mini steel mill with annual capture close to 170 ktco. We followed the recommendation of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) 2010 report to estimate the cost of CO2 avoided ([$/t(CO2)]). Detailed cost modeling of the electrochemical separation stage was conducted. This is integrated with the entire process flowsheet (e.g., including absorber, compressor, pumps, and other auxiliary equipment). We identified the membrane cost as the dominant capital cost for the electrochemical separation train. At a membrane unit price of less than $10/m(2), the CO2 capture cost can be reduced to below $50/t(CO2), with optimized process conditions (e.g., desorption pressure and utilization of waste heat). Improvements in process design, cell construction, and solvent formulation may lead to additional reductions in the CO2 capture cost.