CIUDEN CCS Project: Status of the CO2 Capture Technology Development Plant in Power Generation

Carbon Capture and Storage technology (CCS) has the potential to play a key role in reducing CO2 emissions as required by international commitments. CCS must be included in the portfolio of solutions in order to reach the target of world emissions reduction by 50% in 2050. One of the most relevant European initiatives for the deployment of CCS technologies is promoted by the Fundacion Ciudad de la Energia (CIUDEN). CIUDEN has a complete programme focused on the development of CCT and CCS, particularly oxycombustion technology. This paper includes the description of CIUDEN's Capture Technology Developing Plant, currently under construction in NW Spain. The installation includes a 20 MWth PC boiler, a 30 MWth CFB boiler, a fuel preparation unit, a biomass gasifier, a flue gas cleaning train, and a CO2 processing unit. The commissioning of the TDP is planned for November 2010. This is the only installation in the world with two large pilot oxy boilers capable of burning a wide range of coals, biomass and pet coke under conventional combustion or oxycombustion conditions. Results are expected to significantly contribute to the development and deployment of oxycombustion technologies, particularly valuable as technical support for the OXYCFB300 Compostilla Project which aims to validate this technology at demo scale. The Compostilla OXYCFB300 Project is based on a 300 MWe Circulating Fluidised Bed (CFB) supercritical oxycombustion plant, with CO2 storage in a saline aquifer. The operation of this installation is planned to start in 2015. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.