The future of carbon capture – Preventing by-products of amine-based CO2 capture

Together with Snedker Solutions and the Danish Technological Institute, Ammongas has tested various CO2 capture methods that can form the basis for future carbon capture technologies. Through tests in both the laboratory and at two incineration plants, the partners have gained practical and knowledgeable experience that can strengthen the further development and construction of carbon capture plants.

 

Key results

Capturing, utilizing and storing CO2 is necessary to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere and reduce the climate impact of e.g. burning fossil or biogenic fuels. However, the technology can emit unwanted and environmentally harmful products from the reaction with NOx gases (nitros- and nitraamines), which hampers the implementation of the technology. Therefore, Ammongas, Snedker Solutions and the Danish Technological Institute joined forces to test different methods to remove the unwanted substances.

 

We are interested in the future of CO2 capture from flue gas and the business development in this area. Therefore, we were keen to find solutions and see where the technology is today – Alexander Jensen, Ammongas

 

One of the methods was to use UV light to break down the unwanted substances from the amine-based absorption. The method proved to be insufficient, but using ozone instead, the effect could be that up to 70-75% of the substances were degraded after 1-2 minutes of exposure.

 

The main findings were that a simple exposure to UV light is not sufficient to degrade the selected nitrosamine. Ozone (O3) can instead trigger the process, with an efficiency up to 70-75% at 1-2 min of exposure time – Final report prepared by the Danish Technological Institute

 

Useful facilities created fertile ground for development

For Ammongas’ project manager, Alexander Jensen, the process with TI and Snedker Solutions has been a good experience that has given them new knowledge. They have their own test facilities and equipment, but to further the development, they have needed the Danish Technological Institute.

 

We didn’t have the capacity for chemical analysis ourselves, so it was great to be able to collaborate with TI and together make measurements on our carbon capture system. It provided valuable knowledge and a basis for further development – Alexander Jensen, Ammongas

 

The knowledge gained from the project is now being used together with DTU and Aalborg Portland to a certain extent to improve Ammongas’ business and progress. At the same time, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has shown interest in Ammongas due to their knowledge and expertise in the CO2 capture area to assess potential emissions from CO2 capture plants. Here, knowledge from the Knowledge Bridge project has been used.

 

Read more about the knowledge bridge project here

The Knowledge Bridge project ran from April 2022 to September 2023 and was granted DKK 400,000 by the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. The partners in the project were: Ammongas A/S, Snedker Solutions ApS and Danish Technological Institute.