Carbon Capture Costs: FEED & pre-FEED Cost Reports

Membrane Technology and Research Inc., with Technology Centre Mongstad, Dresser-Rand, Trimeric Corporation, and WorleyParsons/Advisian, is scaling up its advanced Polaris™ membranes for post-combustion CO₂ capture and testing them at engineering scale at TCM in Norway. The Polaris membranes, about 20 times more permeable than prior commercial versions, use a patented selective recycle design to boost CO₂ concentration in flue gas and lower capture costs. The project will design, build, and operate a modular membrane system for a six-month field test, including performance verification, steady-state operation, techno-economic updates, and integration studies with advanced compression technology.

Bechtel National Inc., with the Electric Power Research Institute, is conducting a FEED study to retrofit Panda Power Funds’ 758 MWe natural gas combined cycle plant in Sherman, Texas, with a post-combustion CO₂ capture system. Using an open-access design and a conventional amine absorber-stripper system with a non-proprietary solvent such as MEA, the project targets CO₂ capture for enhanced oil recovery.

General Electric Gas Power, with Linde, Kiewit, and Southern Company Services, is conducting a FEED study for a “Generation 2” amine-based post-combustion CO₂ capture system at an existing NGCC power plant. Targeting at least 95% capture efficiency, the design will emphasize optimized integration, lower CCS costs, and flexible operation to complement renewable energy. The 18-month project will progress from multiple conceptual designs to a single configuration, culminating in a detailed design, technical viability assessment, techno-economic and life cycle analyses, and a business case evaluation.