Carbon Capture Costs: FEED & pre-FEED Cost Reports

Analysis sets the design and cost-estimating basis for evaluating pulp and board mills with and without CCS. Two base cases are considered: a market pulp mill and an integrated pulp and board mill. Six CCS cases are evaluated, capturing CO₂ from the recovery boiler, multi-fuel boiler, lime kiln, or their combinations. The mills are assumed to be energy independent, with black liquor and bark burned to produce steam and electricity, and excess electricity exported to the grid. The CO₂ capture system uses post-combustion MEA technology with a 90% capture rate, and if on-site electricity is insufficient, an auxiliary boiler firing forest residues will supply the additional energy. 400,000 adt

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), with Fluor Corporation and California Resources Corporation (CRC), conducted a FEED study to assess the feasibility of retrofitting Fluor’s solvent for post-combustion CO₂ capture at the 550 MW Elk Hills NGCC power plant. The system aims to capture approximately 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ per day (75% of total emissions, or 90% of an 83% slipstream), with the captured CO₂ intended for enhanced oil recovery. Deliverables include the full engineering design package—such as process flow diagrams, equipment datasheets, and capital cost estimates—optimized for site-specific performance, operations, and construction practices.

Prairie State Generating Company is conducting a FEED study for a carbon capture facility on its 816 MWe Unit #2 in Illinois, using Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ KM CDR Process™ with KS-21™ solvent. Designed to treat all flue gas from the unit, it would be the world’s largest post-combustion capture plant, compressing CO₂ for off-site sequestration. The project will leverage engineering support from Kiewit, Sargent & Lundy, and MHI.