Carbon Capture Costs: FEED & pre-FEED Cost Reports

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.

Scope starts with the receipt of natural gas and fuel gas mixture from the existing Plant 01 and Plant 09 source and terminates with hydrogen (H₂) at the required specification and conditions to be used as fuel in the existing SMR unit. High concentration CO₂ from the ATR is captured and H₂ production from the proposed facility will replace the fuel gas feed to the primary reformer for heating. The facility capacity is based on the heating duty required to replace the current fuel source. The scope for the study involves the new ATR unit and associated downstream shift, CO₂ capture, and syngas purification unit. The project scope also includes an ASU to supply oxygen to the ATR unit.

CO₂ capture from the SMR flue gas stacks located in Plant 01 and Plant 09 of the facility. Combined flue gases from each of the two sources would be collected and transported by ducts to the carbon capture facility. The design of the capture facility is 2,100 – 2,200 tpd of CO₂, including the CO₂ captured from the SMRs and additional flue gas generated from the steam boiler supplying the CCS unit. The CCS unit is to be designed for a minimum 30% plant turndown, this is to ensure the operation of CCS unit when flue gas from Plant 01 is the only feed to the CCS unit. For the purposes of the study the carbon capture facility design, including flue gas pretreatment and downstream CO₂ compression and dehydration, is provided by licensor. Hatch designed the flue gas transportation from the stacks to the Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) unit battery limit, flue gas pressure boosting and Balance of Plant (BOP) which includes all the utility and offsite systems