Capture, Sampling and Analysis of Biogenic CO₂ Streams for Methanol Synthesis.

Area of Science:

• Sustainable fuels and chemical production
• Carbon capture and utilization
• Process engineering and optimization

Background:

• The maritime industry faces pressure to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
• Methanol synthesized from green hydrogen and biogenic CO2 is a potential carbon-neutral fuel.
• Bio-CO2 feedstock variability poses challenges to methanol production feasibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize impurity profiles in bio-CO2 from biogas and biomass facilities.
• To assess the effectiveness of a field-deployed membrane gas absorption system for CO2 capture and purification.
• To determine conditioning requirements for bio-CO2 to meet methanol synthesis specifications.

Main Methods:

• Conducted sampling campaigns at biogas and biomass combustion facilities.
• Utilized a novel membrane gas absorption system with Diethanolamine (DEA) solution for in-situ CO2 capture and partial purification.
• Analyzed CO2 streams for impurity profiles and reduction efficiencies.

Main Results:

• The membrane gas absorption system achieved high CO2 capture rates.
• The system effectively removed most impurities, with reduction rates near 90%.
• Residual chlorine species were detected in CO2 streams from biogas plants, necessitating further purification.

Conclusions:

• Field-deployed membrane gas absorption shows promise for bio-CO2 purification.
• Additional conditioning steps are required to remove residual chlorine for methanol synthesis.
• Feedstock composition and process variations necessitate robust pre-synthesis cleaning measures.