Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has received an order for Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers to be used in the world’s first full-scale IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) process for power generation with carbon capture, which will be placed in the US.
“We are very proud to be part of such a pioneering project and we see this order as a confirmation that our strategy to be involved in pilot projects for carbon capture techniques is paying off”, says Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group. “By proving our products and solutions already in the testing phase we are well positioned when the process is being scaled up.”
The unique Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers will be used in a gas treatment process of an IGCC power generation plant. The project has received funding from the US Department of Energy and will, when finalized, include a state of the art gasification facility with a capacity of more than 500 MW and an integrated carbon capture facility.
The IGCC process is a clean technology solution: Instead of burning coal directly to produce electricity, a gasification process breaks down the coal into synthesis gas. The gas is then purified and used to fuel the power plant – a process that generates very low emissions. 99 percent of the sulphur dioxide is removed – and up to 65 percent of the carbon dioxide will be captured.
In the US facility the carbon dioxide will then be reused and injected into depleted oil and gas wells for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) – a method where carbon dioxide, is used to push up additional oil from old wells. According to the US Department of Energy, the EOR technology has the potential to increase domestic oil recovery efficiency from about 30 to more than 60 percent.