Korea Institute of Energy Research gains upper hand in quest to produce hydrogen by removing carbon dioxide from coal

The Korea Institute of Energy Research (President Hwang Ju-ho) said, on August 31, that it had developed an "integrated processing technology for carbon dioxide capture using a separation membrane", which allows for the complete removal of carbon dioxide from the coal frequently used in thermal power plants and for the mass production of hydrogen, a future clean energy. It added that it had also secured globally leading technology through demonstration.?

The new technology is significant on two grounds. Firstly, it allows for the use of low grade hydrocarbon fuels, including coal, waste and biomass, and the environment-friendly use of coal, which is stably low-priced and evenly distributed worldwide, by significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Secondly, it constitutes a new technology for producing future energy, which will allow for the production of large volumes of hydrogen to advance the era of the hydrogen economy.

The process, which is applied to integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants, converts synthesis gas made from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which is produced by a gasification device, into carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The hydrogen is then selectively filtered out through a separation membrane and the carbon dioxide captured. The hydrogen can be stored and used for fuel cell power generation and transport, while the carbon dioxide can be stored underground or at other sites.

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The Pd-Cu separation membrane, developed independently by the institute, is a fundamental core technology that ensures the efficiency of the process and allows for outstanding performance and low a capture cost. The new membrane has more over a seven times capacity to process synthesis gas than conventional separation membranes. In addition, the use of expensive materials is reduced to cut production costs when using the ultra-thin membrane.?

Additionally, the module comprised of membrane layers is designed to withstand over 30 times normal atmospheric pressure. The institute has thus secured the technology to produce modules of high pressure membranes. The technology was designed to use the pressure generated in the gasification device as is, and thus enhance filtering capacity, and is more efficient than other capture technologies that incur energy losses due to a gap in pressure, while simplifying the process.

The institute succeeded in demonstrating the new technology by using a laboratory scale process capable of processing 2 liters of gas per minute and by developing a pilot facility it had created on its own, which has the capacity to process 1,000 liters of hydrocarbon per hour.

Dr. Baek Il-hyun, principal investigator, said,? "We have secured technological supremacy and economic viability in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) field, an area highly competitive in terms of technological development. The new technology constitutes a next generation energy technology that can not only fundamentally remove the carbon dioxide generated by fossil fuel but also allow for the mass production of hydrogen, a clean energy."

The development of the "integrated process for capturing carbon dioxide using a separation membrane" will serve as a catalyst for the development of low-cost carbon capture technologies. Going forward, the institute aims to advance the commercialization of this process through a phase 2 project, which is interlinked with the coal gasification system.

If the technology is successfully commercialized and applied to domestic power plants by 2025, when the CCS facilities market is expected to expand, it will effectively cut 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year and generate economic ripple effects by allowing Korea to gain the upper hand in the 740 billion-won domestic market and 2.6 trillion-won export market.

Source - Hellodd.com