Carbon Capture and Storage for Enhanced Oil Recovery: Integration and Optimization of a Post-Combustion CO2-Capture Facility at a Power Plant in Abu Dhabi

Summary Masdar has initiated the Abu Dhabi Carbon-Capture and -Storage Project, with the objective to develop a carbon-capture network in Abu Dhabi capable of creating large reductions of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and with the capacity to increase oil recovery by use of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Because Siemens (henceforth referred to as the Technology Owner) has developed, tested, and piloted a proprietary post-combustion CO2-capture technology (PostCapTM) for the removal of CO2 from the flue gas of coal- and gas-fired power plants suitable for the project, both parties decided to cooperate in executing a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study. The technology is based on an aqueous amino-acid-salt solution. The Technology Owner and Masdar have completed a FEED study for capturing 1,800,000 tons of CO2 annually from a natural-gas-fired power plant in Abu Dhabi by application of the PostCapTM technology. Various opportunities and challenges were encountered during the design of the retrofit capture plant. Challenges were often specific to the region, including local climate, water availability, and flue-gas quality. Design and optimization of the plant were influenced by local energy and labor prices. Further opportunities included integration with the power plant and with a local industrial facility. The power plant had to supply the capture plant with steam and power without reducing the original electricity-production capacity. To accomplish this, several heat- and power-integration concepts were evaluated with respect to their feasibility, including the application of a backpressure steam turbine and the retrofit of a simple-cycle gas turbine to combined-cycle gas turbine. Various cooling options were considered in view of climate and resource challenges. Cooling water had to be extracted from a reflux stream produced by an adjacent industrial facility. Drawing on the results of the FEED study, this paper presents the manner in which PostCapTM technology can be applied for capturing CO2 at a power plant in Abu Dhabi for the purpose of EOR, while satisfying specific local needs, and the way utility supply and power plant integration can be facilitated.