The thermodynamic minimum regeneration energy required for post-combustion CO2 capture

This document introduces a generic method to calculate the thermodynamic absolute minimum energy required for the regeneration of post-combustion capture solvents for a traditional line-up. The minimum energy requirements are shown to be most dependent of: 1. Heat of absorption solvent 2. Regeneration pressure 3. Fat solvent temperature 4. Vapor pressure of CO2 over the loaded solvent at absorber bottom temperature T1. This method allows the screening of new solvents and helps to focus the research and development efforts into solvents and line-ups for CO2 capture.