RWE, the chemical company BASF, and Linde, a gases and engineering company, are testing a new technology for capturing CO2 from flue gas at a pilot plant at RWE’s Niederaussem power station. The three companies started up the pilot plant in August 2009. BASF is testing the newly developed carbon capture process based on improved solvents in the course of this cooperation announced in 2007. Linde was responsible for pilot plant engineering and construction.
The new technology captures CO2 by means of new chemical solvents, which is claimed to feature better oxygen stability to reduce solvent consumption and cut energy input by about 20%.
The partners are now working on scaling up the process for demonstration and large power plants, with the first demonstration plants scheduled to come on stream in 2015. This technology, which has been designed to capture more than 90% of the CO2, is expected to be used commercially in coal-fired power stations by 2020.
RWE will invest about €9m on this development project.