Low CO₂ emission platforms

Short summary of the project 

The aim is to study the possibility of significantly reducing CO2  emissions from platforms by implementing CO2 capture and storage. The work focuses on CO2 capture from gas turbines and combined cycles relevant to platforms. The work is planned to focus on different case studies where the operation and connection of CO2 capture from gas turbines and combined cycles are in focus. 

Detailed project 

The aim is to study the possibility of significantly reducing CO2 emissions from platforms by implementing CO2 capture and storage. The work focuses on CO2 capture from gas turbines and combined cycles relevant to platforms. The work is planned to focus on different case studies where the operation and connection of CO2  capture from gas turbines and combined cycles are in focus. Examples of relevant case studies are:

• Modeling and simulation of CO2 capture and different process designs will study the impact of varying process designs on energy and electricity consumption. The evaluation of different process modifications, like the advantages of using lean vapor recompression, inter-heating, and heat pumps, will be performed along with an analysis of the required purity of product CO2. An integral part of this study also includes an analysis of overall plant solvent losses due to degradation and emissions.
• Optimization of CO2 capture on gas turbines and combined cycles on platforms. Here, the focus would be on energy usage and how to provide the required energy (heat and electricity), as well as the possibilities of using heat pumps and various process designs. To minimize CO2 emissions, absorption-based technologies allowing high capture rates (~95-98%) will be on focus.

• How to operate a gas turbine/combined cycles combined with a CO2 capture plant when renewable sources (wind) provide part of the electricity on the platform? Here, the availability of wind can impact how to operate the gas turbine, combined cycle, and thus CO2 capture. When wind power is available, maybe gas turbines could be shut down. However, when no wind-based electricity is produced with the gas turbine/combined cycle. This research would also address the industry partners’ idea related to if a platform could be turned into an energy producer where electricity is produced by wind and combustion of natural gas (with CO2 capture and storage) on the platform so that a constant amount of electricity would be provided to land or close-by platforms.

Innovation potential:

• New process concepts that allow tailored process designs suitable for platforms and provide cost-effective, low-emission platforms.
• Process designs for high-capture rate (~98% capture( CO2 capture processes for platforms.
• Evaluation of using platforms connected to wind power as an electricity provider for land/ close-by media.