In order to achieve carbon neutrality, "there must always be the first person to eat crabs"
Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other six departments jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for the Solicitation and Promotion of National Key Low-carbon Technologies", pointing out that it is necessary to focus on key links such as source management, emission monitoring, carbon storage and carbon sequestration, and form a low-carbon technology promotion model characterized by multiple batches of release, dynamic management, and normalized promotion.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, as a carbon storage and sequestration technology, is conducive to the sustainable and low-carbon use of fossil energy, and is known as the "carbon neutrality technology". However, CCUS technology is difficult and costly, and it is still in the demonstration stage in China. According to the Annual Report on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage in China (2023), China's CCUS technology has made great progress, but it still faces many challenges and is still some way from large-scale commercial operation.
"To achieve the 'double carbon' goal, there must always be the first person to eat crabs. In the exhibition hall of the National Energy Group Taizhou Power Generation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Taizhou Company), Liu Jiandong, deputy general manager of the company, told reporters.
Liu Jiandong is introducing the company's CCUS project. Photo by Li Xiajing
If you want to do it, you can do it, from small tests to large-scale projects
According to public information, as of the end of 2022, among the coal-fired power CCUS projects that have been put into use in China, the largest is the 150,000 tons/year CCUS project of the National Energy Group Jinjie Company.
In 2023, the CCUS project officially launched by Taizhou will expand this number to 500,000 tons per year, realizing independent and controllable large-scale carbon capture technology.
The expansion from 150,000 tons/year to 500,000 tons/year is a doubling of the number on the surface, but behind it is the project team's six-year scientific research road. "Since 2017, we have been tackling large-scale absorption carbon capture technology. The key element in this project is the 'absorbent'. The absorbents we currently use are developed through joint research of industry, academia and research, after more than 1,000 tests, and targeted screening in a massive portfolio of absorbents. Liu Jiandong told a reporter from China Environment News.
"Technological breakthroughs in the laboratory are not easy to come by. From 4 standard cubic meters / hour test, to 200 standard cubic meters / hour test, to 10,000 tons of industrial test, and finally applied to 500,000 tons of carbon capture projects. Chen Zhen, a technician from Taizhou Company, introduced, "Compared with traditional absorbents, the new ternary composite amine absorbent independently innovated and developed by us has the characteristics of low volatility, low energy consumption, high stability, and obvious cost advantages, and the loss per unit of amine can be as low as 0.21 kg." ”
In addition, in view of the technical problems such as high energy consumption of carbon capture for coal-fired power generation, large loss of absorbents, poor mass transfer performance of large tower internals, difficult coordination of capture-power generation system, and complex control process, the project team also carried out key technology research, and successfully developed and applied key equipment such as small tooth angle packing and amine emission control device, developed a complete set of equipment and process packages, and realized engineering applications.
It is reported that the carbon dioxide capture rate of Taizhou's 500,000 tons/year CCUS project is 90% or more, and the total cost of decarbonization is less than 250 yuan/ton, which is about 50% lower than the current carbon capture operating cost of coal-fired power plants of 300-500 yuan/ton.
When asked how to absorb and utilize the captured carbon dioxide, Liu Jiandong said: "The main thing is to combine the characteristics of the market. For example, we are close to Shanghai and southern Jiangsu, where there is a high demand for food-grade dry ice, so we mainly make dry ice from carbon dioxide. In addition, carbon dioxide can also be used for oil displacement and storage, methanol, etc. ”
Crossing the river by feeling the stones, central enterprises and major economic provinces actively entered the game
In addition to China Energy Group, according to the list of China's CCUS demonstration projects listed in the China Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Annual Report (2023), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Sinopec), China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. and other central enterprises have tried to develop and apply CCUS technology.
Taizhou Company's courage to tackle tough problems and take the initiative to innovate stems from the mission of central enterprises to promote green development, as well as the determination of Jiangsu, a major economic province, to attach importance to high-quality development.
As far as Jiangsu Province is concerned, it has a large economy, but at the same time, it is also facing a supply and demand pattern of "a province with large energy consumption and a small province with energy resources", and there is an urgent need for green and low-carbon transformation. For example, the "2023 Provincial Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Science and Technology Innovation Special Fund Project Guide" issued by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology clearly states that it is necessary to carry out research on key green carbon reduction technologies such as low-carbon and efficient utilization of fossil energy in important fields such as clean energy substitution, circular economy, and CCUS, and promote the high-value utilization of carbon dioxide by relying on the CCUS potential and carbon resource conditions of Jiangsu Province.
In January this year, 10 cases, including Taizhou Company's "large-scale flue gas carbon capture technology to solve the problem of carbon dioxide emissions", were selected as one of the top ten typical cases of Jiangsu Province's 2023 ecological and environmental science and technology achievements to help green and low-carbon environmental protection industries. Liu Xiaolei, Director of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Jiangsu Province, said: "To achieve high-quality economic and social development and the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, we must give full play to the key supporting role of scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the pace of scientific and technological and industrial innovation, and form a competitive advantage to support Jiangsu's green and low-carbon development in the future." ”
In Jiangsu, there are many government-enterprise-school cooperation around CCUS technology, from research to application, there have been a number of "firsts" -
In 2010, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Coal-based Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Resource Utilization, a provincial key laboratory jointly declared by China University of Mining and Technology and Xuzhou Mining Group, was established, which is one of the earliest provincial and ministerial key laboratories specializing in CCUS research in China.
In September 2022, the Nanjing Municipal Government and Sinopec signed a cooperation agreement on the transformation and development of enterprises in Nanjing, and officially unveiled the establishment of Sinopec Carbon Industry Technology Co., Ltd., China's first technology company with a full carbon industry chain, to support Sinopec to lead the development of China's CCUS industry chain.
December 2022Sinopec East China Petroleum Bureau built the country's first CCUS peak shaving center in Huangqiao, Taixing, which can achieve annual reinjection and storage of 1 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Today, Jiangsu Province has achieved certain results in promoting the transformation of CCUS technology achievements. Taking Sinopec Carbon Industry Technology Co., Ltd. as an example, it is understood that since its establishment, the company has successfully opened accounts and carried out transactions in Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangdong and other trading markets, reserving carbon assets for emission control enterprises, and completing more than 600 tons of carbon trading in 2023.
"From the perspective of China's current policy requirements, technical background, CCUS emission reduction needs, etc., there is huge room for the future development of CCUS technology. Chen Zhen said. In the face of many challenges and high costs of CCUS technology, these people who dare to be the first to eat crabs continue to seek breakthroughs and continuously promote green, low-carbon and circular development.
