Risk assessment of a post-combustion and amine-based CO2 Capture Ready Process

CO2 Capture Ready Process, as a part of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, is a response to international political pressure and the priority of the European Commission to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions since it is connected with concerns regarding global warming. This is currently considered as an option for lessing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Many laboratory experiments, as well as pilot projects, have been carried out using different capture systems, but until now no experience from the one-to-one size operational installation has been gained. The energy industry must meet several challenges associated with the start-up of the new full-scale project. This paper investigates the problems that can occur while linking a new technology like the CO2 Capture Ready Process to a working fossil fuel power plant. A Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP) has been used, as it is a structured and systematic examination of a planned or existing process or operation, in order to identify and evaluate problems that may represent risks to personnel or equipment. A case study of a post-combustion CO2 capture system with an aqueous monoethanolamine as a solvent is presented, as it is the most likely system to be used in Polish power plants. Basic problems in the analysis as well as the parameters that should be considered to determine vulnerabilities of the process were successfully identified. Gaining experience about the installation’s behaviour while connected to the existing equipment of any power plant is critical for future CCS projects.