Electric swing adsorption (TRL 4-5)

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Category: Carbon capture (innovations) Subcategory: Physical adsorption Combustion type: Post

DESCRIPTION

Electric swing adsorption (ESA) is a cyclic adsorption and desorption process allowing continuous separation of gas streams. It involves the adsorption of CO₂ gas molecules onto a solid adsorbent material at atmospheric temperature and pressure, and then desorbing by raising the temperature through ohmic heating using electricity. Similar to TSA, an ESA process generally consists of three steps, namely adsorption at ambient pressure and temperature, regeneration done countercurrently by raising the temperature, and purging (cooling by using nitrogen or treated gas). The regeneration is done by passing electricity through adsorbent (Joule heating) or by generating an electric field via inductive heating or microwave radiation. The physisorbents that conduct electricity, such as activated carbon, are generally used in ESA.¹ The primary data shown below is for ESA based on Joule heating obtained from the CAPTIN project. The data for ESA based on induction and microwave heating is shown in the alternate processes section.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS (all % are volume-based)

Point sources: Power plants¹, oil-fired power plant², Pulp & paper, biomass, oil & gas, steam-methane reforming, lime, steel, cement, petrochemicals³. (same as TSA)

CO₂ concentration range: 1%-10%²

CO₂ capture efficiency: ~80%⁴

CO₂ purity: 80%⁴

Min. feed gas pressure: 1.1 bar² (to overcome pressure drop)

Max. feed gas temperature: 40 °C⁴

Typical scale: Potentially large (1.6 MtCO₂/yr) *

Primary energy source: Electricity²

Impurity tolerance: Adsorbent dependent.

*CAPTIN project – Joule ESA

FUNCTION IN CCU VALUE CHAIN

Capture CO₂ from flue gases.
Adsorbents such as zeolites are highly affected by the presence of water in feed gas, requiring an upstream dehydration step.
Poisoning of adsorbents due to impurities such as SOx and NOx requiring appropriate pre-treatment steps.

LIMITATIONS

Cycle times of minutes are necessary for the large-scale deployment of ESA systems in CO₂ capture.
Adsorbent material may degrade over time, reducing overall capture efficiency.
Higher capital cost and spatial footprint due to longer cycle times and larger beds.

ENERGY

Electricity is used by the blower to raise the flue gas pressure to overcome the pressure drop in the reactor bed.
Steam may be required for regeneration if an adsorption-based dehydration unit is used upstream of the capture unit.
Electricity is used during regeneration by ohmic heating.

CONSUMABLES

Adsorbent with a certain replacement period.
Cooling water may be required to cool the feed gas in a direct contact cooler and after the blower.

Energy and Consumables
Parameter	Value
Electricity (kWh/tCO₂)	567 ^{a, 4}
Aux. electricity (kWh/tCO₂)	60 ^b, *
Cooling water (t/tCO₂)	47 ^c, *
Adsorbent (kg/tCO₂) ^a	0.4 ^d,*
Steam (t/tCO₂)	0.45 ^e,*
^a Regeneration electricity using Zeolite 13X and activated carbon 70:30 wt.%. ^b Electricity for pumping and blower ^c Cooling water for flue gas and CO₂ cooling. ^d Replacement period of 5 years. ^e Steam for regeneration upstream flue gas dehydration unit. *CAPTIN project – Joule ESA

COSTS

CAPEX: ~7.5 €/tCO₂*

Main CAPEX: Adsorption reactors with initial adsorbent inventory and blower.

CAPEX may be underestimated because it accounts only for material costs and assumes the use of carbon steel for the reactors.

OPEX: ~93 €/tCO₂*

Main OPEX: Electricity, steam, and cooling water.

CO₂ capture cost: ~100.5 €/tCO₂*

Depends on regeneration energy, CO₂ concentration, and electricity price.

*CAPTIN project – Joule ESA; CO2 concentration – ~4.6 vol.%; capture capacity – 1.6 MtCO₂/yr; capture efficiency – 90%; adsorption time – 960 s; desorption time – 960 s; cooling time – 1200 s; ohmic heating efficiency – 90%; 2020 euros; discount rate – 7.8%; WACC – 4.1%; plant lifetime – 30; years; installation factor – 4; electricity price – 100 €/MWh; steam – 25 €/t; cooling water – 0.32 €/m³; adsorbent – zeolite 13X; adsorbent price – 4600 €/t.

CO₂ avoidance cost: 127.5 €/tCO₂ avoided ⁵ **

** Estimated for only the ESA case with the NGCC power plant

ENVIRONMENTAL

CO₂ footprint: 126.5 kgCO₂eq/tCO₂ captured *

Estimate includes electricity (53% at 0.107 tCO₂eq/MWh) and steam (47% at 0.135 tCO₂eq/ton). LCA data not available.

Spatial footprint: 456 m² for 1.6 MtCO₂/yr *

*CAPTIN project – Joule ESA results: cyclic operation; number of reactors = 52; only reactor footprint; reactor diameter = 3.35 m; height = 10 m.

Environmental issues: Disposal or recycling of spent adsorbents.⁶

ENGINEERING

Maturity: Under development (TRL 4-5)^5,7

Laboratory experiments have been performed.

Retrofittability: Potentially feasible

Electricity is the main energy source; phased implementation due to its modular nature; handles flue gas impurities.

Challenges due to large spatial footprint requirement.

Scalability: Potentially High

Well suited for capturing CO₂ at a wide capture rate range due to its modular nature.

Process type: Solid stationary adsorbent-based without chemical reactions.

Deployment model: Centralized only.

Each column with adsorbent undergoes cyclical CO₂ adsorption and desorption.

Technology flexibility: Hybridization with other capture technologies is feasible. It can be used to increase CO₂ concentration.

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS

Electrified CO₂ concentrator by SUSTEON, US

ALTERNATE PROCESSES

Induction and microwave heating swing adsorption (IHSA and MWSA)

IHSA and MWSA segregate CO₂ from flue gas at near ambient pressure. The CO₂ is desorbed by applying an electric field via inductive heating or microwave radiation. The adsorbent used for IHSA is a ferromagnetic zeolite 13X, while the one used for MWSA is activated carbon. The data shown below belongs to IHSA, while the value in parentheses belongs to MWSA from the CAPTIN project.

CO₂ concentration: 4.6 vol.% (4.6 vol.%) *

CO₂ purity: 100% (100%) *

CO₂ capture efficiency: 90% (90%) *

Desorption time: 720 (480) seconds *

Heating efficiency: 90% (60%) *

Electricity: 1000 (1000) kWh/tCO₂ captured *

Aux. electricity: 60 (60) kWh/tCO₂ captured *

Cooling water: 47 (47) t/tCO₂ captured *

Adsorbent: 0.4 (0.7) kg/tCO₂ captured *

Steam: 0.45 (0.45) t/tCO₂ captured *

CAPEX: ~7 (~14) €/tCO₂ *

OPEX: ~121 (~121) €/tCO₂ *

*Electricity is ~88% (~88%) of OPEX with electricity price of 100 €/MWh; installation factor – 4; adsorbent - ferromagnetic zeolite 13X (activated carbon); adsorbent price – 5000 (1000) €/t.

CO₂ footprint: 173 (173) kgCO₂eq/tCO₂ captured *

Spatial footprint: 421 (825) m2 for 1.6 MtCO₂/yr *

Maturity: Under development (TRL 4-5)

Technology providers: No technology providers yet.

*CAPTIN project – IHSA (MWSA) results: CO₂ footprint estimate includes only electricity (0.107 tCO₂eq/MWh) and steam (0.135 tCO₂eq/t). LCA data not available. Cyclic operation; number of reactors = 48 (44); only reactor footprint; reactor diameter = 3.35 m; height = 10 m.

CONTACT INFO

Mohammed Khan (mohammednazeer.khan@vito.be)

Miet Van Dael (miet.vandael@vito.be)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This infosheet was prepared as part of the MAP-IT CCU project funded by VLAIO (grant no. HBC.2023.0544).

REFERENCES

1. Grande CA, Rodrigues AE. Electric Swing Adsorption for CO2 removal from flue gases. Int J Greenh Gas Control. 2008;2(2):194-202.

2. Zhao R, Liu L, Zhao L, Deng S, Li H. Thermodynamic analysis on carbon dioxide capture by Electric Swing Adsorption (ESA) technology. J CO2 Util. 2018;26(May):388-396.

3. Barlow H, Shahi SSM. State of the Art: CCS Technologies 2024.; 2024.

4. Grande CA, Ribeiro RPPL, Rodrigues AE. CO2 capture from NGCC power stations using Electric Swing Adsorption (ESA). Energy and Fuels. 2009;23(5):2797-2803.

5. van der Spek M, Ramirez A, Faaij A. Challenges and uncertainties of ex ante techno-economic analysis of low TRL CO2 capture technology: Lessons from a case study of an NGCC with exhaust gas recycle and electric swing adsorption. Appl Energy. 2017;208:920-934.

6. De Coninck H, Benson SM. Carbon dioxide capture and storage: Issues and prospects. Annu Rev Environ Resour. 2014;39:243-270.

7. Voskian S, Hatton TA. Faradaic electro-swing reactive adsorption for CO2 capture. Energy Environ Sci. 2019;12(12):3530-3547.

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Infosheet on Electric Swing Adsorption