Koch Modular, a subsidy of Koch Industries, is rolling out a new carbon capture demonstration scale system called Project Enterprise. The project represents a significant milestone in the advancement of carbon capture technology, and it is poised to achieve a remarkable reduction in carbon emissions, expected to be at least 95%.
The system showcases Koch Modular’s crucial role in developing, testing and modular delivery of a highly efficient CO2 capture process. The process harnesses a carbon capture solvent developed by ION Clean Energy, a Colorado-based trailblazer in sustainable solvent technologies. The project was made possible through a collaborative effort, with Koch Modular and ION’s engineers contributing their respective expertise to design the system.
Lately shipped as a series of modules and installed at Calpine’s Los Medanos Energy Center in Pittsburg, California, this power plant uses natural gas as its primary fuel source to generate electricity. Traditionally, the flue gases produced during natural gas combustion, which contain CO2, are released directly into the atmosphere. To assess the efficiency of CO2 capture with ION’s solvent, a portion of Calpine’s flue gas will be diverted to the new system, generating data to evaluate the advantages of ION’s solvent technology.
Tom Schafer, VP of Koch Modular, expresses his enthusiasm about the launch, “We are proud to be at the forefront of solving the critical issue of carbon emissions. Project Enterprise represents our commitment to developing innovative solutions for a sustainable future. Through our engineering expertise and collaborative efforts with ION Clean Energy, Sargent & Lundy, Calpine, and the Department of Energy, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness and viability of carbon capture technologies.”
Project Enterprise applies a three-step process to achieve its desired results. Initially, the hot flue gases are cooled, facilitating the subsequent absorption of CO2 from the flue gas using ION’s transformative ICE-31 solvent.
Next, the solvent is regenerated in a distillation column, allowing the captured carbon dioxide to be stripped from the solvent and collected as a valuable distilled product.
The importance of Project Enterprise lies in its focus on addressing CO2 emissions from natural gas combustion, presenting a unique challenge due to the lower carbon-to-hydrogen ratio of flue gases.
Andrew Awtry, ION’s VP of Engineering, said, “Project Enterprise is an invaluable opportunity to confirm the transformative performance of ICE-31. Our partners at Koch Modular and Calpine are fantastic, and the data we derive from this pilot will prove that our technology is as well. We’re excited about ION’s contributions to helping our clients achieve their low-carbon energy goals.”
