In Sweden, Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW), a subsidiary of Japan-headed Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd (SHI) and Norway-headed carbon capture technology provider Capsol Technologies ASA (Capsol) have announced a carbon capture demonstration campaign at municipal energy utility Mälarenergi AB’s biomass-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Västerås.
Mälarenergi and SFW have signed an agreement under which SFW will provide a mobile carbon capture demonstration facility and Mälarenergi will host the corresponding operation activities at their biomass plant in Västerås, Sweden.
The mobile carbon capture unit, delivered by Capsol, is based on the Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) process, incorporating the patented “EoP” heat recovery technology by Capsol Technologies.
The demonstration campaign, which will commence operations in November 2024 as part of a rental agreement between SFW and Capsol Technologies, will provide valuable data on the performance of the technical solution for Mälarenergi’s specific flue gas conditions.
This can be used in optimizing the planned full-scale capture plant at Mälarenergi, which will reduce emissions by approximately 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.
Carbon capture has great potential to counteract the climate crisis. What we need to move forward with our investigative work is plant-specific knowledge of how the technology can be applied to the combined heat and power plant in Västerås, in the most resource-efficient and optimal way possible. That is what we are now going to investigate, practically and on-site, said Niklas Gunnar, CEO of Mälarenergi.
High capture rate
The HPC process has a CO2 capture rate exceeding 90 percent and produces high-purity (<99 percent) CO2. The electricity-powered technology produces low-temperature heat, contributing to sustainable heat production and low energy penalty.
The potassium carbonate solvent is safe and non-toxic, making the HPC solution eco-friendly and fit for residential areas.
In October 2023, SFW and Capsol Technologies agreed on the delivery of two “CapsolGo” demonstration campaigns to be executed within SFW’s global client base.
The companies have already conducted one testing campaign at Växjö Energi AB’s biomass-fired CHP plant in Växj, Sweden.
SFW and Capsol Technologies continue close cooperation in the Nordics, developing and demonstrating innovative, concrete ways to mitigate climate change.
