Flexible chemical looping combustion for combined heat and power production from biogenic residues with negative emission (Bio-FlexCLC)

Research Project, 2024 – 2028

CHP plants are burdened with significant economic risks when investing in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), due to the high cost and energy penalty of CCS. Switching the feedstock from fossil fuels to biomass can significantly reduce the overall CO2 emission; however, it is essential to develop CHP technologies that can utilize low-value biogenic residues and wastes to avoid an increase in the cost of utility. In addition, coupling a bio-CHP plant with CCS results in negative CO2 emissions which is fundamental to many scenarios to reach the net zero emission targets.
The Bio-FlexCLC project develops and demonstrates a novel flexible technology for CHP plants at TRL 5 to utilize low-value biogenic residues as feedstock for heat and power production with negative CO2 emissions. Bio-FlexCLC combines the break-through chemical-looping combustion (CLC) technology with conventional circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers. The concept is flexible to switch between CLC-CFB modes. Bio-FlexCLC operating in CLC mode has inherent CO2 capture at a low cost and without energy penalty. Bio-FlexCLC utilizes biogenic residues and wastes, improves conversion efficiencies, achieves negative CO2 emissions, reduces SOx and NOx emissions, enhances CO2 capture efficiency at a considerably reduced cost, has flexibility towards load demand fluctuations, and the capacity to switch to CFB combustion if market conditions are not amiable for carbon capture or if there is difficulty in the operation to decreases the risk of implement.
Bio-FlexCLC is supported by an expert consortium to ensure the quality of research and appropriate exploitation. The academic partners in the consortium are leading institutions in the areas of CLC and CFB boilers. The industrial partners are technology providers of boilers, chemical looping technologies, as well as gas cleaning and CO2 liquefaction. Bio-FlexCLC is also backed by utility companies in the consortium having CHP plants on biomass and fossil fuel.