Decarbonisation Technology August 2026 Issue

stages before being released to the atmosphere. By installing a corrosion-resistant heat exchanger downstream of these processes, the flue gas can be cooled beyond conventional limits and additional heat can be extracted. This recovered energy is transferred to a secondary circuit and can be supplied to a district heating network, used internally for low-temperature processes, or combined with heat pumps where higher temperature levels are required. Modern district heating systems are increasingly moving towards lower supply temperatures, often in the range of 70-100°C or below ( Averfalk, et al., 2021 ). This improves system efficiency and reduces distribution losses, but it also increases the need for suitable low-temperature heat sources. Flue gas condensation can provide a stable and continuous heat source that complements renewable and waste-based energy inputs. For plant operators, the value is not only environmental. Each additional megawatt of recovered heat can become a dispatchable product for local heat networks, improving the business case of existing assets without fundamental changes to the core process. For heat network operators, it can reduce the need for fossil backup generation and strengthen the integration of local industrial energy sources. By enabling deeper flue gas cooling and stable operation in corrosive environments, corrosion-resistant heat exchangers make low-temperature heat recovery a practical and scalable option for decarbonising heat supply systems. Preparing flue gas for carbon capture Carbon capture does not start at the absorber. It starts with the quality, temperature, and stability of the flue gas entering the capture unit. Post- combustion capture processes, including amine- based systems, require defined inlet conditions to operate efficiently. In many cases, this means cooling the flue gas to around 40-60°C before it enters the absorber ( Songolzadeh, et al., 2014 ). This conditioning step has a direct influence on capture performance. Excessive inlet temperatures can reduce absorption efficiency, increase solvent losses, and raise the risk of solvent degradation. Unstable gas conditions may also make process control more difficult,

particularly when waste composition, load profiles, or fuel properties fluctuate. Reliable cooling is therefore not just an auxiliary function, but a key element of the capture system. The relevance of this challenge is increasing as energy-from-waste plants become part of future carbon management infrastructure. The Protos Energy Recovery Facility in the UK illustrates this development. It is set to host the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture plant for energy-from-waste and is intended to serve as a blueprint for wider carbon capture deployment in the sector. Such projects show that long-term reliability of flue gas conditioning will become essential for sustainable plant operation ( Protos Energy, 2026 ). Corrosion-resistant heat exchangers can help pave the way for this development. By combining controlled low-temperature flue gas cooling with useful heat recovery, they can improve the energy balance of the overall plant and reduce the need for additional cooling infrastructure. Instead of treating flue gas conditioning purely as an energy-consuming process step, recovered heat can be transferred to a secondary circuit and used elsewhere in the plant or supplied to a heat network. By linking flue gas conditioning, heat recovery and long service life, corrosion-resistant heat transfer technologies support both the technical reliability and economic viability of carbon capture systems. They therefore represent an important enabling component for low-carbon industrial plants. Operational experience from industrial installations Operational experience shows that heat recovery below the acid dew point is not only a theoretical opportunity, but already proven in demanding industrial applications. Waste-to- energy plants are particularly relevant reference cases because they combine fluctuating waste composition, high moisture levels, acidic components, and particulate loading. Technoform heat transfer solutions based on PPS-GR have been implemented in multiple retrofit and greenfield projects. Several installations in the 500 kW to 1 MW range were introduced where previous systems had required high repair effort during scheduled