Decarbonisation Technology February 2026 Issue

How advanced heat exchanger solutions can accelerate CCS When smartly integrated with plant utilities and designed holistically, heat exchanger technologies can enhance the scalability of CCS for net zero

Marcin Karas and Alexander Gernhardt Kelvion

T he carbon capture and storage (CCS) process using solvent-based absorption technologies is thermally demanding and energy-intensive. Therefore, minimising energy demand is crucial for reducing operating costs and ensuring the economic viability of CCS projects. Efficient heat integration is essential to minimising the energy demand associated with the process. This is where the right heat exchange solutions can make a big difference. Heat exchangers are at the heart of CCS performance. As critical components, they enable heat recovery, lean/rich solvent heat exchange, and reboiler operation. Additionally, they support waste heat utilisation from flue gases and keep sorbent at a temperature optimal for CO 2 transfer. This article explores the technical aspects, features, and challenges of heat exchangers for point-source absorption CCS systems. It

highlights how Kelvion’s energy-efficient heat exchanger solutions can significantly reduce energy demand and operating expenses. Kelvion covers the full CCS heat integration chain, with advanced solutions for flue gas heat recovery, highly efficient plate heat exchangers (PHE) for lean/rich heat exchange, and the K°Flex reboiler for solvent regeneration. It also offers air-cooled heat exchangers, dry coolers, and wet cooling towers for the ambient air-based process and central recooling. Point-source CCS systems Point-source-based CCS systems are recognised as a crucial element in lowering global CO 2 emissions and achieving net-zero targets, especially in hard-to-abate industries such as cement and steel plants. They can also be an add-on to gas or waste-to-energy power plants,

Central cooling system

Heat recovery & ue gas cooling

Solvent recovery system amine treating unit

CO compression

CO to compression

Flue gas Sweet gas

Reex drum

Make - up water

Overhead condenser K o Flex

Lean solvent

Rich solvent

Direct contact cooler

Water

Air

Compressor c oolers / K o Bond / Double tube safety / AFC

Stripper tower/ regenerator

Absorber

Economiser

Lean/rich PHE

Flue gas Sour gas

Steam Stripper reboiler K o Flex

Rekuluvo/ Rekugavo

K o Flex

Rich solvent

Figure 1 Simplified process scheme of an absorption-based point source CCS system