Decarbonisation Technology - November 2021

The traditional challenge of this technology is the trade-off between capture efficiency and energy consumption from the stripper reboiler. Continuously monitoring solvent quality through the utilisation of Coriolis technology to measure the density of the fluid is one contributor to optimising the absorption process. Another challenge that has arisen due to the newer desire to capture the CO 2 and then compress and storage it involves the measurement of the quantity of CO 2 produced and sent to storage. Due to the fact that transportation and storage of CO 2 normally occurs at or near critical phase, flow measurement challenges are introduced. CO 2 is a hard fluid to measure. The conditions under which CO 2 is transported and stored are often close to the triple point or the critical point, so compensations for temperature, pressure and density changes are required but not easily measured. Coriolis meters are one of the few technologies that can measure this CO 2 to the accuracy required to meet custody transfer standards. Coriolis meters are one of the few technologies that can measure this CO 2 to the accuracy required to meet custody transfer standards Due to the fact that Coriolis flow meters measure mass flow and density simultaneously, accurate volumetric and mass flow are achievable. The volumetric flow can be used to fill tanks without overfill, and the mass flow can be used for the custody transfer operation. Hydrogen Hydrogen as an energy source will continue to grow quickly as the world moves towards decarbonisation. Hydrogen usage for the refineries will increase with the production of biofuels but in the long term may also be targeted as a fuel product. Production of blue hydrogen as the world transitions away from grey or brown hydrogen will be an important contributor towards decarbonisation, especially in parts of the world

Permanent storage

Pipeline transport

1000

Supercritical uid

100

Liquid

Critical point (31.1˚C, 73.9bar)

Solid

Gas

Transport via ship

Compression work

Triple point (-58.5˚C, 5.1bar)

-73

-23

127

Temperature (˚C)

Figure 5 CO 2 phase chart

This can include drying, polyethylene removal, filtration, enzymatic degumming, chemical dosing, and bleaching. Many of the reactions require stoichiometric ratios, mass-based reactions, and concentration measurements for acids and caustic, favouring the use of Coriolis flow meters. The other reason why more accurate measurement and the use of Coriolis technology is also important is for carbon intensity calculations and fuel credit or government subsidy reporting. To obtain such credits, accurate reporting and measurement of all raw materials, utilities, and yields are required. Carbon capture As refiners are looking for significant ways to reduce emissions in their refineries, many are considering ways to capture the CO 2 that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere as a result of combustion operations. Figure 4 shows the most significant sources of carbon emission in a typical refinery. There are several technologies used to capture carbon, and technologies are advancing quickly to become more efficient and economical. Incentives are also in place in many countries to reduce CO 2 emissions, making it more economically attractive to capture the carbon from the largest sources of CO 2 emissions in the plant. The most mature technology to capture CO 2 is through chemical absorption with amine treating.