CO2 Capture

Presently over 25 billion metric tons of CO2 are released globally by transportation and industrial activities based on fossil fuel combustion, particularly coal-fired power plants. Goals for the rollback of CO2 emissions equate to a projected reduction of 20 billion tons per year by 2030. Based on the value of carbon credits trading in Europe, projections of the annual economic value for a global Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) effort are over $600 billion.

Akermin is developing an immobilization system for carbonic anhydrase to accelerate CO2 capture in carbonate solutions, which will enable development of efficient processes for CO2 removal from a broad range of gas streams. Non-accelerated carbonate systems have limited commercial potential because the kinetics of CO2 capture are too slow; carbonic anhydrase is one of the fastest known enzymes and can accelerate capture by orders of magnitude.

Akermin’s immobilization technology enables extended lifetime of carbonic anhydrase in the alkaline environment of a carbonate solution while allowing the enzyme to naturally speed the rate of CO2 capture. Additionally, carbonate solutions require much less energy to regenerate compared to the amine solutions which have become the industry standard. This will generate significant capital and operating cost savings, estimated at over 30%, and make processes incorporating Akermin’s immobilized carbonic anhydrase the preferred approach to CO2 capture.  Initial test results validate the projected benefits.

Akermin’s immobilized carbonic anhydrase can be used in processes capable of removing CO2 from multiple types of gas streams. The business model for deploying our carbon capture system will adapt to the market, but we envision a mix of revenue from upfront technology access fees and ongoing supply of immobilized enzyme. The capture of CO2 will create several billion dollars of economic value that will translate into significant revenues for Akermin based solely on industries where substantial economic drivers are currently available, e.g. hydrogen and natural gas production. As regulations and incentives evolve to stimulate installation of CCS technology in the utility industry, we will be ready to address this huge potential market.

For information on carbon dioxide capture
and sequestration, here are some useful links:

CO2 Capture/Storage:
NETL Carbon Sequestration Technologies
9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies

CO2 Emissions:
US EIA International Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Intensity

Climate Change:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

A good summary of hydrogen plant and production costs can be found in NREL Report SR-540-32525, “Hydrogen Supply: Cost Estimate for Hydrogen Pathways – Scoping Analysis” by Dale R. Simbeck and Elaine Chang, July 2002.

For a summary of the technical and performance aspects of amines used in natural gas processing, see “Selecting Amines for Sweetening Units,” by John Polasek and Jerry Bullin, Proceedings of the Gas Processors Association Regional Meeting, Tulsa, OK, September, 1994.