Application of sorption enhanced water gas shift for carbon capture in integrated steelworks

In integrated steelworks a large fraction of total CO2 is emitted from the power plant, where carbon-rich blast furnace gas (BFG) is burned to produce electricity by means of a steam cycle or a gas-steam combined cycle. The aim of the present paper is to assess the potential of Sorption Enhanced Water Gas Shift (SEWGS) process for CO2 capture from blast furnace gas. Firstly, a reference combined cycle applied to blast furnace steel plant is defined. Mass flow rate and composition of the steel plant off-gas used as fuel in the combined cycle have been derived from a large integrated steel plant. Then, the application of the SEWGS process is investigated and compared to a reference monoethanolamine (MEA)-based post-combustion absorption option. Two different SEWGS plant layouts are proposed together with two different sorbents. SEWGS achieves 85% of CO2 avoided with electric efficiency of 39% with the advanced sorbent. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.