FILTRATION & SEPARATION TAILORED FILTRATION FOR CARBON CAPTURE
Colm Joy, Chief Technical Officer, Cleanova, discusses the role of Cleanova.C-CLEAN in Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) applications
ndustries from power generation to food production are under increasing pressure to decarbonise their processes and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) entering the atmosphere. The big question is what to do with the captured carbon. Essentially, the choice is permanent storage or reuse. Permanent CO2 sequestration can be
I
difficult and expensive. Suitable storage sites must be identified, adapted and monitored continuously. Building, monitoring and maintaining the necessary transportation infrastructure adds significant costs1
. Carbon
capture and storage (CCS) is therefore unlikely to present the most economical or practical long-term solution.
Utilisation, or CCUS, can be a simpler and less costly option. Established markets for CO2 already exist, including carbonated drinks, food packaging, fire suppression and enhanced plant growth, as well as emerging markets like the production of eFuels. CCUS means that captured CO2 becomes another value stream rather than a financial burden.2 Carbon capture technologies are continuously evolving to capture emissions from point sources such as steel-making facilities, power plants and industrial facilities through to direct air capture (DAC). The captured CO2 can then be processed for storage underground or repurposed for industrial use. Filtration plays a critical role at every stage: from decontaminating the source gas, through CO2 capture, and onwards to compression, transportation, and storage or reuse.
Filtration not only removes contaminants to deliver the desired final product quality, it also protects processing equipment and improves operational efficiency.
For example, chemical absorption is the most mature technology for post-combustion capture. Commonly deployed in power plants, cement production, and other industries that burn hydrocarbons to produce energy, chemical absorption uses solvents such as amines to selectively absorb CO2 from the flue gas. Gas filters are required to reduce contamination, maintain solvent quality and reduce absorber fouling and foaming. These filters prevent exhausted CO2 escaping into the atmosphere. Residual organics and hydrocarbon removal via activated carbon filtration is equally important. Any contamination reaching the top of the
38 APRIL 2025 | PROCESS & CONTROL
absorber column will directly impact the quality of the CO2 and may lead to inefficient CO2 capture. Closed loop heat regeneration cycles then separate the captured CO2 from the solvents, allowing the concentrated CO2 to be compressed for transportation or storage (see Figure 1). Pre-combustion capture, in which CO2 is separated from fuel before combustion occurs, also requires filtration systems to remove impurities such as sulfur compounds, particulates and moisture before CO2 separation. Membrane technologies, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), and solid sorbents are often used for CO2 removal..
Following capture, CO2 is
typically dehydrated and compressed to high pressure for transport and storage. This ‘Supercritical’ or ‘Dense Phase’ state relies on filtration to ensure efficiency and safety. Filtration removes contaminants such as water, lube oil, oxygen and hydrogen sulphide present in the CO2 that can cause corrosion or pipeline blockages. It also protects downstream equipment from fouling caused by solid corrosion products and pipe scale (Figure 2). The correct application of filtration in CCUS systems drives down costs, optimises uptime and delivers high-quality products, enabling captured CO2 to be reused in a variety of markets. However, no ‘standard’ design for CCUS yet exists and each application will have unique process challenges. This can make it difficult to identify the best filtration technology for the task.
One solution is Cleanova.C-CLEAN3 , a new
approach that provides tailored filtration solutions designed for each carbon capture process, based on the chosen method, load quantities, type of contaminants, CO2 concentration, pressure and temperature. The aim is to collaborate with industrial clients and CCUS operators from the earliest concept stages, because considering filtration requirements from the outset, and within the context of the entire system design and business model, will yield the best results and deliver optimal return on investment. Cleanova are also working to combine
Figure 1: illustrates the primary points where filtration should be applied in a solvent absorption system Figure 2: illustrates where filtration should be applied during the supercritical phase
process filtration experience with the power of AI systems. Applying AI-driven models and algorithms can augment filtration and separation processes and drive innovation. For example, AI-driven membrane development has improved methane-CO2 separation efficiency in natural gas processing. Machine learning algorithms have identified membrane materials offering the best balance of selectivity and permeability, while reinforcement learning algorithms have optimised operational parameters in real time. CCUS is just one application where AI can deliver the innovations we need to achieve enhanced performance, reduced operational costs, and greater environmental sustainability. This article is based on the whitepaper
“Carbon capture, utilisation and storage: a filtration perspective”, which is free to download here:
https://www.cleanova.com/ccuswhitepaper/
References 1
https://www.solartronisa.com/industries/clean-
energy/carbon-capture/challenges-of-ccs 2
674987123001494 3
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1
https://www.cleanova.com/cleanova-suite/c-clean/
Cleanova
cleanova.com
Figure 1
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