Pillar Lead: Nicole Bond
Pillar A3
Specific Objectives
- Develop a model of the EAF in order to generate off-gas profiles for different operating scenarios, including different iron supplies (scrap, conventional DRI, H2-CRI, etc) and different carbon charge sources (fossil fuels, bio-based fuels)
- Evaluate 2-3 candidate carbon capture technologies via bench-scale testing, including fixed bed chemical looping and inertial CO2 separation
- Develop tools to predict the cost and environmental impact of CO2 capture/removal, transportation, utilization, and storage Canada-wide for various scenarios
- Develop CO2 utilization processes in the areas of conversion and mineralization with higher efficiencies and lower energy consumption than existing conversion and mineralization technologies
Projects Overview
Dynamic Carbon Capture for Iron and Steel Production
Electric Arc Furnace Model Development
Knowledge of the off-gas properties from the EAF is required to be able to design, model and test suitable carbon capture technologies. The project will acquire representative operating data from Canadian EAF facilities (off-gas composition, flow, temperature, and pressure vs. time); build a stochastic model to predict EAF off-gas based on operating data for various operational archetypes; and evaluate how EAF off-gas properties will be affected through the use of biogenic reductants in the EAF.
Screening of Candidate Carbon Capture Technologies
A literature review will identify technologies that have the potential to meet the needs of the EAF. Membrane separation, fixed bed chemical looping, and inertial separation of CO2 have all been shortlisted for evaluation at this stage, with more to be added as they are discovered or conceived. The strongest candidates will be evaluated by building detailed optimized process simulations and conducting techno-economic and life cycle assessment (TEA-LCA) in order to down-select 2-3 technologies for evaluation with bench-scale testing.
Fixed Bed Chemical Looping Technology Development
Fixed bed chemical looping (CL) is an oxy-fuel process with the potential for turn-down that can meet the needs of the EAF. It can be applied to buffer the oxygen from the EAF off-gas stream during oxidizing periods and recover energy during reducing periods. The resulting CO2 stream will be concentrated (compared energy recovery via air-fired combustion), allowing this technology to be effectively paired with further CO2 capture/purification technologies to meet the product specifications required for transportation and storage. The projet will include building a detailed model of a CL reactor with EAF off-gas as the feed, followed by bench-scale testing and model validation with simulated EAF off-gas.
Inertial CO2 Separation Technology Development
This technology uses supersonic nozzles to de-sublimate CO2 from a gas stream, followed by a section that removes the solid CO2 particles via centrifugal force. Within this project, a technology developed by a collaborator will be scaled up to 5 tonnes per day of CO2 capture at CE-O and evaluated against the dynamic needs for carbon capture from the EAF.
Technology Roadmap for CCUS at Canadian Iron and Steel Facilities
This task is the synthesis of all modelling and experimental results from previous tasks to create clear and concise guidelines for policy development and dissemination of carbon capture knowledge to industry.
National CCUS Assessment Framework (NCAF)
This project supports the development of a strategy to implement CCUS in Canada in a cost-effective manner. It aims to develop rigorous datasets, network models, and tools that translate process, techno-economic, and life cycle/environmental data for carbon management into a clear, consistent, and accessible format. It will enable predicting the cost and environmental impact of CO2 capture/removal, transportation, utilization, and storage in order to support development of technical guidelines, policy/market decision-making, infrastructure investment, and industry technology adoption.
Advanced CO2 Utilization through Conversion and Mineralization
This project will develop CO2 utilization processes in the areas of conversion and mineralization, with at least 5-10% higher efficiency and 10-15% lower energy use compared to the incumbent processes. One activity specifically targets optimization of aqueous-based CO2 mineralization of metal slags.
Investigation of Safety for Accidental CO2 Release During Transport
Examine key leak scenarios; based on release-, terrain-, and wind-types; and model the resulting CO2 dispersion to address the key questions:
- Over what distance from the release is the threat to human health a concern,
- Where should leak detection and monitoring devices be placed, and
- What release mitigation measures should be employed?
Develop a tool for broad use by planners, regulators, and the public safety community that estimates the distance over which the threat to human health exists. Support planning and regulation of leak detection and release mitigation.
CO2 Storage in SW Ontario and Eastern Canada
Address knowledge gaps in three key areas in support of geological CO2 sequestration by
- investigating the potential for CO2 storage in oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers in Central and Eastern Canada, including offshore Atlantic reservoirs;
- Carrying-out field work R&D in shallow reservoirs to better understand CO2 migration in the shallow subsurface and to better understand the storage potential in basaltic rocks; and
- Investigating wellbore leakage in abandoned oil and gas wells and developing options to mitigate leakage.
Advancement of Canadian Energy Sector Emissions Measurement, Reporting, Verification, and Mitigation
Investigate volatile organic compound losses due to weathering in storage tanks, methane emissions from de-pressurized energy products (including storage tanks, phase separators, recycled water streams) and develop a new method for real-time methane, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compound quantification from wells, reservoirs and other point-sources. Models