Feasibility study on biomass ash application, hydrogen production and carbon dioxide capture

R&D Focus Areas:
Electrolysis, Electricity

Lead Organisation:
The University of Newcastle

Partners:
Verdant Earth Pty Ltd (VE)

Status:
Completed

Start date:
June 2021

Completion date:
December 2021

Key contacts:
Project Leader: Laureate Professor Behdad Moghtaderi: behdad.moghtaderi@newcastle.edu.au

Funding:
Co-Funded by the Federal Government (through the Innovation Connect Grant Scheme) and Verdant Earth Pty Ltd

Project total cost:
AUD$99,991 (cash)

Project summary description:
This project aimed at facilitating the transformation of the decommissioned Redbank coal-fired powerplant into a new configuration for co-production of renewable electricity and green hydrogen from biomass using commercially available technologies.

Motivated by the negative emissions and CO₂ recycling concepts, the new configuration also incorporates unit operations for post-combustion capture of CO₂. Verdant Earth and the University of Newcastle have conducted a pre-feasibility investigation (including pilot-scale testing) of the configuration and have arrived at a full-scale concept design featuring:

• A power block with 136 MW net generating capacity comprising a pair of fluidised bed combustors / boilers consuming 112 t/h of biomass, material handling units, and steam turbines.
• A 1.5 Mt/year cryogenic CO₂ capture block comprising an off-the-shelf product together with storage and transport components for off-site CO₂ utilisation and/or storage.
• A 9,400 t/year power-to-hydrogen block (28 t/day) consisting of 3×40 MW electrolyser modules and storage tanks for oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen is exported while oxygen is consumed on-site in the boilers. The electrolyser runs on excess electricity only during daily periods of low electricity demand or excess supply.

Related publications and key links:
Not applicable

Higher degree studies supported:
One postdoctoral research fellow was supported by this project.

 

May 2022