'Chimney-Free Power Plants' Capture 90% of CO2 Emissions

The cityscape viewed from Namsan in Seoul on the 24th appears hazy due to fine dust levels reaching a 'bad' concentration. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a technology that captures more than 90% of air pollutants from coal-fired power plants, which are one of the major sources of carbon dioxide and ultrafine dust emissions.

The Korea Institute of Energy Research announced on the 13th that the research team belonging to the FEP Convergence Research Group succeeded in developing the 'Oxy-fuel Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion Technology.' This technology combines oxy-fuel combustion and circulating fluidized bed combustion technologies. By increasing the oxygen concentration used during combustion by 60%, it can produce an output of 100 kWth. The current world’s highest level was to increase oxygen concentration up to 40%.

By utilizing this technology, combustion is performed with high-concentration oxygen, and exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide are reused in combustion. Accordingly, compared to conventional air combustion, more than 90% of carbon dioxide can be captured. Sulfur oxides can be reduced by 80%, nitrogen oxides by 85%, and carbon monoxide by about 76%.

In particular, the power output can be increased up to twice that of existing coal-fired power plants. The research team confirmed that when operating at an oxygen concentration above 60%, an output of 200 kWth is generated.

The equipment process applying this technology only requires adding oxygen supply equipment and exhaust gas recirculation equipment to existing coal-fired power plant facilities. Denitrification is possible through the supply of reductants (urea solution or ammonia water) inside the furnace. By injecting limestone particles, desulfurization is also possible.

Dr. Taeyoung Moon of the FEP Convergence Research Group stated, "By securing the basic design, engineering, and operation technologies for oxy-fuel circulating fluidized bed combustion technology purely with domestic technology, we plan to contribute to the demonstration of a new power generation technology capable of source separation of greenhouse gases."

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