Goal: carbon capture via amino-acid salts

Siemens Energy and TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, plan to work together to advance carbon capture technology based on amino-acid salts.

Together, the two companies aim to fast-track bringing the second-generation technology to market, and aim to implement a full-scale demonstration plant by 2014.

Both Siemens and TNO possess comprehensive know-how in the field of CO2 capture. Siemens is developing a proprietary second- generation amino-acid process for CO2 capture in the industrial park Frankfurt Hoechst. TNO has been performing its own research activities in this field since the ’90s. Both partners see major potential for full-scale application in eco-friendly solvents based on amino-acid salts.

“CO2 capture and storage technologies will in the future play a decisive role in the utilization of fossil fuels,” said Michael Suess, CEO of the fossil power generation division of Siemens Energy. “They need to be tested for deployment in large plants and brought to market readiness.”

“Further development and early demonstration of this technology will be key to enable clean and cost-effective use of fossil fuels in the coming decades,” said Paul Korting, general director of TNO science and industry. “To meet this challenge, we develop several CCS technologies supporting industry. We foresee that with our extensive know-how concerning amino acid salts and pilot plant capabilities, we will be able to give a boost to Siemens’ efforts to bring a good capture process based on this class of solvents to demonstration.”

“TNO is one of the first parties piloting second-generation capture solvents,” added Lodewijk Nell, business development manager of CO2 capture at TNO. “We have been testing various solvents since April 2008 in our CATO pilot plant at the Rotterdam site of E.ON Benelux. We look forward to bring in our experience with amino acid salts supporting Siemens.”