BASF team to test CO2-capture technology

30 July 2010

BASF is teaming with Japan’s JGC and INPEX to carry out demonstration tests on a new technology for capturing and recovering CO₂ contained in natural gas.

CO₂-capture processes require a large amount of energy and the removal facilities account for a major part of investment and operating costs.

JGC and BASF began jointly developing a technology for a CO₂-capture process called High Pressure Acid Gas Capture Technology (HiPACT) in 2004.

Following basic research and trials, the technology is claimed to demonstrate a significantly higher CO₂ absorption rate than existing processes and is capable of recovering CO₂ under high-pressure conditions.

According to BASF, an important milestone in this development is transferring the technology to an operating gas-processing facility.

HiPACT reduces the overall power consumption of the facility and lowers investment costs. Because the CO₂ is released from the solvent at well above atmospheric pressure, there is a significant reduction in the amount of energy required if CO₂ is used in high-pressure applications, such as chemical synthesis, or sequestered underground.

Testing will start at INPEX’s Koshijihara natural-gas plant in August 2010.

Going forward with information from the test results, JGC and BASF will focus on the commercialisation of HiPACT technology in sectors including natural-gas projects with CO₂ reinjection. INPEX will aim at further energy savings at its natural-gas plants by using the HiPACT technology.