R-D-CSPP-PSE · Research and Development in Coal-fired Supercritical Power Plant with Post-combustion Carbon Capture using Process Systems Engineering techniques

Research and Development in Coal-fired Supercritical Power Plant with Post-combustion Carbon Capture using Process Systems Engineering techniques

Over the project period (from Jan. 2014 to Dec. 2017), the whole project consortium has delivered around 180 person-months, which is more than the planned numbers (168 person months). Overall, we have published 57 journal papers and 59 conferences. These deliverables are much more than the planned outcomes set in the proposal (30 journal papers and 50 conference papers over 4 years). Extensive staff exchanges including ERs and ESRs have been carried out within the project consortium. For example, groups at the University of Hull have made extensive knowledge exchange activities with ECUST, Tsinghua University and Southeast University. Both short and long visits were carried out. Mr Peizhi Liao from Southeast University had visited University of Hull for almost 12 months. This enables a more systemic training of the PhD student. In addition, high level visits have also been made between project partners. For example, Vice President of East China of Science & Technology (ECUST) Prof Feng Qian visited University of Hull and University of Sheffield with a group senior researchers in Aug. 2015 and Aug. 2017 respectively. It enables high-level talking between UK and Chinese universities, leading to long term sustainable collaborations. This is evidenced by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between University of Sheffield and ECUST in Aug. 2017. Newcastle University has made exchanges of knowledge and staff with Tsinghua University in China. In total, Newcastle University had sent more than 30 person-months to Tsinghua and Tsinghua University had sent more than 15 person-month to Newcastle. They have made excellent progress in process control, modelling and simulation of solvent-based post-combustion CO2 capture, and its integration with coal-fired power plant. Our France partner (UVHC) has developed major collaborations with Southeast University in China, by delivering more than 15 person-months to Southeast University, in particular related to WP 1 and WP 6. Prof. Meihong Wang has become a full Professor in the period of the project, and has moved from University of Hull to University of Sheffield at the end of 2016, which had hosted more than 15 person-months from ECUST and Tsinghua. In addition, more researchers have developed their skills in the areas of process modelling, simulation and communication through the project. Several PhD students (e.g. Dr Xiaobo Luo, Dr Eni Oko, Dr Akeem Olaleye, Dr Atuman S. Joel and Dr Olumide Olumayegun) have graduated and obtained academic or research positions at different universities worldwide. Through the project, several key industries have been identified and other funds are secured to sustain the collaborations and to enhance the economic and social impact of the project outcomes. Prof Chuanlong Xu and Prof Meihong Wang visited a supercritical coal-fired power plant (under Huneng Group) in Nanjing, China to disseminate research outcome from this project. Prof Wang also visited Sinopec Shanghai Research Institute to disseminate research outcome from this project. The project has generated extensive data in relation to the development of efficient technologies for capturing CO2 from coal-fired power plants. This will promote the reduction of CO2 and generate long term impacts to mitigate climate change, and promote the development of low-carbon technologies. Although coal-fired power plant is going to be removed from the market in the UK, there are still many coal-fired power plants in China. In addition, the technology including models and control technologies developed in this project can also be used in other scenarios of CO2 capture from biomass combustion, petroleum industries (e.g. fluidised catalytic cracking). Prof Wang organised a special issue on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in International Journal of Coal Science and Technology (Vol. 4 Issue 1, published in Mar. 2017), 6 out of the 8 papers published were originated from this EU IRSES project.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union