Flexible FlueCO2
Technology Description:
Luna Innovations is developing FlueCO2, a process that enables traditional power generators to respond to increased VRE while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. FlueCO2 is a combined membrane and gas processing technology that integrates into existing natural gas combined cycle power plants and actively removes CO2 from the exhaust gas. The membrane separates CO2 at unrivaled rates using steam generated within the plant. The CO2-rich steam leaving the membranes is processed further to remove the water so it can be regenerated into steam at the most energy efficient conditions. Remaining CO2 is then compressed for pipeline transport. FlueCO2 requires lower capital investment and reduces operating costs compared to conventional CCS technologies. The FlueCO2 membranes and process are currently being scaled for baseload plants (100% output) and estimates of the energy and economic costs will be generated to support continued technology investment.
Potential Impact:
Improvements in the design and processes of CCS-equipped plants in high VRE environments could dramatically reduce the cost of a net-zero carbon system. Benefits include: