Swedish-based Phoenix BioPower and Drax are exploring ways to drive down the costs of second-generation BECCS technology.
The feasibility study by Phoenix BioPower will look at how energy-efficient gas turbines could make new-build BECCS projects more cost effective by generating 50% more power with the same amount of fuel, when powering a 300MWe biomass plant with integrated carbon capture and storage.
The innovative top cycle turbines are up to 15 percentage points more efficient with BECCS than existing technologies used in power stations and could also be used with other renewable technologies, to support decarbonising energy systems globally.
Henrik Båge, CEO of Phoenix BioPower said, “Working alongside Drax, a global leader in sustainable biomass power generation and BECCS, gives us an exciting opportunity to explore the next generation of negative emissions technologies together with our high-efficiency biopower technology. We look forward to working with the world-class engineers at Drax on this study to further develop these essential technologies.”
By integrating pressurised biomass gas into the turbine, instead of high-pressure steam, Biomass-fired Top Cycle turbines can almost double of the electrical efficiency from biomass compared to the traditional steam cycle.
The study will also investigate how the biomass-fired top cycle gas turbines can be utilised for other renewable technologies such as hydrogen combustion and production. The study will be based on results from Phoenix’s test facilities in Sweden and Germany.