OXYFLUID: Fluidized-bed oxy-fuel combustion of low-grade biomass for efficient BECCS and BECCU

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage or utilization (BECCUS) is identified as one the most promising solutions to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial actors in Sweden. It has the potential to deliver more than 25 million tonnes of negative CO₂ emissions per year. An attractive route for BECCUS is oxy-fuel fluidized bed combustion (OF-FBC), as oxy-fuel produces highly concentrated CO₂ which facilitates capture, while FCB enables efficient conversion of low-grade biomass, such as waste-products from forestry and agriculture. However, the technique is relatively unexplored for solid biomass and associated with challenges related to combustion and ash chemistry, plant performance and retrofitting existing boilers.

This project will generate essential knowledge for the implementation of OF-FBC in Sweden. We will develop advanced models and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the complex process to better understand, among other things, how biomass behaves in a carbon dioxide–rich environment. Advanced measurement techniques, such as laser spectroscopy, and detailed material analyses will be employed in laboratory and pilot-scale experiments to validate the simulations and study chemical reactions, ash properties and the purity of the generated CO₂ gas. A unique aspect of the project is that we also include systems analyses to explore how the technology could be implemented in Sweden under different policy scenarios, what it would cost, and what climate benefits it would provide.

If successful, the project could help Sweden take important steps toward a more sustainable and circular bioeconomy, where waste is transformed into energy, while CO₂ is captured or utilized and thereby kept out of the atmosphere. The project is carried out in close collaboration with researchers from Lund University, Luleå University of Technology, the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), and several industrial partners.

More information

See an illustration of oxy-fuel biomass combustion scheme here.

Photo: Sofia Guaico, Unsplash, Unsplash