Koch Modular Launches Carbon Capture Demo System, Project Enterprise

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The carbon capture demonstration system is projected to reduce carbon emissions by 95% or more.

Koch Modular, a provider of process engineering design and modular construction, launched a carbon capture demonstration scale system, Project Enterprise, that is projected to reduce carbon emissions by at least 95%.

"We are proud to be at the forefront of solving the critical issue of carbon emissions,” said Tom Schafer, Vice President of Koch Modular. “Project Enterprise represents Koch Modular's commitment to developing solutions for a sustainable future. Through our engineering expertise and collaborative efforts with ION Clean Energy, Sargent & Lundy, Calpine, and the Department of Energy, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness and viability of carbon capture technologies.”

The carbon capture demonstration system harnesses a carbon-capture solvent developed by ION Clean Energy in collaboration with Koch Modular and ION's engineers. Project Enterprise was shipped as a series of modules and installed at Calpine's Los Medanos Energy Center in Pittsburg, CA—a power plant that utilizes natural gas as its primary fuel source to generate electricity. To assess the efficiency of CO2 capture with ION Clean Energy’s solvent, ICE-31, a portion of Calpine's flue gas will be diverted to the new system to generate data so that the teams can evaluate the advantages of the solvent technology.

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“Project Enterprise is an invaluable opportunity to confirm the transformative performance of ICE-31,” said ION VP of Engineering Andrew Awtry, Ph.D. “Our partners at Koch Modular and Calpine are fantastic, and the data we derive from this pilot will prove that our technology is as well. We’re excited about ION’s contributions to helping our clients achieve their low-carbon energy goals.”

Project Enterprise uses a three-step process:

  • The hot flue gases are cooled, facilitating the subsequent absorption of CO2 from the flue gas using the solvent.
  • The solvent is regenerated in a distillation column, allowing the captured CO2 to be stripped from the solvent and collected as a valuable distilled product.
  • The demonstration-scale system validates the removal efficiency and offers insight into the stability and low-energy consumption required with the carbon-capture technology.