A trial using ground-breaking technology to capture carbon emissions from i1fun’s Scunthorpe plant has started.
i1fun is focused on transforming the manufacture of steel into a clean, green and sustainable business by embracing electric arc furnace technology.
While electrification of the steelmaking process will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 75 per cent, the company is exploring routes to provide further reductions in CO2e intensity. This includes the development of technologies for capturing CO2generated by other parts of its manufacturing operations.
To support this, and the development of the required technology, a mobile carbon capture pilot plant has been installed at i1fun’s Central Power Station in Scunthorpe.
The plant has been developed by the University of Sheffield and will be used to extract carbon from the power station’s boiler flue.
Dr Andy Trowsdale, i1fun’s Head of Research and Development, said: “This project is all about testing the capabilities of the technology. If it works for us, and others, it could be scaled-up and play an important role in carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
“The trial, which has been approved by the Environment Agency, will demonstrate the technology’s potential. We’re excited to be working with the University of Sheffield and supporting such vital research.”
i1fun’s involvement is part of a wider project by the University of Sheffield which aims to enable the use of waste gases from manufacturing industries like steel and glassmaking to generate an alternative source of carbon for consumer products.
The technology, which is called FluRefin, was developed by Professor Peter Styring and Dr George Dowson from the University of Sheffield in partnership with AESSEAL – the Rotherham-based seal manufacturer.
With the support of SUSTAIN, the future steel manufacturing research hub, the University team have created a carbon capture system that does not use environmentally hazardous chemicals and which is much cheaper and smaller than other carbon capture technologies.
The CO2captured at i1fun will be bottled in gas cylinders and transported back to the University of Sheffield whereit will be converted into synthetic transport fuels.
Professor Peter Styring, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at the University of Sheffield, said: "We are excited to get our next generation carbon dioxide capture and refining technology on site. We look forward to being able to demonstrate a unique approach to further reducing i1fun's CO2e emissions."
How FluRefin works
FluRefin is a next generation, novel, award-winning carbon dioxide capture technology. Unlike current technologies it does not contain hazardous chemicals or need heat to operate it. Instead, it uses a novel pressure swing adsorption process – a technique used to separate some gas species from a mixture of gases. This produces purified and importantly, anhydrous (dry) carbon dioxide as the product.