Operational insights into a biomass gasification with carbon capture as a CO2 removal technology

Recent studies emphasize the need for advanced and feasible technologies to meet the global agenda of achieving net-zero or negative carbon emissions. In this work, the performance of a large-scale biomass gasification system utilizing palm kernel shell and integrated with carbon capture (BECCS) was evaluated as a potentially viable carbon dioxide removal solution. The entire system was developed and simulated using ASPEN Plus. Key operational parameters of the BECCS system were investigated, including the equivalence ratio (ER), gasification temperature, monoethanolamine (MEA) concentration, and the liquid-to-gas (L/G) ratio. It was observed that increasing the ER led to minuscule changes in power output, CO2 removal efficiency, and the flow rate of gas captured in the stripper column, while gasification temperature has a more significant impact on low and high heating values than the ER. The energy and environmental performance of the BECCS system were evaluated across a range of critical parameters. The specific regeneration energy decreased with increasing MEA concentration, L/G/ratio, and ER, whereas CO2 capture efficiency exhibited the opposite trend. The most favorable operating condition for the proposed BECCS system was achieved at a gasification temperature of 800 °C and an ER of 0.5, resulting in a CO2 removal efficiency of 70%, negative carbon emissions of approximately −3560 kg CO2/MWh, and a specific regeneration energy of 1.5 GJ/tonne CO2.