The Application of CCS Technology in China: Lesson from the Sino-Italy Collaboration on Coal Fired Power Plants

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is one of the most promising technological solutions to realize low-carbon utilization of fossil fuels in a large scale. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), China and Italy initiated the “Sino-Italy Cooperation on Application of CCS to Coal Fired Power Plants” (SICCS) project which not only promoted CCS technology exchanges and scientific research collaboration between both countries, but also conducted a pre- feasibility study on a full chain demonstration project, including capture of CO2 from coal fired power plant, CO2 transport and storage. This paper will introduce the overall R&D collaboration progress on this project. It first reports activities designed to raise CCS capacity in China and to facilitate the knowledge sharing between Chinese and Italian academe, key outcomes of the SICCS project including the first and second Sino-Italian Scientific Meetings on technology exchange, information sharing, and preliminary feasibility study for CCS demonstration project in China. Then, this paper investigates the preliminary feasibility study of a 1.0 Mt/y carbon dioxide (CO2) capture unit for an existing coal fired power station in China carried out by experts from both China and Italy. The study results obtained with reference to Chinese 600 MWe thermoelectric power plant were compared with those of Italian CCS demonstration project. Finally, this paper concludes main results of the collaboration and preliminary study, raises a new cross-boarder science and technology collaboration mechanism based on industrialization of scientific research cooperation and technology exchange by co-conducting demonstration projects. It also extracts main features of the processes and technologies that may be applied to the demonstrative application of CCS to the 600 MWe unit of Chinese coal power plant.