Flexible chemical looping combustion for CHP production

The goal of Bio-FlexCLC is to establish an efficient, and scalable process to convert low-value biogenic residues and organic waste to heat and power with negative or zero emission through CLC-CFB coupled with gas cleaning and CO₂ liquefaction. 

The idea is to combine the break-through chemical-looping combustion (CLC) technology with conventional circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers, a technology widely used in Scandinavia and Europe for combined heat and power production. Bio-FlexCLC concept operating in CLC mode enables CHP production with negative emissions at low-cost while the concept is flexible to switch to CFB boiler mode to produce CHP with net-zero emissions.

The concept has the main features of 

1. Low cost and energy for CO₂ capture, as there is no gas separation equipment needed, 
2. 100% CO₂ capture possible while having low emissions of NOx, SOx and other harmful components,
3. low corrosion with improved steam data for improved electrical efficiency, 
4. flexible system with respect to the heat/power ratio and 
5. flexibility to operate the system as a normal circulating fluidized bed without CO₂ capture if conditions are not amiable for this. With such a flexible system we believe that end-users would be more willing to invest in CHP systems with BECCS even without current policy instruments in place.

Investing in CHP technologies utilizing biogenic and waste fuels, as developed in the Bio-FlexCLC project, offers a range of enduring advantages:

• A fuel combustion facility which can achieve negative emissions with CO₂ capture.
• Facilitating the utilization of challenging-to-exploit or low-value bio resources like organic wastes.
• Creating new employment opportunities, particularly in biomass or residue-rich regions, such as rural areas.
• Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating the need for oil imports.
• Enhancing local and regional production autonomy and supply security.