Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by mineral carbonation

The study investigates the technologies that have the potential to provide feasible reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) from a reference power plant. Particular focus has been given to mineral carbonation (at 1 bar) in which magnesium (Mg) and/or calcium (Ca) bearing materials fixate themselves to CO2 molecules to produce Mg and/or Ca carbonates in a solid stable form. The study also involved energy and mass balances of various mineral carbonation systems for simulation in Simulink. Furthermore, the various carbonation systems were incorporated into a model of a reference plant’s operating efficiency. This allowed for analysis of the impact that the carbonation systems would have on the existing plant’s performance.