INTERACT

A major task addressed in the Strategic Energy Technology Plan of the EU is the sustainable power generation from fossil fuels. A crucial step here is the separation of CO2 from flue gas. INTERACT investigates the scientific and technological basis of radically innovative materials and processes. Strong improvement of the energy penalty of the capture process below 5 % points and reduction of the CO2 capture costs significantly below 50% by simultaneously substantially decreasing the footprint of power plants and thus the environmental impact. INTERACT follows the idea of the concurrent engineering in which new materials for CO2 capture i.e. membranes, highly efficient nanomaterials and biological absorbents are combined with innovative technologies resulting in real breakthroughs according to criteria given in Topic ENERGY 2013.5.1.2.
The general concept of INTERACT is to open new pathways for development of high-potential novel processes for post combustion CO2 capture based on new materials, using poly(ionic liquid)s or enzymes, integrated into gas separation technologies such as gas separation membranes, absorption in columns and absorption using membrane contactors. Several innovative absorbents and adsorbents - the main bottleneck of the conventional processes - will be in depth analysed for applications in different unit process operations. Tests in full scale for long term operation under realistic operating conditions will confirm their feasibility. It will result of proof of concept for the most suitable combination of new “material by design” and innovative technology. These activities fully agree with the recommendations of the Materials Roadmaps Enabling Low Carbon Energy Technologies from 2011.
The consortium composed of industry, universities and research institutes will provide the technological basis for advanced CO2 separation both for large scale operation of power stations or other energy intensive industry as well as for smaller emission sources...