Development of membrane reactor technology for power production with pre-combustion CO2 capture

Hydrogen membrane reactors are an advanced technology for pre-combustion CO2 capture at gas fired power stations. Developments in the field of membrane manufacturing, bench scale testing, module modeling and technoeconomic evaluations are discussed. Semi-commercial modules with membranes up to 50 cm length are currently available. A bench scale multi-tube membrane reactor with a capacity up to 8 parallel tubes has been successfully operated for separation, membrane water-gas shift and membrane reforming experiments. A membrane module model has been developed that is a key element in the scale-up of membrane reactors. Techno-economic evaluation of membrane reactors indicates that for CO2 capture at gas fired power plants membrane water-gas shift has a better potential than membrane reforming and than conventional pre-combustion CO2 capturing using Selexol.