Operation Experience In A TRL7 Calcium Looping Plant Using Biomass As A Fuel In The Oxy-Fired Circulating Fluidised Bed Calciner

This work reports some of the initial tests carried out in the 1.7 MWth “la Pereda” Calcium Looping pilot after being re-furnished during 2023 to allow biomass firing in the oxy-fired circulating fluidised bed combustor-calciner. The TRL7 pilot can treat up to 1% of the flue gases of the 50 MWe power plant of Hunosa. This work is part of the EU funded CaLby2030 project, that intends, among other objectives, to demonstrate at TRL7 Calcium Looping using Circulating Fluidised Beds, CFB-CaL, in a range of carbon intensive industries [1]. The first test conducted under oxy-combustion of biomass pellets in the calciner is reported, including campaigns devoted to test at TRL7 the capability of CFB-CaL systems to reach CO2 capture efficiencies in the carbonator approaching 99%, by cooling the exit area do the carbonator and by ensuring a sufficient reactivity of the Ca-solids in that region, feeding a small “polishing flow” of Ca(OH)2 powder when needed