Pre-combustion CO2 capture technology offers the possibility to use flexible, clean and efficient power plants. Moreover, the same technology can be used for the production of decarbonised hydrogen for This technology is based on reforming or gasification technologies that are proven for natural gas, coal and biomass. The syngas produced is shifted to hydrogen and CO2. The CO2 is available at high-pressure which makes capture/separation less energy consuming. The hydrogen can be used to generate electricity in a gas turbine combined cycle unit. Alternatively, the gasification products can be converted to chemicals, transportation fuels or substitute natural gas. The work in this work package is divided into demonstration of the first generation pre-combustion technologies and long term research for second generations technologies.

The first generation pre-combustion CO2 capture technologies are available on power-plant scale (with the exception of hydrogen-fired gas turbines), but have never been applied for CO2 capture. As part of the UKR-scheme NUON is building a unique facility for CO2 capture from a side-stream of their IGCC power plant in Buggenum. In CATO-2, state-of-the-art water-gas shift catalysts and physical CO2 solvents will be tested. The project prepares NUON for the 1200 MW Magnum IGCC plant they are developing in Eemshaven

(Northern Netherlands region/Energy Valley).

There is a general agreement that more efficient pre-combustion capture technologies are necessary to make it economically competitive in the long run. For longer term use (time-to-market of more than 10 years), several novel technologies and materials have been recently discovered. Some already past the proof-of principle stage. Others, like novel materials for H2/CO2 separation and nano-structured sorbents, are out-of-the-box, high-risk, high-reward options. In CATO and the EU programme IP CACHET, ECN and Air Products,

BP and Shell delivered proof-of principle for two innovative and potentially high-efficiency pre-combustion capture technologies. These technologies that will be further explored

in CATO-2 are:

This technology combines the methane steam reforming reaction with hydrogen separation in one reactor. Products are hot hydrogen and CO2 at elevated pressure ready for storage.

At ECN palladium-alloy membranes have been developed and the principle of membrane steam reforming of natural gas was proven at lab-scale. A process-development unit (PDU) was designed and constructed. R&D was aimed at natural gas based power production.