Kairos-at-C, Building strong momentum for massive decarbonisation in the EU through a unique end to end CCS project

Introduction

The main objective of the Kairos@C project is to create the first and largest cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain to capture, liquefy, ship, and permanently store CO2. Located in the Port of Antwerp, Kairos@C will establish a regional hub for innovative energy and carbon value chains.

Project Overview

Kairos@C will develop a full industrial-scale CCS project that will encompass:

1. CO2 capture from various industrial sources on the Zandvliet industrial platform.
2. CO2 transport by pipeline to the liquefaction and export terminal located in the same port.
3. Shipping towards CO2 subsea storages in the North Sea.
4. Permanent sequestration of the CO2 in these storages.

The infrastructure in the Port of Antwerp will be built in a phased approach and will be scalable.

Innovative Technologies

Kairos@C will enable the deployment of several pioneering technologies that together have the potential to avoid the emission into the atmosphere of 14 Mt of CO2 over its first ten years of operation. Among the project innovations are:

• A cryogenic CO2 capture process at industrial scale.
• An energy-efficient CO2 liquefaction plant, with ten times the capacity of the largest CO2 liquefaction unit in operation today.
• The development of a major functioning cross-border shipping and storage CCS chain.

Cryogenic CO2 Capture Process

The first major innovation is the deployment of CryocapTM, a cryogenic CO2 capture process, at industrial scale. This process enables the transition to a zero-carbon energy system as it consumes mainly electricity and can use renewable electricity.

The integrated multi-feed capture scheme will integrate CO2 capture and purification from five different sources located on the Zandvliet industrial complex:

• Two hydrogen (H2) plants.
• Two ethylene oxide (EO) plants.
• One ammonia (NH3) plant.

The project will focus first on the more concentrated CO2 emissions in the process streams, i.e., those generated as a by-product in a chemical process (ammonia and ethylene oxide) for which no alternative or cost-effective low-carbon technology is available. This is a very cost-effective phased approach (vs full capture upfront investment), starting with the more concentrated emissions in the process streams and allowing integration of future expansions at a later stage.

Energy Efficient Liquefaction Plant

The second innovative element of the project is the use of an energy-efficient liquefaction plant at a scale not realized before (ten times the capacity of the largest CO2 liquefaction unit in operation today) and tailored to the needs of the Antwerp port.

Development of Liquid CO2 Vessels

The third innovative element is the development of liquid CO2 vessels on a hitherto unavailable scale, whereby the main innovation lies in an appropriate design and steel grade able to withstand both the pressure and weight of liquefied CO2.

Strategic Importance

Kairos@C is a prominent example of Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) Plan strategy implementation, which looks for clusters and hubs linking a range of carbon and energy-intensive industries to increase synergies. The project will support the Port of Antwerp in becoming a regional hub for innovative energy and carbon value chains.

The project will also contribute to maintaining and reinforcing European industry’s global competitiveness, in line with the EU Industrial Strategy.

Regional Significance

Kairos@C will be the first and largest reference for a cross-border liquid CO2 value chain in a multi-user environment due to a series of factors:

1. Antwerp is the second largest European port (after Rotterdam) and the fourth largest European industrial cluster.
2. The BASF site located in the Port of Antwerp is the largest integrated chemical production complex in Belgium, where Air Liquide owns and operates two world-scale hydrogen production units on which capture units will be added.

Kairos@C will benefit from the synergies with the Antwerp@C initiative, such as the use of shared CO2 infrastructure within the Port of Antwerp.

Conclusion

Kairos@C is also a flagship project in terms of supporting the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors.