Brindisi pilot project

Along with laboratory studies to improve the use of chemical absorbers, a pilot plant has been completed at the Federico II coal-fired plant in Brindisi, southern Italy. The pilot plant is part of the first integrated CCS pilot project in Italy combining the Enel’s CO2 post-combustion capture project and the Eni’s pilot CO2 injection project, in the frame of the Enel-Eni collaboration agreement on CCS.

The Brindisi pilot facility, one of the largest in Europe and in the world, can treat 10,000Nm3/h of flue gases for the separation of 2.5 t/h of CO2. By improving the capture process, it allows Enel to increase its know-how in view of the construction of a large-scale demonstration plant (250MW) at Porto Tolle, which was included among the most advanced and promising projects within the European Union.

The plant includes a group for the treatment of flue gases capable of completely removing sulphur trioxide (SO3), to drastically reduce sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels to below 20 mg/Nm3, and to remove particulate matter to value lower than 1 mg/Nm3.
The Brindisi project uses post-combustion technology. After its capture, CO2 is liquefied and briefly stored in a cryogenic tanks to be later  transported to the Eni/Stogit storage site (starting from mid 2011). The CO2 transport by pipeline will also be tested on a test rig loop which will be in operation from 2012.