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    Siemens, TC Energy in Waste-Heat-to-Power Project

Summary

Technology uses supercritical carbon dioxide in heat recovery process

by: Dale Lunan

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Complimentary, Natural Gas & LNG News, Americas, Carbon, Gas to Power, Corporate, Contracts and tenders, News By Country, Canada

Siemens, TC Energy in Waste-Heat-to-Power Project

Houston-based Siemens Energy said February 12 it had entered into an agreement with Canada’s TC Energy to build a first-of-its-kind waste-heat-to-power facility in Alberta using supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2).

The facility will capture waste heat from a gas-fired turbine operating at a TC Energy compressor station and convert it into emissions-free power. The electricity produced will be put back into the Alberta power grid, resulting in estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of 44,000 metric tons/year.

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Siemens Energy will build, own and operate the facility, with the option for ownership to be transferred back to TC Energy at a later date. It is expected to be commissioned towards the end of 2022.

The facility is built around a patented heat recovery process that uses sCO2 as the working fluid to convert waste heat into power. Because of its properties, sCO2 can interact more directly with the heat source than water/steam, eliminating the need for a secondary thermal loop, typically required in traditional waste heat recovery systems. 

By deploying sCO2-based waste heat recovery solutions, midstream operators can realize greater value than traditional alternatives, including a 25-40% smaller footprint than steam-based systems, a 10% increase in compressor station efficiency and the ability to produce clean, emissions-free electricity.

Although Siemens Energy did not reveal the capital cost of the pilot project – which could generate enough electricity to power more than 10,000 homes – it did say it was supported by C$8 (US$6.3)mn in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta’s Industrial Efficiency Challenge. According to a post on Emissions Reduction Albertas web site, the project is valued at C$45.6mn.

TC Energy is evaluating other potential compressor station sites to deploy the technology, with the opportunity to generate 300 MW of emissions-free power.