Partners advance supercritical CO2 waste heat recovery

Supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) is a special state of CO2 achieved by holding the compound above its critical pressure and temperature, where it takes on both liquid and gaseous properties. As it is much denser in this state than natural gas or steam, an S-CO2 turbine of the same output can be roughly a third smaller than gas or steam turbines, with a 30% increase in energy efficiency.

The system can use energy sources including coal-fired power plants, renewable energy, nuclear energy as well as waste heat from onshore engine power plants and engines of large ships. The partners plan to commercialise the waste heat recovery system for both marine and land-based power generation applications by 2019.

Joo Won-ho, director, HHI Corporate Research Centre, said, “With the development of the S-CO2 technology we are better positioned to secure differentiated technology competitiveness in the field of eco-ships and engine power plants.”

Kim Dong-sub, president, KEPCO Research Institute, added: “S-CO2 technology has huge potential. It can be linked with thermal and nuclear power generation systems and can reduce greenhouse gas emission by improving power efficiency.”