Amine-based CO₂ capture · proprietary technology

Carbon Capture

A key technology for decarbonisation — capturing CO₂ before it reaches the atmosphere.

244 Mt CO₂/yr targeted for capture and storage by 196 CCS facilities worldwide already operating or under development, as of 2022.

The case for carbon capture

Carbon Capture (CC) is a crucial technology for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, playing a vital role in combating global warming. Effective carbon capture must be followed by either storage or utilization to achieve its climate mitigation goals.

The first step is separating CO₂ from the other gases in an industrial process stream, i.e., the flue gas from coal-fired thermal power plants, steel mills, or cement factories. Once captured, the CO₂ is transported for storage or utilization: typically injected into geological formations like saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs at depths of a kilometre or more, or routed into industrial processes that consume it directly.

Realising Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects presents real challenges: project complexity, high capital expenditure, and the substantial energy required to compress, transport, and inject CO₂ into storage sites. Despite this, momentum is building worldwide.

Proven at industrial scale — amine-based absorption is the most widely deployed carbon capture technology globally
Multi-sector suited to flue gas from boilers, kilns, and furnaces across cement, steel, chemicals, and power generation
Closed-loop the amine solvent is continuously regenerated and reused, requiring no ongoing chemical replenishment

How amine absorption captures CO₂

At First ESCO, we offer carbon capture solutions based on global best practices, spanning several proven technology routes to suit different customers' needs. The most established of these is amine-based absorption, shown in the instrument below: a chemical solvent captures CO₂ from flue gas and is then regenerated for reuse, so the same solvent works continuously. The instrument below traces this cycle from flue gas in to captured CO₂ out.

FIG. 1 — AMINE-BASED CO₂ CAPTURE LOOP
Flue gas CO₂-lean flue gas Absorber Desorber Heat Exchanger Reboiler Rich Amine Lean Amine Steam Condensate CO₂ for utilization and sequestration
flue gas CO₂ lean amine rich amine steam / heat

Hover or tap any vessel to read its role. Use the controls to pause or change speed.

Read this process as text
  1. Flue gas enters the base of the Absorber, rising through a bed of lean amine solution that chemically binds the CO₂ out of it. CO₂-lean flue gas exits the top of the absorber; CO₂-rich amine collects at the bottom.
  2. Rich amine is pumped from the absorber through the Heat Exchanger, where it's preheated by hot lean amine returning from the reboiler, then into the top of the Desorber.
  3. In the desorber, heat supplied by the Reboiler (via steam) reverses the amine-CO₂ bond. Concentrated CO₂ vapour rises and exits the top, passing through a compressor on its way to utilization or sequestration.
  4. The regenerated lean amine collects at the base of the desorber and flows to the reboiler, where steam heat drives off the last of the CO₂; the steam itself condenses and leaves separately.
  5. Hot lean amine from the reboiler returns through the same heat exchanger — preheating the incoming rich amine — before flowing back into the top of the absorber to strip more CO₂. The loop closes and runs continuously.

A portfolio of capture technologies

Amine absorption is the most widely proven capture route, but not the only one we offer. We tailor the technology to each customer's gas composition, scale, and budget:

Chemical Adsorption

Solid sorbents bind CO₂ at the surface, then release it on heating or pressure swing. Well suited to lower-concentration streams.

Molecular Sieves

Microporous materials that separate CO₂ by molecular size, giving high-purity output for sensitive downstream uses.

Membrane-Based Capture

Selective membranes let CO₂ permeate while retaining other gases. Compact, modular, and low in moving parts.

Amine-Based Technologies

The mature, high-recovery route traced above, i.e., a chemical solvent cycled between absorption and steam-driven regeneration.

Research and partnerships

We tailor our solutions to each customer's specific preferences and needs. Beyond today's technology, we're actively researching CO₂ splitting to enable more cost-effective sequestration — minimizing both capital expenditure and energy consumption. We welcome partnerships in this vital research.

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