JOINT INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP
CO2 Corrosion
Corrosion in pipelines and wells is a major risk to CCS projects. A high proportion of operating and late design projects have experienced problems, and there are some knowledge gaps.
We know that polar impurities can have a significant impact on the dew point and corrosivity of condensing aqueous phases in gas and dense phase CCS pipelines and wells.
We know that chemical reactions between impurities in CO2 can take place, and these reactions can create corrosive compounds such as water, nitric acid and sulphuric acid.
There is no standard way of quantifying and mitigating these risks.
Pace CCS is developing a comprehensive solution to this problem, addressing all technical uncertainties and providing a clear, actionable, transparent basis for CCS design.
This project is partially funded by the Net Zero Technology Centre (SPARK-2305 Predicting corrosive aqueous phase liquids in CCS pipelines induced by polar impurities) and Pace CCS’s industry partners: Neptune Energy, Progressive Energy, Marubeni Itochu, Vallourec, INPEX, and Hydrafact.
Pace CCS are offering early access to all project deliverables, documentation, and a 12-month license to the outcome: a CCS corrosion software solution.
Many projects have had problems, including:
- Gorgon CCS, which had a two-year delay in startup and required physical modifications to retrofit appropriate dehydration, due to potential for condensing aqueous phases.
- Confidential major CCS pilot project, which suffered aggressive unexpected corrosion in a dense phase pipeline during operation, requiring pipeline replacement.
- Quest CCS, where condensing aqueous phases in a dense phase pipeline have unexpectedly collected.
- Aramis CCS, which has effectively banned the use of glycol for dehydration due to risk of corrosion from condensing aqueous phases in gas phase pipelines.
- Confidential UK CCS project #1, which has outright banned the use of glycol for dehydration due to risk of corrosion from condensing aqueous phases in gas phase pipelines, and retains other unresolved corrosion risks in pipelines and wells related to chemical reactions.
- Confidential UK CCS project #2, which has outright banned the use of glycol for dehydration due to risk of corrosion from condensing aqueous phases in dense phase pipelines.
- Confidential Dutch CCS project, which has effectively banned the use of glycol for dehydration due to risk of corrosion from condensing aqueous phases in gas phase pipelines.
- Confidential SE Asia CCS project, which required late redesign and retains significant operational limitations due to potentially condensing corrosive aqueous liquids in a dense phase pipeline.
- Confidential USA CCS project #1, which is unable to uphold its contracts for specification and compositional control with emitter partners due to potential corrosion due to chemical reactions condensing aqueous phases in dense phase pipelines and wells.
- Confidential USA CCS project #2, which has cancelled FEED in part because of integrity concerns related to corrosion.
- Confidential major onshore CCS project, which has major unresolved issues with design related to corrosion potential in dense phase pipelines and wells.
The software CCS corrosion solution brings together multiple elements from Pace CCS experience, expertise, and data developed during SPARK-2305:
- We are developing a reliable thermodynamic model to predict behaviour of aqueous liquids in CCS[1].
- We have a comprehensive database of all observed and possible chemical reactions between impurities in CCS networks[2].
- We model corrosivity of aqueous liquids in CCS using the best available correlations[3].
- Our multidimensional evolutionary data analysis algorithm allows us to reliably predict the worst case for design[4].
- The Pace CCS software team have developed several bespoke applications to support CCS design[5].
- Pace CCS have a track record of delivering conservative and reliable corrosion design for CCS[6].
[1] Laboratory work is underway. The goal is to test and tune the CPA (Cubic Plus Association) Equation of State to predict aqueous phase solubility and dew point in gas and dense phase CO2, pipelines and well. Pace CCS is a pioneer of thermodynamic modelling for CCS projects, including extensive project experience and published papers.
[2] Pace CCS and Oxford University have developed a comprehensive register of chemical reactions that have either been observed or are thermodynamically likely in a CCS pipeline or well. There are over 4000 candidate reactions with reaction products that include water, sulphur, nitric acid, and ammonium salts. This is based on Pace CCS’s comprehensive database of impurities that may be present in a CCS project, from any source and via any capture/dehydration method.
[3] Pace CCS have delivered corrosion analysis and risk assessments on dozens of global CCS projects.
[4] The worst case must be found for any possible operating temperate and pressure, presence and concentration of around 10 key impurities common in CCS networks, plus potential reaction products from over 4000 possible reactions. We have developed an evolutionary algorithm that can identify the worst case in around 100 seconds, which includes millions of thermodynamic calculations.
[5] Among others, we have developed a full-chain digital twin for modelling of CCS networks; our software is the foundation of the ABB Balance of Operations software solution for CCS operations; we have a free-to-use CCS phase envelope generator app at phaseenvelopes.secure.paceccs.com.
[6] Including global leading projects Moomba CCS (planned startup early 2024), Porthos CCS (in EPC, FID October 2023), and HyNet CCS (FID expected 2024).