Summary report: Amine emissions to air during carbon capture. Phase I: CO2 and amines screening study for effects to the environment.

Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has arisen to a national priority on the Norwegian agenda. One of the more promising technologies for efficient post combustion CO2 capture is through the use of amines. A CO2 capture plant using amineswill produce amine emissions to the air, while possibly also forming other compounds in the atmosphere after emission. Of immediate concern are toxic compounds such as nitrosamines, nitramines, and amides - all which can be formed by the reaction of amines with oxidized nitrogen compounds. This screening study has been conducted to understand more about atmospheric amine chemistry and to evaluate if the emissions caused by CO2 capture using amines may pose a risk to human health and the natural environment. Project results discovered that amines appear not to be severely harmful, but photo-oxidation ofamines in the atmosphere produces compounds of relatively unknown effects; thus there exists potential risks which preliminarily appear to be harmful to bothhumans and the local ecosystem.