Design and operation strategy of CO₂ terminal

With recent advancements in the carbon capture and storage (CCS), much interest has been developed in the CO₂ transport options. An infrastructure including pipelines, ships, tanker truck, and railways will be collectively required for a large scale CO₂ transport network. In particular, ship transportation can play a special role in the early phase of CCS infrastructure development as it offers flexible routes between source and offshore storage sites. This work is focused on the design and operational strategy of the CO₂ terminal which acts as a connecting link between CO₂ liquefaction and the shipping section. The study is performed using dynamic simulation in order to have a more realistic understanding of the process. Four scenarios have been developed to define the operational strategy of the terminal: loading case, holding case, unloading case, and emergency shutdown. A reasonable equipment sizing has been done after consultation with vendors data and available literature. The heat influxes to storage tanks include the heat leak from the bottom surface, dry wall, and wet wall for the precise quantification of heat flow across the system. Reasonable control loops are appended to keep the process variables at their set points to allow the safe operation of the CO₂ terminal within the operational limits. Finally, a sensitivity analysis has been performed on some of the important design variables in order to understand their effect on the process performance and terminal operation. The results show that boil-off gas (BOG) generation within the CO₂ terminal depends on storage tank size, operating pressure, ambient conditions, insulation thickness, and the filling level of the vessel.