Post‐combustion CO₂ capture with chemical absorption and hybrid system: current status and challenges

Abstract Post‐combustion CO 2 capture from the power and industrial sectors has gained widespread attention due to its ability to retrofit easily with newly installed and existing plants. This state‐of‐the‐art, updated review provides an overview of technical issues in post‐combustion CO 2 capture related to process performance, energy requirements for CO 2 capture, and inconsistencies in the prediction of CO 2 capture cost. Recent updates are presented regarding chemical absorption‐desorption systems, and particularly CO 2 absorption and solubility enhancement studies, absorber operation at elevated pressure, recent developments in absorber configuration, and methods for reducing the heat duty of strippers. Furthermore, recently developed post‐combustion hybrid techniques such as the membrane‐absorbent hybrid process, the membrane‐cryogenic hybrid process, the membrane‐adsorption hybrid process, the absorption‐electrolysis hybrid process, and the solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP) are discussed. Finally, we suggest areas for improvement and indicate that there are significant future prospects for post‐combustion CO 2 capture. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.