CLC technology

Energy accounts for over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions.

What if we could turn this threat into an opportunity?

Total is integrating climate in our strategy and will invest up to 10% of our R&D budget in developing solutions to reduce net CO₂ emissions.

Chemical looping combustion is one of these solutions.

This process produces energy via combustion, harnessing the CO₂ emitted.

How?

By creating a chemical loop between an air reactor and a fuel reactor.

A metal is inserted into the first reactor in the form of very thin powder.

At very high temperatures, this metal will remove the oxygen from the air and transport it to the fuel contained in the second reactor.

The oxygen will then burn the fuel enabling the pure CO₂ to be harnessed.

The energy produced via CLC can then be used to produce electricity and steam.

This all started in collaboration with IFP Energies Nouvelles

with a laboratory unit using less than a gram of particles.

Today we have completed an automated pilot system with a capacity of 10 kW in continuous operation.

What about the future?

The next step will be the construction of an ambitious demonstration unit.

On an industrial scale, a 250-MW CLC unit will be able to harness up to 20,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ per day - equivalent to the daily emissions of 500,000 cars.

This technology is an element that will enable Total to provide clean, affordable energy to a growing population, taking account of climate issues and customer expectations.