Hanwha Power has signed a strategic non-binding memorandum of understanding with Pembina Pipeline Corporation, a prominent Canadian energy transportation and midstream service provider, to collaborate on a low-carbon power generation project.
This collaboration is being pursued alongside a waste heat recovery project based at supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) at compressor stations operated by Pembina. Under this MOU, the two companies plan to jointly assess the feasibility of deploying waste heat recovery power generation systems at Pembina’s compressor stations and gas infrastructure.
The two companies intend to work together to identify pilot project candidates, jointly assess their technical and economic feasibility, and collaborate on lower-carbon power generation opportunities in the North American midstream market.
Hanwha Power’s WHR power generation system is a next-generation technology that uses supercritical carbon dioxide, a working fluid with both liquid and gas properties. It can reduce equipment size, and it is characterised by 100% water-free operation and uncrewed operation.
The sCO2 working fluid is carbon dioxide heated above 31 degC and pressurised to over 73.8 bar, when it enters a supercritical state. CO2 in this state exhibits the low-friction viscosity of a gas while maintaining the high density of a liquid. The cycle consists of using waste heat, typically exhaust from gas turbines, industrial boilers, or furnaces to expand the supercritical CO2, maintaining its high pressure, and sending it to a high-efficiency turbine, where a coupled generator produces the electrical output. After passing through the turbine, the CO2 is cooled, compressed back into its dense supercritical state, and recirculated through a heat exchanger to repeat the cycle.
This technology is expected to be a promising lower-carbon solution in the North American oil and gas market, where water use is limited, and the need to reduce carbon emissions is high. It can generate electricity without additional fuel consumption by reusing waste heat from industrial equipment, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Through this collaboration, Hanwha Power plans to expand strategic co-operation in Canada and strengthen its entry base into the North American market. The company aims to further expand its global business in green power generation solutions.
