HPC-Based Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Collaboration

Baker Hughes and Giammarco Technologies have formed an exclusive collaboration to advance and commercialize Hot Potassium Carbonate–based post-combustion CO₂ capture solutions for energy and industrial sectors.

Positioning HPC for post-combustion capture
The collaboration was announced at the 2026 Baker Hughes Annual Meeting in Florence and focuses on deploying Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) technology in post-combustion capture applications. HPC is a solvent-based CO₂ capture process that uses a potassium carbonate solution to selectively absorb carbon dioxide from gas streams, particularly those with moderate to high CO₂ partial pressures.

Giammarco Technologies’ HPC process has been applied in more than 400 industrial installations, providing a reference base across sectors such as natural gas processing, hydrogen production, and syngas treatment. Its potassium-based solvent system is characterized by low volatility and thermal stability, which supports long operational lifetimes and reduces solvent degradation compared with some amine-based alternatives.

Integration with turbomachinery systems
Under the collaboration, the HPC process will be integrated with Baker Hughes’ turbomachinery technologies to address the specific requirements of post-combustion capture. This includes flue gas compression and expansion trains as well as mechanical vapor recompression systems, which are used to manage pressure, temperature, and energy efficiency within capture plants.

From a technical standpoint, post-combustion applications typically involve large volumetric gas flows at low CO₂ concentrations and near-atmospheric pressure. Integrating solvent-based capture with optimized compression and recompression systems is critical to controlling parasitic energy consumption and overall system efficiency. The combined offering is intended to deliver an engineered balance between solvent regeneration energy demand and mechanical energy requirements.

Development, testing, and project execution
The two companies plan to leverage multi-sector pilot plant testing to validate integrated system performance under different industrial operating conditions. These activities are aimed at supporting feasibility studies and front-end engineering design (FEED) phases, which are already underway for prospective projects.

The collaboration is structured to support delivery across the full project lifecycle, from early-stage studies through detailed engineering, procurement, and execution. Target sectors include power generation and energy-intensive industries where post-combustion capture is being evaluated as part of broader decarbonization strategies within the digital supply chain and industrial emissions management frameworks.

Role within a broader CCUS portfolio
Through the agreement, the HPC-based offering becomes part of Baker Hughes’ wider carbon capture, utilization, and storage portfolio. This portfolio spans consultancy services, front-end design, capture and purification technologies, compression and liquefaction systems, and subsurface solutions such as well design, construction, injection, monitoring, and long-term site stewardship.

By combining an established solvent-based capture process with integrated turbomachinery and execution capabilities, the collaboration is positioned to deliver customized post-combustion capture systems aimed at reducing cost and complexity while supporting deployment across multiple industrial applications.