Abstract
The huge emission of greenhouse gases from fossil-fuelled power plants is emphasizing the need for efficient Carbon Capture
and Storage (CCS) technologies. The biomimetic CO2 absorption in aqueous solutions has been recently investigated as a
promising innovative alternative for post-combustion CCS. The carbonic anhydrase (CA) - a broad group of ubiquitous enzymes
– may catalyse the CO2 hydration reaction and then to promote CO2 absorption rate into aqueous solutions. Nevertheless the
research on this issue is quite active, the reliable designing of absorption units still requires more details. The present study
proposes the design of a random packing absorption column operated with alkaline solvents supplied with CA. The height of the
packed bed to fulfil the 80% of CO2 abatement from a flue gas stream was as large as 15-20 m. A comprehensive discussion of
effects of operating conditions and of CA features on unit performance is reported.