Making radically smarter CO2 measurements happen – a Carbon Capture interview

The newly launched Vaisala MGP241 is designed to offer radically smarter CO2 measurements for heavy-duty industrial use, especially in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage applications (CCUS). 

In tackling climate change, CCUS is one of the most appealing technological solutions. Innovative answers are crucial: we need measurement products that make CCUS more efficient and affordable, scalable to meet global climate targets, and adaptable to diverse industries. The newly launched Vaisala MGP241 is designed to offer radically smarter CO2 measurements for heavy-duty industrial use, especially in CCUS. The Vaisala blog team recently spoke with Vaisala's R&D Project Manager, Ms. Irene Zakrzewski, to discover how the new MGP241 came to be — in only 12 months.

Question: Why the MGP241? Why now?

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Irene Zakrzewski, R&D Project Manager: There is a real sense of urgency due to the state of the climate. The story behind the product is so brilliantly clear — we want to help the world to decarbonize. The world cannot wait for non-carbon solutions for years – we needed to find a way to address the issue today. We made a conscious choice to limit the project to 12 months. We had to be quick as we wanted to gain from first mover advantage in the CCUS market.  When there is a will, there is a way.

Q: Let’s talk about radically smarter. What do you mean by that in the MGP241? 

I.Z.: With the radically smarter tagline we mean all of it. That it’s compact in size and low in power-consumption. That it’s plug-and-play compatible with operational platforms. That it’s cost-efficient to install and operate — especially compared e.g. to gas analyzers. Now that’s a lot to say, but when you have an instrument that does all that, in real-time and feeds you real-time measurement data without needing constant maintenance it really is something radically smarter. Something not yet seen in CCUS measurements. That’s really what you need to turn CO2 from what was once a pollutant into a valuable resource revenue stream. This makes the MGP241 not only a smart choice but a radically smarter one, offering efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and user-friendliness that surpass traditional CO2 measurement instruments.

Q: Could you tell us about the research, development. and design process - how did it all happen?

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I.Z.: We set out to create a true next generation measurement device, that could be installed in the toughest environments, right in the process and would keep ticking without anything more than a yearly checkup. Something unlike  a gas analyzer that is both expensive and labor-intensive to install and operate.

We were closely following CCUS development. The needs of both point source / post-combustion capture and Direct Air Capture (DAC) – specifically for a new type of high concentration CO2 measurement device – drove a lot of the design choices. And of course, we already had a great solution for low concentration (ppm) CO2, operational at many DAC processes & sites around the world.

We brought product managers, R&D and Business Development teams to jointly work on a solution. Already in the beginning we all had a very clear and common understanding of what we are doing and why. It began as a true holistic review, covering our capabilities in technology and in operation management, and combining it with the needs of the market – the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. We actually had two competing product concepts in the beginning, and we ended up selecting the concept that became the MGP241.

Q: Who is the MGP241 most useful for?

I.Z.: We designed it to meet the actual needs of CCUS plant and equipment makers and capture plant operators. The MGP241 is for companies that need always-on measurements to guide and optimize their carbon capture process.

Q: How can the MGP241 specifically help with the green transition, solving the climate crisis and reaching a carbon-neutral future

I.Z.: The MGP241 brings utmost reliability to carbon capture monitoring, with a truly small footprint — size wise, energy wise and finance wise, at less than 2kg weight and using only 24V DC power – and an exceptionally low total cost of ownership (TCO). The MGP241 helps make carbon capture operations much more streamlined and more transparent. If you can't reliably measure the amount you're capturing, what's the point of the whole operation?

Q: Let’s get back to the development process, what were the major milestones, and when did you know it would work?

I.Z.: We had a proof of concept ready in about two months. It really was all about identifying the true mandatories from nice to have features.

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We went to our customers for that information. We did a lot of deep interviews, research, field visits, live testing. That's how you always should approach these things. Go to where the instrument is used and learn and adapt.

Initially, there was a requirement for the device to operate under very high process pressures.  In reality, many carbon capture processes have installation locations where pressure and temperature are suitable for the MGP even though parts of the process may have higher pressure, and it is quite easy to take a gas sample to atmospheric pressure with a simple pressure regulator. In fact, this is what such plants usually do with their existing measurement solutions as well.

One of the project team members, our Senior HW Test Engineer had just studied some Japanese product development theories and especially the Kano model. We gathered all the information from customer interviews and research, used the Kano model and with it we understood that the high-pressure requirement is mostly nice-to-have requirement. We decided to prioritize time-to-market instead of high-pressure requirement. For me, these kinds of decisions tell me that we are really making it work – now it’s going to happen.

Q: What's the difference to other CO2 instruments from Vaisala?

I.Z.: The MGP241 is the most robust CO2 instrument we produce. It's made to endure basically anything you throw at it. Heat, cold, demanding industrial processes, real heavy-duty use. The process temperatures and pressures can be elevated, and humidity is typically very high in solvent based processes. There will also be some chemical exposure depending on the process, such as amines, ammonia or potassium carbonate. For this reason, the MGP was developed with a hermetically sealed sapphire and steel probe tip to withstand harsh process conditions. All these combines to make the MGP241 a superb fit for industrial CO2 measurements beyond carbon capture as well. Of course, if your CCUS operations take place in an explosive environment, then you would go for the Ex-rated MGP260 series.

Q: Could you summarize the biggest lessons learned?

I.Z.: You need to have the right capabilities  both in terms of the team’s skills and technologies. And a common understanding of what you're doing and why — all that is tied to customer core needs. Everything else, no matter how complex or hard, can be solved once you have that North Star to light your way.

Oh, and one other thing: if you want to succeed, you need great Mechanical Engineers!
 

Q: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure.

I.Z.: Thank you!

The new Vaisala MGP241 multigas CO2 probe was launched on 22 October 2024. 
Read more about it at: vaisala.com/mgp241

Also read more about our expertise in carbon capture