Validation of a water–gas shift reactor model based on a commercial FeCr catalyst for pre-combustion CO 2 capture in an IGCC power plant

•Power-law kinetics for the WGS reaction on a FeCr-based catalyst was measured at 20bar and 5–15ppm H2S.•A heterogeneous one-dimensional reactor model was constructed.•A reactor model was successfully validated against pilot plant operational data.•An accurate engineering reactor model was obtained.