Carbon capture and utilization

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Comparison between sequestration and utilization of captured carbon dioxide

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes and transporting it via pipelines to where one intends to use it in industrial processes.[1]

Captured CO2 can be converted to several products: one group being alcohols, such as methanol, to use as efuels and other alternative and renewable sources of energy. Other commercial products include plastics, concrete and reactants for various chemical synthesis.[2]

Regarding a single product, CCU does not result in a net carbon positive to the atmosphere. If, in addition, this product substitutes one of fossil origin an overall CO2 emission reduction occurs.

There are several additional considerations to be taken into account. As CO2 is a thermodynamically stable form of carbon, manufacturing products from it is energy intensive.[3] The availability of other raw materials to create a product should also be considered before investing in CCU.

Considering the different potential options for capture and utilization, research suggests that those involving chemicals, fuels and microalgae have limited potential for CO2 removal, while those that involve construction materials and agricultural use can be more effective.[4]

The profitability of CCU depends partly on the carbon price of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. Carbon capture and utilization may offer a response to the global challenge of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from major stationary (industrial) emitters.[5]

Definition and distinction[edit]

Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is defined as capturing CO2 from industrial processes and transporting it via pipelines to where one intends to use it in industrial processes. The pipelines are pressurized as the only option for transporting the CO2 over long distances.[6][7]

CCU differs from carbon capture and storage (CCS) in that CCU does not aim nor result in permanent geological storage of carbon dioxide. Instead, CCU aims to convert the captured carbon dioxide into more valuable substances or products; such as plastics, concrete or efuel; while retaining the carbon neutrality of the production processes.

CCU and CCS are sometimes discussed collectively as carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS).

Sources of carbon[edit]

CO2 is typically captured from fixed point sources in heavy industry such as petrochemical plants.[8] CO2 captured from these exhaust stream itself varies in concentration. A typical coal power plant will have 10-12% CO2 concentration in its flue gas exhaust stream.[9] A biofuel refinery produces a high purity (99%) of CO2 with small amount of impurities such as water and ethanol.[9] The captured CO2 contains impurities and the CO2 transported through pipelines will contain impurities, such as ammonia, N2 , H2S , C2+. CO +, O2 +, NOx, SO
x+ and Arsenic. Hydrogen can cause hydrogen embrittlement, and water can cause corrosion in steel pipes.[6]: 424 

The separation process itself can be performed through separation processes such as absorption, adsorption, or membranes.[10]

Another possible source of capture in CCU process involves the use of plantation. The idea originates from the observation in the Keeling curve that the CO2 level in the atmosphere undergoes annual variation of approximately 5 ppm (parts per million), which is attributed to the seasonal change of vegetation and difference in land mass between the northern and southern hemisphere.[11][12] However, the CO2 sequestered by the plants will be returned to the atmosphere when the plants die. Thus, it is proposed to plant crops with C4 photosynthesis, given its rapid growth and high carbon capture rate, and then to process the biomass for applications such as biochar that will be stored in the soil permanently.[13]

Examples of technology and application[edit]

Part of a series on
Sustainable energy
A car drives past 4 wind turbines in a field, with more on the horizon
Energy conservation
Renewable energy
Sustainable transport

CO2 electrolysis[edit]

Main article: Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide
See also: Heterogeneous catalysis

CO2 electroreduction to a variety of value-added products has been under development for many years. Some major targets are formate, oxalate, and methanol, as electrochemical formation of these products from CO2 would constitute a very environmentally sustainable practice.[14] For example, CO2 can be captured and converted to carbon-neutral fuels in an aqueous catalysis process.[15][16] It is possible to convert CO2 in this way directly to ethanol, which can then be upgraded to gasoline and jet fuel.[17][18]

Carbon-neutral fuel[edit]

Main article: Carbon-neutral fuel

A carbon-neutral fuel can be synthesized by using the captured CO2 from the atmosphere as the main hydrocarbon source. The fuel is then combusted and CO2, as the byproduct of the combustion process, is released back into the air. In this process, there is no net carbon dioxide released or removed from the atmosphere, hence the name carbon-neutral fuel.

Methanol fuel[edit]

A proven process to produce a hydrocarbon is to make methanol. Traditionally, methanol is produced from natural gas.[19] Methanol is easily synthesized from CO2 and H2. Based on this fact the idea of a methanol economy was born.

Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is the simplest member of the family of alcohol organic compound with a chemical formula of CH3OH. Methanol fuel can be manufactured using the captured carbon dioxide while performing the production with renewable energy. Consequently, methanol fuel has been considered as an alternative to fossil fuels in power generation for achieving a carbon-neutral sustainability.[20][21] Synthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide is done through a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a catalyst. Commonly used catalysts are copper, zinc, and palladium. These reactions are typically performed under high pressure conditions to shift the reaction equilibrium towards the methanol product via Le Chatelier's Principle.[22] Carbon Recycling International, a company with production facility in Grindavik, Iceland, markets such Emission-to-Liquid renewable high octane methanol fuel with current 4,000 tonne/year production capacity.[23]

Dimethyl Ether

Dimethyl Ether has shown promise as a carbon neutral fuel as a potential alternative to diesel fuel. Dimethyl Ether has typically been synthesized from a dehydration reaction of methanol in the presence of an acid catalyst, but researchers have recently developed a one step method to convert carbon dioxide into dimethyl ether using a bifunctional catalyst and similar conditions to the synthesis of methanol from syngas.[24]

Chemical synthesis[edit]

As a highly desirable C1 (one-carbon) chemical feedstock, CO2 captured previously can be converted to a diverse range of products. Some of these products include: polycarbonates (via Zinc based catalyst) or other organic products such as acetic acid,[25] urea,[25] and PVC.[26] Currently 75% (112 million tons) of urea production, 2% (2 million tons) of methanol production, 43% (30 thousand tons) of salicylic acid production, and 50% (40 thousand tons) of cyclic carbonates production utilize CO2 as a feedstock.[27] Chemical synthesis is not a permanent storage/utilization of CO2, as aliphatic (straight chain) compounds may degrade and release CO2 back to the atmosphere as early as 6 months.[26] As the use of fossil fuels decreases, removing carbon dioxide from the air is increasingly seen as a way to stop the long-term accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon emissions and storage coupled with reductions in fossil fuel use are known as "negative emissions".

Carbon dioxide also could be used in chemoenzymatic processes to synthesize starch without cells. In nature starch is usually synthesized within cells from carbon dioxide via photosynthesis. In cell-free synthesis, carbon dioxide is reduced to methanol with an inorganic catalyst; then methanol is converted to three carbon sugar units. The three carbon sugar units will be converted to six carbon sugar units and finally polymerize into starch. Compared to photosynthesis, which involves sixty biochemical reactions, cell-free synthesis needs eleven steps. This means cell-free synthesis can be faster than photosynthesis. The synthesis rate is 8.5 times that of corn starch, and the absorbance rate of carbon dioxide is more efficient than that of plants.[28] This method is still developing, and the first publication on the topic was only in 2021, so there are still some problems. First, this method needs significant energy inputs, just as plants need sunlight. If the electricity used is not produced cleanly, large carbon dioxide emissions will still result. Moreover, high costs present a barrier to commercialization.

In 2023, an international team of researchers at the University of Sydney and the University of Toronto developed a new acid-based electrochemical process for the conversion of CO2 captured from emission sources or directly from air.[29]

Enhanced oil or gas recovery[edit]

In enhanced oil recovery, the captured CO2 is injected into depleted oil fields with the goal to increase the amount of oil to be extracted by the wells. This method is proven to increase oil output by 5-40%.[26]

Carbon Sequestration with Enhanced Gas Recovery (CSEGR) is a process in which CO2 is injected deep in the gas reservoir and as a result, at the gas wells which are some distance away, methane (CH4) is produced. This process by active injection of CO2 causes repressurization and methane displacement, so that the gas recovery becomes enhanced compared to water-drive or depletion-drive operations.[30]

Carbon mineralization[edit]

Main article: Mineralization (soil science)

Carbon dioxide from sources such as flue gas are reacted with minerals such as magnesium oxide and calcium oxide to form stable solid carbonates. These minerals can be mined, or existing brine and waste industrial minerals (including slag) can be reused.[31] The carbonates produced can be used for construction, consumer products, and as an alternative for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

Approximately 1 tonne of CO2 is removed from the air for every 3.7 tonnes of mineral carbonate produced.[31]

Biofuel from microalgae[edit]

Main article: Algae fuel
Fuels can be produced from algae

A study has suggested that microalgae can be used as an alternative source of energy.[32] A pond of microalgae is fed with a source of carbon dioxide such as flue gas, and the microalgae is then allowed to proliferate. The algae is then harvested and the biomass obtained is then converted to biofuel. About 1.8 tonnes of CO2 can be removed from the air per 1 tonne of dry algal biomass produced, though this number actually varies depending on the species.[33] The CO2 captured will be stored non-permanently as the biofuel produced will then be combusted and the CO2 will be released back into the air. However, the CO2 released was first captured from the atmosphere and releasing it back into the air makes the fuel a carbon-neutral fuel. Microalgae biofuels are considered to be a part of the third generation of biofuels, being an alternative energy source for fossil fuels without the disadvantages accompanying first and second generation biofuels.[34] This technology is not mature yet.[35] Current microalgal culture systems have not been designed for high throughput biomass growth and carbon capture. Raceways, high-rate algal ponds, and photobioreactors are the most widely used for microalgal cultivation at a large-scale. The limitations of these systems are related to microalgal growth requirements. Ponds are operated at narrow depth to ensure sufficient light distribution and thus need a large land surface.[36]

Agriculture[edit]

Main article: Biochar

An approach that is also proposed as a climate change mitigation effort is to perform plant-based carbon capture.[37] The resulting biomass can then be used for fuel, while the biochar byproduct is then utilized for applications in agriculture as soil-enhancer. Cool Planet is a private company with an R&D plant in Camarillo, California, performed development of biochar for agricultural applications and claimed that their product can increase crops yield by 12.3% and three-fold return of investment via improvement of soil health and nutrient retention.[38][unreliable source?] However, the claims on the efficacy of plant-based carbon capture for climate change mitigation has received a fair amount of skepticism.[39]

Environmental impacts[edit]

Sites of Carbon Capture and Utilization projects and development, per 2011 report from Global CCS Institute.[40]

Pipelines can fail through either ductile fracture and/or a brittle fracture.[6]: 425 

As of 2015, 16 life cycle environmental impact analyses had been done to assess the impacts of four main CCU technologies against conventional CCS: Chemical synthesis, carbon mineralization, biodiesel production, as well as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). These technologies were assessed based on 10 Life-cycle assessment (LCA) impacts such as: acidification potential, eutrophication potential, global warming potential, and ozone depletion potential. The conclusion from the 16 different models was that chemical synthesis has the highest global warming potential (216 times that of CCS) while enhanced oil recovery has the least global warming potential (1.8 times that of CCS).[1][clarification needed]

Life-cycle assessments (LCA) are not standardized as studies that perform them use different assessment methodologies and parameter that change the results of the LCA. Enhanced methodology guidelines and standardization of practice are necessary to better gauge and compare the impact of the various CCU technologies.[41]

Regulation[edit]

In the US, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) exercise jurisdiction.[7] The Corps of Engineeers may issue nationwide permits.[42]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Cuéllar-Franca, Rosa M.; Azapagic, Adisa (March 2015). "Carbon capture, storage and utilisation technologies: A critical analysis and comparison of their life cycle environmental impacts". Journal of CO2 Utilization. 9: 82–102. doi:10.1016/j.jcou.2014.12.001.
  2. ^ Dibenedetto, Angela; Angelini, Antonella; Stufano, Paolo (March 2014). "Use of carbon dioxide as feedstock for chemicals and fuels: homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis: Use of carbon dioxide as feedstock for chemicals and fuels". Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology. 89 (3): 334–353. doi:10.1002/jctb.4229.
  3. ^ Smit, Berend; Reimer, Jeffrey A; Oldenburg, Curtis M; Bourg, Ian C (2013-06-18). Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration. The Berkeley Lectures on Energy. Imperial College Press. doi:10.1142/p911. ISBN 9781783263271.
  4. ^ Hepburn, Cameron; Adlen, Ella; Beddington, John; Carter, Emily A.; Fuss, Sabine; Mac Dowell, Niall; Minx, Jan C.; Smith, Pete; Williams, Charlotte K. (6 November 2019). "The technological and economic prospects for CO2 utilization and removal". Nature. 575 (7781): 87–97. Bibcode:2019Natur.575...87H. doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1681-6. hdl:10044/1/75208. PMID 31695213.
  5. ^ "Carbon Capture". Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  6. ^ a b c Mike Bilio, Solomon Brown, Michael Fairweather and Haroun Mahgerefteh (2009). "CO2 PIPELINES MATERIAL AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS" (PDF). IChemE.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b Paul W. Parfomak, Peter Folger (2008-01-17). "Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Pipelines for Carbon Sequestration: Emerging Policy Issues" (PDF). CRS Report for Congress.
  8. ^ "Carbon capture, utilisation and storage - Fuels & Technologies". IEA. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  9. ^ a b Xu, Yixiang; Isom, Loren; Hanna, Milford A. (May 2010). "Adding value to carbon dioxide from ethanol fermentations". Bioresource Technology. 101 (10): 3311–3319. Bibcode:2010BiTec.101.3311X. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2010.01.006. PMID 20110166.
  10. ^ De Ras, Kevin; Van de Vijver, Ruben; Galvita, Vladimir V; Marin, Guy B; Van Geem, Kevin M (December 2019). "Carbon capture and utilization in the steel industry: challenges and opportunities for chemical engineering". Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering. 26: 81–87. Bibcode:2019COCE...26...81D. doi:10.1016/j.coche.2019.09.001. hdl:1854/LU-8635595. S2CID 210619173.
  11. ^ Keeling, Charles D. (January 1960). "The Concentration and Isotopic Abundances of Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere". Tellus. 12 (2): 200–203. Bibcode:1960Tell...12..200K. doi:10.3402/tellusa.v12i2.9366.
  12. ^ Keeling, Charles D.; Bacastow, Robert B.; Bainbridge, Arnold E.; Ekdahl Jr., Carl A.; Guenther, Peter R.; Waterman, Lee S.; Chin, John F. S. (January 1976). "Atmospheric carbon dioxide variations at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii". Tellus. 28 (6): 538–551. Bibcode:1976Tell...28..538K. doi:10.3402/tellusa.v28i6.11322.
  13. ^ X, the moonshot factory, We Solve for X: Mike Cheiky on negative carbon liquid fuels, retrieved 2018-12-08
  14. ^ Robert Francke; Benjamin Schille; Michael Roemelt (2018). "Homogeneously Catalyzed Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide—Methods, Mechanisms, and Catalysts". Chem. Rev. 118 (9): 4631–4701. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00459. PMID 29319300.
  15. ^ Song, Yang; Peng, Rui; Hensley, Dale K.; Bonnesen, Peter V.; Liang, Liangbo; Wu, Zili; Meyer, Harry M.; Chi, Miaofang; Ma, Cheng; Sumpter, Bobby G.; Rondinone, Adam J. (2016-11-16). "High-Selectivity Electrochemical Conversion of CO 2 to Ethanol using a Copper Nanoparticle/N-Doped Graphene Electrode". ChemistrySelect. 1 (19): 6055–6061. doi:10.1002/slct.201601169. S2CID 99987768.
  16. ^ Kim, Dohyung; Kley, Christopher S.; Li, Yifan; Yang, Peidong (2017-10-03). "Copper nanoparticle ensembles for selective electroreduction of CO2 to C2–C3 products". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (40): 10560–10565. Bibcode:2017PNAS..11410560K. doi:10.1073/pnas.1711493114. PMC 5635920. PMID 28923930.
  17. ^ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (4 October 2018). "PNNL, Lanzatech team to make new jet fuel". Ethanol Producer Magazine.
  18. ^ Prajapati, Aditya; Sartape, Rohan; Galante, Miguel T.; Xie, Jiahan; Leung, Samuel L.; Bessa, Ivan; Andrade, Marcio H. S.; Somich, Robert T.; Rebouças, Márcio V.; Hutras, Gus T.; Diniz, Nathália; Singh, Meenesh R. (2022-12-07). "Fully-integrated electrochemical system that captures CO2 from flue gas to produce value-added chemicals at ambient conditions". Energy & Environmental Science. 15 (12): 5105–5117. doi:10.1039/D2EE03396H. ISSN 1754-5706. S2CID 253862974.
  19. ^ Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo; Fernandez, Marta Cruz; Armstrong, Katy; Woolass, Steven; Styring, Peter (18 February 2021). "Analytical Review of Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts of Carbon Capture and Utilization Technologies". ChemSusChem. 14 (4): 995–1015. Bibcode:2021ChSCh..14..995G. doi:10.1002/cssc.202002126. ISSN 1864-5631. PMC 7986834. PMID 33314601.
  20. ^ Olah, George A. (29 April 2005). "Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 44 (18): 2636–2639. doi:10.1002/anie.200462121. PMID 15800867.
  21. ^ Hagen, David LeRoy (1976). Methanol: its synthesis, use as fuel, economics, and hazards (Thesis). University of Minnesota. OCLC 43007998. OSTI 7113633.
  22. ^ Zhang, Xinbao; Zhang, Guanghui; Song, Chunshan; Guo, Xinwen (2021). "Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol: Current Status and Future Perspective". Frontiers in Energy Research. 8. doi:10.3389/fenrg.2020.621119. ISSN 2296-598X.
  23. ^ "Vulcanol". CRI - Carbon Recycling International. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  24. ^ Mota, Noelia; Millán Ordoñez, Elena; Pawelec, Bárbara; Fierro, José Luis G.; Navarro, Rufino M. (2021). "Direct Synthesis of Dimethyl Ether from CO2: Recent Advances in Bifunctional/Hybrid Catalytic Systems". Catalysts. 11 (4): 411. doi:10.3390/catal11040411. hdl:10261/236211. ISSN 2073-4344.
  25. ^ a b Council, National Research (2001-06-27). Carbon Management: Implications for R & D in the Chemical Sciences and Technology (A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable). doi:10.17226/10153. ISBN 9780309075732. PMID 20669488.
  26. ^ a b c "Accelerating the uptake of CCS: industrial use of captured carbon dioxide" (PDF). globalccsinstitute.com. Global CCS Institute. March 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  27. ^ Erdogan Alper; Ozge Yuksel Orhan (2017). "CO2 utilization: Developments in conversion processes". Petroleum. 3 (1): 109–126. Bibcode:2017Pet.....3..109A. doi:10.1016/j.petlm.2016.11.003.
  28. ^ Cai, Tao; Sun, Hongbing; Qiao, Jing; Zhu, Leilei; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Jie; Tang, Zijing; Wei, Xinlei; Yang, Jiangang; Yuan, Qianqian; Wang, Wangyin; Yang, Xue; Chu, Huanyu; Wang, Qian; You, Chun; Ma, Hongwu; Sun, Yuanxia; Li, Yin; Li, Can; Jiang, Huifeng; Wang, Qinhong; Ma, Yanhe (24 September 2021). "Cell-free chemoenzymatic starch synthesis from carbon dioxide". Science. 373 (6562): 1523–1527. Bibcode:2021Sci...373.1523C. doi:10.1126/science.abh4049. PMID 34554807. S2CID 237615280.
  29. ^ "New process gives CO2 conversion more "bang for buck"". University of Sydney. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  30. ^ Oldenburg, Curtis M. (8 April 2003). "Carbon sequestration in natural gas reservoirs: Enhanced gas recovery and natural gas storage". Office of Scientific and Technical Information. U.S. Department of Energy. OSTI 813580.
  31. ^ a b Report: Greenhouse Gas Removal (PDF). Royal Society. 2018. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-78252-349-9.
  32. ^ Oncel, Suphi S. (October 2013). "Microalgae for a macroenergy world". Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 26: 241–264. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2013.05.059.
  33. ^ "Accelerating the uptake of CCS: Industrial use of captured carbon dioxide". Global CCS Institute. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  34. ^ Medipally, Srikanth; Yussof, Fatimah; Banerjee, Sanjoy; Shariff, M. (March 22, 2015). "Microalgae as Sustainable Renewable Energy Feedstock for Biofuel Production". BioMed Res. Int. 2015: 519513. doi:10.1155/2015/519513. PMC 4385614. PMID 25874216.
  35. ^ "Mechanical CO2 sequestration improves algae production". March 2019.
  36. ^ Nguyen, Luong N.; Vu, Minh T.; Vu, Hang P.; Johir, Md. Abu Hasan; Labeeuw, Leen; Ralph, Peter J.; Mahlia, T. M. I.; Pandey, Ashok; Sirohi, Ranjna; Nghiem, Long D. (2023-01-17). "Microalgae-based carbon capture and utilization: A critical review on current system developments and biomass utilization". Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 53 (2): 216–238. Bibcode:2023CREST..53..216N. doi:10.1080/10643389.2022.2047141. ISSN 1064-3389. S2CID 247350232.
  37. ^ Matovic, Darko (April 2011). "Biochar as a viable carbon sequestration option: Global and Canadian perspective". Energy. 36 (4): 2011–2016. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2010.09.031.
  38. ^ "Cool Planet Completes 100th Independent Trial of Cool Terra®" (PDF). Cool Planet. 19 March 2018.
  39. ^ Popper, Ben (2014-04-14). "The inventor of everything". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  40. ^ "Demonstration projects | Global CCS Institute". hub.globalccsinstitute.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  41. ^ Thonemann, Nils; Zacharopoulos, Leon; Fromme, Felix; Nühlen, Jochen (2022-01-15). "Environmental impacts of carbon capture and utilization by mineral carbonation: A systematic literature review and meta life cycle assessment". Journal of Cleaner Production. 332: 130067. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130067. ISSN 0959-6526. S2CID 245201124.
  42. ^ "Who must protect the rivers, streams and wetlands from CO2 Pipelines?". 2023-08-28. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Further reading[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carbon_capture_and_utilization&oldid=1213119424"