scholarly journals Accelerating Net Zero from the perspective of Optimizing a Carbon Capture and Utilization System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhimian Hao ◽  
Magda Barecka ◽  
Alexei Lapkin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Capture And Utilization ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Cradle To Gate ◽  
The Cost

Net zero requires an accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) can be an effective intermediate solution for the decarbonization of fossil fuels. However, many research works contain renewables in the design of CCU systems, which may mislead stakeholders regarding the hotspots of CCU systems. In this work we build a model of a CCU system with no renewables involved, and evaluate its greenhouse (GHG) emissions based on the life cycle assessment with a cradle-to-gate boundary. To pursue the best system performance, an optimization framework is established to digitalize and optimize the CCU system regarding GHG emissions reduction. The optimized CCU can reduce GHG emissions by 13% compared with the conventional process. Heating is identified as the most significant contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for 60%. Electrifying heating fully by low-carbon electricity can further reduce GHG emissions by 47%, but such extreme conditions will significantly sacrifice the economic benefit. By contrast, the multi-objective optimization can show how the decisions can affect the balance between GHG emissions and profit. Further, this work discusses the dual effect of carbon pricing on the CCU system – raising the cost of raw materials and utilities, but also gaining credits when emissions are reduced in producing valued products.

scholarly journals Achieving Net Zero Emissions Requires the Knowledge and Skills of the Oil and Gas Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astley Hastings ◽  
Pete Smith
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

The challenge facing society in the 21st century is to improve the quality of life for all citizens in an egalitarian way, providing sufficient food, shelter, energy, and other resources for a healthy meaningful life, while at the same time decarbonizing anthropogenic activity to provide a safe global climate, limiting temperature rise to well-below 2°C with the aim of limiting the temperature increase to no more than 1.5°C. To do this, the world must achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Currently spreading wealth and health across the globe is dependent on growing the GDP of all countries, driven by the use of energy, which until recently has mostly been derived from fossil fuel. Recently, some countries have decoupled their GDP growth and greenhouse gas emissions through a rapid increase in low carbon energy generation. Considering the current level of energy consumption and projected implementation rates of low carbon energy production, a considerable quantity of fossil fuels is projected to be used to fill the gap, and to avoid emissions of GHG and close the gap between the 1.5°C carbon budget and projected emissions, carbon capture and storage (CCS) on an industrial scale will be required. In addition, the IPCC estimate that large-scale GHG removal from the atmosphere is required to limit warming to below 2°C using technologies such as Bioenergy CCS and direct carbon capture with CCS to achieve climate safety. In this paper, we estimate the amount of carbon dioxide that will have to be captured and stored, the storage volume, technology, and infrastructure required to achieve the energy consumption projections with net zero GHG emissions by 2050. We conclude that the oil and gas production industry alone has the geological and engineering expertise and global reach to find the geological storage structures and build the facilities, pipelines, and wells required. Here, we consider why and how oil and gas companies will need to morph from hydrocarbon production enterprises into net zero emission energy and carbon dioxide storage enterprises, decommission facilities only after CCS, and thus be economically sustainable businesses in the long term, by diversifying in and developing this new industry.

Introduction to this special section: The role of advanced modeling in enhanced carbon storage

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 408-412
Author(s):  
Josef Paffenholz
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Special Section ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Carbon Capture And Sequestration ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Term Monitoring

To limit the warming of the planet to no more than a 2°C increase, models show that net-zero release of anthropomorphic CO2 must be achieved by the middle of the century. For the foreseeable future, the majority of the world's energy will still be provided by fossil fuels, so other methods, besides expanding the contribution of renewable energy, are needed in order to achieve this goal. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is one such method, without which the cost to achieve the 2°C target would more than double. To achieve this climate goal, CCS efforts must increase by approximately 100-fold from current levels within the next 20 years. Geophysical simulations on suitable geologic models will provide an important tool to streamline and accelerate the vast expansion of geophysical site characterization and long-term monitoring tasks required for industrial-scale CCS to succeed.

Building Blocks for a Low-Carbon Economy: Catalytic Policy and Infrastructure for Decarbonizing the United States by 2050

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devashree Saha ◽  
Greg Carlock ◽  
Rajat Shrestha ◽  
John Feldmann ◽  
Haley Leslie-Bole
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Net Zero

This working paper identifies key climate policies and investments and estimates their emissions-reduction potential and associated costs, which can enable the United States to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50–52% compared to 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero GHG emissions by midcentury, the goals set by the Biden administration.

Technological Pathways for Decarbonizing Petroleum Refining

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Byrum ◽  
Hélène Pilorgé ◽  
Jennifer Wilcox
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Petroleum Refining ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Industrial Emissions ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Fuel Switching ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The U.S

Petroleum refining is among the largest industrial greenhouse gas emission sources in the U.S., producing approximately 13% of U.S. industrial emissions and approximately 3% of all U.S. emissions. While the U.S. must rapidly reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, some demand will remain for petroleum refinery products in the coming decades, and so it is critical that refineries deeply decarbonize. For the U.S. to meet its climate target of net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050, petroleum use must dramatically decline and refineries must transform to reduce their substantial emissions. This analysis finds that using current and novel technologies – like fuel switching to clean hydrogen; electrification; and carbon capture, utilization and storage – can deeply decarbonize refineries, delivering climate benefits and improving local air quality as the U.S. transitions away from fossil fuels in the coming decades. It shows how, in the long-term, refineries could shift to processing renewable feedstocks to produce low-carbon fuels for aviation, shipping and trucking – our toughest to abate transportation sectors – ultimately reducing fuel carbon intensities by up to 80%. By leveraging technologies and adapting to low-carbon demands, refineries could provide lower-carbon products for our economy while helping meet U.S. climate goals. The paper provides policymakers and stakeholders with an overview of refinery emissions today and the possibilities for and barriers to mitigating them. To deeply decarbonize refineries, the paper calls for ambitious expansion of existing and novel technologies, supported by further independent research and supportive policies.

scholarly journals Climate change mitigation potential of carbon capture and utilization in the chemical industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (23) ◽  
pp. 11187-11194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Kätelhön ◽  
Raoul Meys ◽  
Sarah Deutz ◽  
Sangwon Suh ◽  
André Bardow
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Oil Consumption ◽  
Chemical Production ◽  
Carbon Capture And Utilization ◽  
Change Mitigation

Chemical production is set to become the single largest driver of global oil consumption by 2030. To reduce oil consumption and resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon dioxide can be captured from stacks or air and utilized as alternative carbon source for chemicals. Here, we show that carbon capture and utilization (CCU) has the technical potential to decouple chemical production from fossil resources, reducing annual GHG emissions by up to 3.5 Gt CO2-eq in 2030. Exploiting this potential, however, requires more than 18.1 PWh of low-carbon electricity, corresponding to 55% of the projected global electricity production in 2030. Most large-scale CCU technologies are found to be less efficient in reducing GHG emissions per unit low-carbon electricity when benchmarked to power-to-X efficiencies reported for other large-scale applications including electro-mobility (e-mobility) and heat pumps. Once and where these other demands are satisfied, CCU in the chemical industry could efficiently contribute to climate change mitigation.

scholarly journals Does Resource Abundance Require Special Approaches to Climate Policies? The Case of Russia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Makarov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Global Movement

Abstract As the world’s largest fossil fuels exporter, Russia is one of the key countries for addressing global climate change. However, it has never demonstrated any significant ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper applies ideational research methodology to identify the structural differences in economic, political, and social normative contexts between industrialized fossil fuel importing economies and Russia that lead to the fundamental gap in motivations driving decarbonization efforts. Consequently, Russia is unlikely to replicate the approach to the green transition and use instruments of climate policies which are utilized in energy-importing countries. In order to launch decarbonization in Russia, interested stakeholders need to frame climate policies in Russia differently. Specifically, the framing must address the priority of diversification as a means to adapting the national economy to a new green landscape, the combination of diverse channels for decarbonization, the promotion of energy-efficiency, closer attention to climate-related forest projects and linkage of climate change with other environmental problems. Moreover, considering Russia’s emissions as a part of the global economic system and shifting from a simplistic national focus on GHG emissions reduction would help coordinate policies through dialogue between exporters and importers of fossil fuels energy-intensive goods, which is essential for the global movement towards a net-zero future.

scholarly journals Mini-Review Teknologi Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) Berbasis Kombinasi Proses Kimia dan Bioproses

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisa Azzahra Isya ◽  
Kezia Rhesa Arman ◽  
Joko Wintoko
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Stable Form ◽  
Absorption Process ◽  
Chemical Absorption ◽  
Carbon Capture And Utilization ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
The Cost

<p>Currently, energy needs still rely on fossil fuels. On the other hand, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions resulting from burning fossil fuels continue to increase and contribute as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Global warming is a threat to the future of life. One of the countermeasures is by developing Carbon, Capture, and Utilization (CCU) technology based on a chemical absorption process to capture CO<sub>2</sub> gas from combustion. The captured CO<sub>2</sub> is then stored in a stable form so it will not be released into the atmosphere or used as raw material for the chemical industry. The main obstacle to implementing CCU technology on a large scale is the cost involved. Meanwhile, the revenue generated is relatively low. In CCU technology based on this chemical absorption process, chemicals as absorbents need to be regenerated and the CO<sub>2</sub> is separated for storage or use. However, this regeneration requires a relatively high cost. Several studies have attempted to perform this regeneration with micro-algae-based bioprocesses. Micro-algae can take energy from sunlight which is abundant in tropical areas such as Indonesia. In addition, several types of micro algae have the potential to be used as food and other utilizations. This review will discuss the results of recent research on suitable chemicals for the absorption of CO<sub>2</sub> from flue gas, its regeneration method using micro-algae, usable micro-algae species, and the potential for micro-algae utilization.</p>

scholarly journals Thermal system-specific and net-zero carbon least-cost design of new houses in Canadian cold climates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Wilbur
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

Whole-building model optimizations have been performed for a single-detached house in 5 locations with varying climates, electricity emissions factors, and energy costs. The multi-objective optimizations determine the life-cycle cost vs. operational greenhouse gas emissions Pareto front to discover the 30-year life-cycle least-cost building design heated 1) with natural gas, and 2) electrically using a) central air-source heat pump, b) ductless mini-split heat pump c)ground-source heat pump, and d) electric baseboard, accounting for both initial and operational energy-related costs. A net-zero carbon design with grid-tied photovoltaics is also optimized. Results indicate that heating system type influences the optimal enclosure design, and that neither building total energy use, nor space heating demand correspond to GHG emissions across heating system types. In each location, at least one type of all-electric design has a lower life-cycle cost than the optimized gas-heated model, and such designs can mitigate the majority of operational GHG emissions from new housing in locations with a low carbon intensity electricity supply.

scholarly journals A Review of Geothermal Technologies and Their Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Ball
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Abatement Cost ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Geothermal Heat ◽  
The Cost

Abstract A review of conventional, unconventional, and advanced geothermal technologies highlights just how diverse and multi-faceted the geothermal industry has become, harnessing temperatures from 7 °C to greater than 350 °C. The cost of reducing greenhouse emissions is examined in scenarios where conventional coal or combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants are abated. In the absence of a US policy on a carbon tax, the marginal abatement cost potential of these technologies is examined within the context of the social cost of carbon (SCC). The analysis highlights that existing geothermal heat and power technologies and emerging advanced closed-loop applications could deliver substantial cost-efficient baseload energy, leading to the long-term decarbonization. When considering an SCC of $25, in a 2025 development scenario, geothermal technologies ideally need to operate with full life cycle assessment (FLCA) emissions, lower than 50 kg(CO2)/MWh, and aim to be within the cost range of $30−60/MWh. At these costs and emissions, geothermal can provide a cost-competitive low-carbon, flexible, baseload energy that could replace existing coal and CCGT providing a significant long-term reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study confirms that geothermally derived heat and power would be well positioned within a diverse low-carbon energy portfolio. The analysis presented here suggests that policy and regulatory bodies should, if serious about lowering carbon emissions from the current energy infrastructure, consider increasing incentives for geothermal energy development.

LNG use will be crucial to nations’ energy transitions

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Market Volatility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Growth ◽  
Net Zero

Significance LNG is cleaner than most fossil fuels but still incompatible with net zero emissions. India, China and other Asian economies see LNG imports as a ready and economically viable means of displacing coal and oil use. Natural gas and then LNG demand will eventually peak as the energy transition accelerates over the next 20 years. Impacts LNG market growth will embed fossil fuel use and infrastructure in developing economies’ energy mixes. Recent market volatility and record spot LNG prices may reverse the trend of greater reliance on spot transactions than long-term contracts. Although the greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits of LNG use in transport are far from clear, it will gain market share in the next few years. LNG project developers will seek to cut GHG emissions from their projects to prolong LNG's attractiveness in the energy transition.

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