Published November 2022
Net-zero emissions targets and decarbonization ambitions are driving the demand for carbon sequestration solutions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) WG III sixth assessment report states that the total net anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have continued to rise and were at 56 ± 6.6 GtCO2-eq in 2019 [1]. Out of the 193 parties to the Paris Agreement, a total of 156 have pledged to reach net-zero by 2050 or later. Despite the acceleration of climate goals, there is a lack of coherence over targets and on the global scale, all efforts still fall short to limit global warming to below 2℃ [CaS-1]. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) can facilitate the transition to net‐zero CO2 emissions by: (1) tackling emissions from existing assets; (2) providing a way to address emissions from some of the most challenging sectors; (3) providing a cost‐effective pathway to scale up low‐carbon hydrogen production rapidly; and (4) allowing for CO2 removal from the atmosphere through bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC). CCUS is particularly important for cement manufacturing [2].
This report covers:
- Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)—an important ingredient to net-zero target
- Controlled Freeze Zone™ (CFZ™) technology for the removal of acid gases (CO2 and H2S) from natural gas (NG)
- Tail end calcium looping (CaL) technology for decarbonizing cement plants
Apart from the technical and economic analysis, we also include, in this report, a material balance table, a sized equipment list, and a process flow diagram for each technology. An Excel®-based tool, iPEP Navigator® is provided for easy economic analysis in different regions of the world.
The technological and economic assessment of the process is the process economics program’s (PEP) independent interpretation of a potential commercial process, which is based on information presented in open literature such as patents or technical articles, and it may not reflect in whole or in part the actual plant configuration. We do believe that these sources are sufficient to represent the process and process economics within the range of accuracy necessary for the economic evaluations of the conceptual process designs.
It needs to be recognized that the novel technologies and solutions currently available in the market are not commercially verified at scale. The performance advertised by the technology provider needs substantiation by commercial deployment. Despite such hurdles, the urgency to seek more desirable solutions is driving technological improvements, some of which are marginal and some that claim to be revolutionary. Against this background, this report attempts to clear the air on technical and economic analysis of new technologies while pointing out their potential risks and advantages.