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Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a set of technologies aimed at capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from point-source emitters to either store permanently or use as a feedstock to produce chemicals and fuels. In this paper, the potential benefits of CCUS integration into the energy supply sector are evaluated from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective by comparing two different routes for the CO2 captured from a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC). Both the complete storage of the captured CO2 and its partial utilization to produce dimethyl ether are investigated. Moreover, the assessment is performed considering the region-specific features of two of the largest CO2 emitters in Europe, namely Italy and Poland. Results shows that the complete storage of the captured CO2 reduces Global Warming Potential (GWP) by ~89% in Italy and ~97%, in Poland. On the other hand, the partial utilization of CO2 to produce dimethyl ether leads to a decrease of ~58% in Italy and ~68% in Poland with respect to a comparable reference entailing conventional dimethyl ether production. A series of environmental trade-offs was determined, with all the investigated categories apart from GWP showing an increase, mainly connected with the higher energy requirements of CCUS processes. These outcomes highlight the need for a holistic-oriented approach in the design of novel implemented configurations to avoid burden shifts throughout the value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capillary trapping of gas in porous media is important for many processes such as oil recovery and gas geo-sequestration. Foam can mitigate gravity override and viscous fingering of gas by reducing its relative permeability through gas trapping. However, there are limited studies dedicated to understanding how foam assists in gas trapping, the best mode of foam injection for trapping, and its application in geo-sequestration. This paper uses an initial–residual saturation analysis to investigate foam-assisted capillary trapping during the surfactant alternating gas (SAG) injection process in saline aquifers. More specifically, we studied the effects of pore geometric properties, in situ generated foam, and surfactant concentration on gas trapping efficiency and final residual gas saturation, Sgr. First, NMR surface relaxometry measurements were carried out on the rock samples to indicate the mean pore sizes of the rocks. A series of core flooding tests, equipped with resistivity measurements, were then conducted using single-cycle gas injection followed by water injection, water alternating gas (WAG), and SAG injection methods to identify which mode of injection results in the most trapped gas. The results showed that the SAG method had a better sweep efficiency and trapped more gas than other methods. The initial–residual (IR) gas saturation relationships from SAG data measured from several rock samples were then analyzed using Land's trapping model. Gas trapping efficiency (indicated by Land's coefficient, C) and residual gas were also found to increase in rocks with large average pore sizes and with increasing surfactant concentration. However, increasing the surfactant concentration above a certain limit did not cause further improvement in the trapping coefficient but only increased the Sgr. The results also showed that high values of surfactant concentrations might cause a slight reduction in the foam's apparent viscosity, which then reduces the initial gas saturation, and consequently, Sgr. Finally, a linear relationship between the Sgr and the measured log mean of surface relaxation times (T2LM) was obtained, and two correlations were proposed. Therefore, the NMR measurements can be considered a reliable prediction method for Sgr in porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful and fast development and deployment of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction technologies is a continuing and structural challenge. The deployment of these technologies is slowed down and sometimes even stalled due to societal challenges like public resistance, lack of appropriate policy and regulations, unsolid business cases and uncertainty concerning the impact on the environment. In this paper we elaborate on societal aspects that influence technology development and deployment and introduce the societal embeddedness level (SEL) framework. Building upon the technology readiness level (TRL), the SEL framework enables the assessment of the current level of societal embeddedness of energy technologies in order to identify the societal aspects which need to be taken into account to accelerate deployment of energy technologies. The SEL framework takes into account four societal dimensions (impact on the environment, stakeholder involvement, policy and regulations, and market and financial resources) and four stages of technology development (exploration, development, demonstration and deployment) that are linked to the TRL. The SEL framework has been elaborated for CCS technologies and is being applied to the monitoring of geological CO2 storage by the ACT II project DigiMon (Digital Monitoring of CO2 storage projects). DigiMon is an ACT second call project, funded by the national funding agencies in the period September 2019–August 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) operations use the direct injection of CO2 in a gaseous phase from the surface as a carbon carrier. Due to CO2 properties under reservoir conditions with lower density and viscosity than in situ brine, CO2 flux is mainly gravity-dominated. CO2 moves toward the top and accumulates below the top seal, thus reinforcing the risk of possible leakage to the surface through unexpected hydraulic paths (e.g., reactivated faults, fractures, and abandoned wells) or in sites without an effective sealing caprock. Considering the risks, the potential benefits of the interplay between CO2 and an aqueous solution of formate ions (HCOO¯) were evaluated when combined to control CO2 gravity segregation in porous media. Three combined strategies were evaluated and compared with those where either pure CO2 or a formate solution was injected. The first strategy consisted of a pre-flush of formate solution followed by continuous CO2 injection, and it was not effective in controlling the vertical propagation of the CO2 plume. However, the injection of a formate solution slug in a continuous or alternated way, simultaneously with the CO2 continuous injection, was effective in slowing down the vertical migration of the CO2 plume and keeping it permanently stationary deeper than the surface depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear wave velocity (Vs) has significant applications in geoengineering investigations. With the ongoing rise in carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives, the role of Vs in monitoring the CO2 sequestration sites is escalating. Although many studies have been conducted to assess CCS-induced risks, no inclusive research has been conducted integrating those investigations. This study strives to collate and integrate the applications of Vs in geoscience with an emphasis on CCS risk assessment. Based on this research, major CCS-induced risks were detected: induced seismicity, caprock failure, groundwater contamination, fault reactivation, and reservoir deformation. These risks were inclusively described, and the mathematical formulations incorporating the Vs parameter in risk analysis were elaborated. It was concluded that Vs applications can be further extended in monitoring CO2 plume migration, optimizing CO2 injection pressures, preventing shallow water contamination, and predicting CCS-induced seismic events. All these applications require fully coupled hydromechanical analysis based on poroelasticity theory. Hence, various factors including pore pressure, in situ stresses, faults distribution, and poroelastic parameters must be carefully determined before the CO2 injection phase. The mathematical formulations presented in the present study are quite applicable for granting the safety and long-term success of subsurface carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to EU goals and the Paris Agreement, an urgent need exists for reducing CO2 emissions while still securing energy supply. Thus, the timely deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is seemingly unavoidable, especially for the cement and steel industries. However, diverse perceptions of CCS among stakeholders such as experts, politicians, and laypeople exist that could hinder the deployment of the technology. Hence, it is worthwhile to recognise these diverse perceptions and their roots. In the studies on risk perceptions, the emphasis has been mostly on the public, as well as factors that influence the public, such as knowledge dissemination and trust. Although these are crucial elements, they are not enough to explain the complexity of risk perceptions. In contrast to the mainstream research, this paper hypothesises that both laypeople and experts are affected by common cultural denominators, therefore, might have similar patterns of risk perceptions. This research suggests a framework that explains the role of societal culture in risk governance, arguing that thrifty, uncertainty avoidant, hierarchical societies tend to have a higher risk perception of CCS. This study is based on a synthesis of the earlier research, an extensive literature review, and an analysis of interviews data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can sequester atmospheric CO2, while producing electricity. The CO2 avoidance cost (CAC) is used to calculate the marginal cost of avoided CO2 emissions for BECCS as compared to other established energy technologies. A comparative analysis using four different reference-case power plants for CAC calculations is performed here to evaluate the CO2 avoidance cost of BECCS implementation. Results from this work demonstrate that BECCS can generate electricity at costs competitive with other neutral emissions technologies, while simultaneously removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Approximately 73% of current coal power plants are approaching retirement by the year 2035 in the U.S. After considering CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere and coal power plant CO2 emissions displaced by BECCS, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 1.4 billion tonnes per year in the U.S. alone at a cost of $88 to $116 per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere, for 10% to 90% of available biomass used, respectively. CAC calculations in this paper indicate that BECCS can help the U.S. and other countries transition to a decarbonized electricity grid, as simulations presented in this paper predict that BECCS power plants operate at lower CACs than coal plants with CCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of biohydrogen with negative CO2 emissions through the steam methane reforming of biomethane, coupled with carbon capture and storage, represents a promising technology, particularly for industries that are difficult to electrify. In spite of the maturity of this technology, which is currently employed in the production of grey and blue hydrogen, a detailed cost model that considers the entire supply chain is lacking in the literature. This study addresses this gap by applying correlations derived from actual facilities producing grey and blue hydrogen to calculate the CAPEX, while exploring various feedstock combinations for biogas generation to assess the OPEX. The analysis also includes logistic aspects, such as decentralised biogas production and the transportation and storage of CO2. The levelized cost of golden hydrogen is estimated to range from EUR 1.84 to 2.88/kg, compared to EUR 1.47/kg for grey hydrogen and EUR 1.93/kg for blue hydrogen, assuming a natural gas cost of EUR 25/MWh and excluding the CO2 tax. This range increases to between 3.84 and 2.92, with a natural gas cost of EUR 40/MWh with the inclusion of the CO2 tax. A comparison with conventional green hydrogen is performed, highlighting both prices and potential, thereby offering valuable information for decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the technologies for the recovery of energy from waste, in particular residual municipal solid waste (rMSW), combustion is the most widely used thermo-chemical treatment process associated with thermal and electric power production by a steam cycle, named, shortly, Waste to Energy (WtE). Today, more than 500 WtE plants in the EU, about 400 in China and 76 in the USA are in operation, based on efficient technologies and advanced air pollution control systems. Energy recovery can be accomplished also by means of gasification; however, the presence of impurities together with the atmospheric pressure, at which syngas is normally produced, impose the feeding of syngas to a conventional steam cycle, leading to generally lower performances than WtE. The energy recovered by WtE offsets traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels and related emissions, providing savings in term of climate change. However, the savings obtainable by replacing electricity and/or heat will diminish as the energy systems will hopefully become increasingly renewable. Over this medium–long-term horizon, one possibility is to capture the CO2 from WtE flue gases and to store/use it. From the life cycle assessment perspective, it has been calculated that the introduction of CO2 capture and storage in WtE, despite energy penalties, is able to reduce the impact on climate change. The alternative approach, proposed to contain the emissions of greenhouse gases in the thermal treatment of waste, is using the carbon contained in it to produce commonly used chemical compounds (waste to chemicals). The benefits, in terms of reductions of greenhouse gases, are expected from the possibility of obtaining chemicals that can replace their analogue normally produced from fossil sources. To date, only one WtC demonstration plant is operating by being fed by rMSW-derived waste, and some similar initiatives are planned, but still adequate assurances in terms of robust knowledge of the involved complex processes, above all, if applied to highly inhomogeneous feed streams such as those obtained from rMSW, are not available. Once the several initiatives come to completion, it will enable waste management professionals to assess performance and to begin to consider such a facility in their planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-cost abatement measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the basic commodity industry is known to result in substantial increases in the production costs. Consequently, investments in such measures are lagging behind what is required to make deep emission cuts in line with the Paris Agreement. As high-cost abatement measures (such as Carbon Capture and Storage; CCS) are perceived as expensive for the basic commodity producer, this study investigates the impacts down-stream of the product value chain when assuming full cost pass-through (i.e., the cost increase related to basic commodity production is fully passed on down-stream of the product chain to the end-consumer). We investigate the effects on both costs, by means of a techno-economic assessment, and carbon footprints, using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), along the product value chain for the case of post-combustion CCS applied to the cement, pulp, Waste-to-Energy (WtE), and refinery industries, towards abating fossil- and process-related emissions and generating negative emissions. Here, we analyse the product value chains that involve cement to a high-speed railway, pulp to a disposable baby diaper, WtE in connection with housing and plastic products, and refineries to different transportation solutions (truck transport and air-freight). The results show that even though the costs for producing basic commodities can increase significantly (200% for cement, 75% for pulp, 230% for heat, and 6–37% for refinery products) when implementing CCS, the increases in prices for end-users are marginal (1% for the railway, 3% for the disposable baby diaper, 1% for the housing, 0.4% for truck transport and 2% for air-freight). Simultaneously, the carbon footprint associated with the end-use may be reduced by up to 36% for the railway, 31% for the diaper, 80% for the housing, and 3–23% for the refinery cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents results of thermodynamic analysis using a zero-dimensional mathematical models of a negative CO2 emission power plant. The developed cycle of a negative CO2 emission power plant allows the production of electricity using gasified sewage sludge as a main fuel. The negative emission can be achieved by the use this type of fuel which is already a "zero-emissive" energy source. Together with carbon capture installation, there is a possibility to decrease CO2 emission below the "zero" level. Developed models of a novel gas cycle which use selected codes allow the prediction of basic parameters of thermodynamic cycles such as output power, efficiency, combustion composition, exhaust temperature, etc. The paper presents results of thermodynamic analysis of two novel cycles, called PDF0 and PFD1, by using different thermodynamic codes. A comparison of results obtained by three different codes offered the chance to verify results because the experimental data are currently not available. The comparison of predictions between three different software in the literature is something new, according to studies made by authors. For gross efficiency (54.74%, 55.18%, and 52.00%), there is a similar relationship for turbine power output (155.9 kW, 157.19 kW, and 148.16 kW). Additionally, the chemical energy rate of the fuel is taken into account, which ultimately results in higher efficiencies for flue gases with increased steam production. A similar trend is assessed for increased CO2 in the flue gas. The developed precise models are particularly important for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) energy system, where relatively new devices mutually cooperate and their thermodynamic parameters affect those devices. Proposed software employs extended a gas–steam turbine cycle to determine the effect of cycle into environment. First of all, it should be stated that there is a slight influence of the software used on the results obtained, but the basic tendencies are the same, which makes it possible to analyze various types of thermodynamic cycles. Secondly, the possibility of a negative CO2 emission power plant and the positive environmental impact of the proposed solution has been demonstrated, which is also a novelty in the area of thermodynamic cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Polish power system has been reducing its impact on the environment for a long time, mainly through modernization and investments in new generation capacities, including renewable energy technologies. However, its starting point is still more difficult compared to other less coal-dependent power systems in the European Union. The study was conducted in the direction of optimizing the Polish energy mix of electricity generation from the perspective of 2050. Two energy scenarios for the possible transformation of the Polish power system towards achieving at least a 95% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 with an increasing share of renewables were analyzed. The study was carried out with the use of the TIMES-PL model, which minimizes the total system cost over the analyzed time horizon. The model was calibrated according to data from 2018. The two scenarios show relatively similar pathways for CO2 emission reductions by 2050. In the case of no investment in nuclear power plants, power plants equipped with CO2 capture and storage systems are an alternative solution for achieving climate neutrality and increasing national energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas is an indispensable resource not evenly distributed in the world. The gas supply chain is characterized by large imbalances between supply and demand, where the underground gas storage (UGS) application plays a key role for creating strategic reserves, taking advantage of geological structures. On the contrary, human activities will require clean energy with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions to be environmentally viable. A key element of this strategy is the carbon capture and storage (CCS) application useful for confining CO2 into the geosphere to reduce anthropogenic emissions. The development of appropriate injection methods and long-term monitoring systems for leak detection of the underground storage of natural gas and CO2 is important to prevent negative effects, such as ground deformations and micro seismic events. In this work, a variety of monitoring applications were gathered and critically analyzed for a total of 60 scientific contributions spanning the world. This bibliographic work shows an analytical and statistical overview of the most common use of UGS and CCS, representing the different goals of these two applications and analyzing the main monitoring techniques used in the gathered contributions. Currently, UGS monitoring requires further development, especially through multidisciplinary approaches useful for identifying possible effects on the surface and gas leaks at depth; meanwhile, CCS solutions are still at the experimental stage, also because of the high costs for large-scale applications that still need specific research. The state of the art of these two very different practices can improve the further development of new monitoring approaches or additional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the major challenge of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in urban areas—installing as many fast charging stations as necessary and using them as efficiently as possible, while considering grid level power limitations. A smart fast charging station with four vehicle access points and an intelligent load management algorithm based on the combined charging system interface is presented. The shortcomings of present implementations of the combined charging system communication protocol are identified and discussed. Practical experiments and simulations of different charging scenarios validate the concept and show that the concept can increase the utilization time and the supplied energy by a factor of 2.4 compared to typical charging station installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The achievement of climate neutrality in the European Union by 2050 will not be possible solely through a reduction in fossil fuels and the development of energy generation from renewable sources. Large-scale implementation of various technologies is necessary, including bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), as well as industrial electrification, the use of hydrogen, the expansion of electromobility, low-emission agricultural practices, and afforestation. This research is devoted to an analysis of BECCS as a negative emissions technology (NET) and the assessment of its implementation impact upon the possibility of achieving climate neutrality in the EU. The modelling approach utilises tools developed within the LIFE Climate CAKE PL project and includes the MEESA energy model and the d-PLACE CGE economic model. This article identifies the scope of the required investment in generation capacity and the amount of electricity production from BECCS necessary to meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets in the EU, examining the technology's impact on the overall system costs and marginal abatement costs (MACs). The modelling results confirm the key role of BECCS technology in achieving EU climate goals by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]