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New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies
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New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B3: Carbon Emission and Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 2947

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chikezie Nwaoha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Qingdao Innovation Center for Carbon Capture, Storage and Marine Resource Utilization (Qi‐CCSU), College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
2. Utilities Division, Engineering Department, City of Chilliwack, BC V2P 8A4, Canada
3. The Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Interests: carbon capture; amine solvents; waste-to-energy; CO2 absorption; techno-economic analysis; process simulation; optimization; modeling; municipal solid waste management; biogas; clean energy technologies; amine solution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The urgent need to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions has intensified global efforts to decarbonize energy systems. Carbon capture technologies and clean energy innovations are central to achieving net-zero emissions targets while meeting growing energy demands. This Special Issue of Energies, titled “New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies,” aims to bring together cutting-edge research, technological advancements, and applied solutions that contribute to the transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable energy future.

This Special Issue aims to address the scientific, engineering, and policy challenges associated with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as clean energy technologies across various industries. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration, this Special Issue seeks to advance the science and engineering of carbon capture and utilization and clean energy systems, offering insights and innovations essential for achieving a sustainable energy transition.

In this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews, case studies, and communications are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Novel materials and processes for CO2 capture (e.g., solvents, sorbents, membranes, and biological technology);
  • Direct air capture and point-source capture systems;
  • Integration of CCUS with fossil, bioenergy, and industrial processes;
  • Techno-economic and life-cycle assessment of carbon capture systems;
  • Clean energy generation technologies, including solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen, and bioenergy;
  • Hybrid systems integrating carbon capture with renewable or distributed energy systems;
  • Thermodynamic analysis, heat and mass transfer, and exergy studies relevant to carbon capture and clean energy systems;
  • Process simulation, optimization, and control of energy and carbon capture systems;
  • Advances in energy storage, fuels, and energy conversion relevant to clean energy integration;
  • Application of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data-driven approaches for monitoring, diagnostics, and optimization of carbon capture and clean and low-carbon energy systems;
  • Energy policy, economics, and sustainability assessments related to decarbonization pathways.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Chikezie Nwaoha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbon capture
  • methane capture
  • CO2 utilization
  • process and energy efficiency
  • waste-to-energy
  • wastewater
  • municipal solid waste
  • bioenergy
  • artificial intelligence
  • machine learning

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 3670 KB  
Article
Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathways in Injection Moulding: A Life Cycle Assessment of End-of-Life Allocation Methods
by Viktoria Mannheim, Kinga Szabó and Judit Lovasné Avató
Energies 2026, 19(10), 2295; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19102295 - 10 May 2026
Viewed by 392
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is extensively employed to support sustainability evaluation in waste management and manufacturing systems; however, outcomes are highly sensitive to methodological decisions, particularly end-of-life (EoL) allocation approaches. This study examines how cut-off and substitution approaches affect the energy performance and [...] Read more.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is extensively employed to support sustainability evaluation in waste management and manufacturing systems; however, outcomes are highly sensitive to methodological decisions, particularly end-of-life (EoL) allocation approaches. This study examines how cut-off and substitution approaches affect the energy performance and decarbonisation potential of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) injection moulding systems. A dual framework is adopted: first, a literature review examines methodological sensitivities in EoL modelling; second, a quantitative case study assesses industrial-scale primary data for the production of durable HDPE bottles (300 mL). The LCA model integrates specific technical parameters, including a 220 °C melt temperature and a 36 s cycle time, ensuring a realistic representation of manufacturing conditions. The results indicate that allocation choices significantly influence calculated impacts, sometimes reversing the relative ranking of configurations. Substitution-based approaches report higher benefits by crediting avoided primary production, while cut-off logic provides more conservative estimates. Quantitative analysis shows that transitioning from open-loop to fully closed-loop configurations reduces cumulative energy demand by 3.2% and freshwater emissions per functional unit by 2.8%. Furthermore, the study identifies a ‘landfill paradox’ specific to HDPE waste within transitional energy systems: due to the carbon sequestration effect of landfilled polymers and current grid emission factors, landfilling exhibits a lower net carbon footprint (0.03 kg CO2-eq./kg) than high-efficiency incineration (1.54 kg CO2-eq./kg). These findings highlight that circular economy evaluations are strongly shaped by methodological assumptions, with direct implications for energy policy. Bridging the gap between specific industrial processing parameters and end-of-life allocation logic underscores the need to incorporate primary industrial data and transparent allocation frameworks to support reliable decision-making in the transition toward low-carbon and energy-efficient manufacturing systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies)
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25 pages, 38588 KB  
Article
Improved Efficiency of Coal Burning in KWr-0.2 Low-Capacity Boilers by Redesigning the Air Supply
by Yertugan Umbetkulov, Baydaulet Urmashev, Aliya Kudasheva, Aliya Tursynzhanova, Roman Mamonov and Marat Khazimov
Energies 2026, 19(10), 2292; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19102292 - 9 May 2026
Viewed by 267
Abstract
This study presents the results of research aimed at improving the efficiency of coal combustion in KWr-0.2 boilers. The improvement is achieved by optimizing the air supply to the stationary coal bed using vertically installed cylindrical air injectors equipped with side openings. The [...] Read more.
This study presents the results of research aimed at improving the efficiency of coal combustion in KWr-0.2 boilers. The improvement is achieved by optimizing the air supply to the stationary coal bed using vertically installed cylindrical air injectors equipped with side openings. The objective of the research is to increase the efficiency of low-power boilers by (1) enhancing the air supply to the coal bed, and (2) optimizing the number and arrangement of heat exchange pipelines within the combustion chamber. The research methodology included: numerical calculation of velocity and temperature fields above the fuel bed in the combustion chamber under specified post-combustion firing conditions; experimental analysis of the flue gas composition using a TESTO-300 gas analyzer; evaluation of residual energy content in coal and ash (obtained from both the collimator and integrated combustion systems) using a calorimetric bomb; and assessment of the elemental composition of ash structures via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results of the study demonstrated a 35% reduction in flue gas toxicity. Furthermore, the residual energy content in the ash resulting from the proposed method was found to be 40% lower than that observed with the conventional combustion method. The total content of chemical elements in the fuel combustion products decreased by 11–12%. The practical significance of the proposed coal combustion method is substantiated by its high economic efficiency, which enables a reduction in the required mass of coal burned by up to 40% per heating season. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies)
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24 pages, 1618 KB  
Article
Design and Economic Evaluation of the Increase to 95% CO2 Removal in Power Generation and Gas Discharge of a Steel Plant
by Omnia W. F. M. Farag and Stefania Moioli
Energies 2026, 19(4), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19041053 - 18 Feb 2026
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Greenhouse gas emissions represent one of the most significant environmental challenges of the 21st century, with CO2 the major contributor, particularly in the steelmaking sector. To mitigate these emissions, carbon-capture, utilization, and storage technologies (CCUS) are considered the most mature technology, as [...] Read more.
Greenhouse gas emissions represent one of the most significant environmental challenges of the 21st century, with CO2 the major contributor, particularly in the steelmaking sector. To mitigate these emissions, carbon-capture, utilization, and storage technologies (CCUS) are considered the most mature technology, as they capture the CO2 from the blast furnace gas stream and utilize it in chemical production. Since monoethanolamine (MEA) remains the benchmark solvent used in post-combustion capture, this study focused on the process optimization and techno-economic evaluation of an MEA-based CO2 capture system to achieve 95% CO2 capture efficiency, which has still not been considered in detail in the literature. The optimization aims to achieve higher capture efficiency while minimizing the regeneration energy demand by investigating key parameters, including the absorber height, lean loading, regenerator height, regenerator pressure, and lean solvent inlet temperature. The results indicate that the absorber packed height and lean loading are the most influential parameters in increasing the capture efficiency from 90% to 95%, with optimal values of 20 m and 0.20 mol CO2/mol MEA, with an optimum value of 15 m for the regenerator height. Despite the capture target higher than 90%, the thermal energy requirement increased only marginally, from approximately 3.75 of the 90% CO2 removal system to 3.80 GJ/tCO2. A techno-economic assessment was then integrated to translate the process improvements into economic terms, considering the calculations of CAPEX and OPEX of the process, and a business plan was created to assess the effect and the application of the carbon tax on inflation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies)
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13 pages, 1618 KB  
Article
Pressurized Chemical Looping Flue Gas Polishing via Novel Integrated Heat Exchanger Reactor
by Hongtian Ge, Matthew Perry, Jan Haelssig and Arturo Macchi
Energies 2025, 18(24), 6393; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18246393 - 6 Dec 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Pressurized chemical looping combustion (PCLC) provides the benefit of simplifying the carbon capture process by generating a flue gas stream with high CO2 concentration. However, flue gas polishing is required to remove the residual impurities for pipeline transport. The intensified heat exchanger [...] Read more.
Pressurized chemical looping combustion (PCLC) provides the benefit of simplifying the carbon capture process by generating a flue gas stream with high CO2 concentration. However, flue gas polishing is required to remove the residual impurities for pipeline transport. The intensified heat exchanger reactor (IHXR) is a promising method for flue gas polishing while maximizing useful heat recovery that incorporates alternating catalytic packed beds with interstage cooling via printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHE). This work offers a design process for an IHXR capable of polishing a flue gas stream from a 100 MWth natural gas-fired PCLC unit while recovering 1.6 MW of useful heat in the form of saturated steam at 180 °C. Simulation work performed in Aspen HYSYS was used to determine the polished flue gas outlet species concentrations as well as the required number and size of the packed bed sections. The PCHEs for interstage cooling were sized via a thermal circuit approach. The final IHXR consists of six packed beds at 0.06 m in length and five PCHEs at 0.265 m in length, combining to a total IHXR length of 1.685 m. The height and width of the IHXR is shared between the packed beds and PCHEs at 0.91 m and 0.45 m, respectively. The resulting IHXR is capable of recovering heat at a rate of approximately 2.3 MW/m3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies)
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Review

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23 pages, 3213 KB  
Review
CO2 Nanobubbles as an Emerging EOR–CCUS Technology: Comparative Review of Laboratory Studies, Underlying Mechanisms, and Preliminary Assessment of CO2 Storage Potential
by Abdulrahman Shahin, Elvin Hajiyev, Hossameldeen Elnaggar, Bassel Eissa, Mahmoud Abdellatif, Abdul Rehman Baig and Marshall Watson
Energies 2026, 19(10), 2323; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19102323 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 525
Abstract
Nanobubbles (NBs) are emerging as a promising area of research across multiple scientific and industrial domains due to their unique physicochemical characteristics. NBs exhibit distinctive properties compared to normal bubbles, including high internal pressure, a large specific surface area, high interfacial activity, and [...] Read more.
Nanobubbles (NBs) are emerging as a promising area of research across multiple scientific and industrial domains due to their unique physicochemical characteristics. NBs exhibit distinctive properties compared to normal bubbles, including high internal pressure, a large specific surface area, high interfacial activity, and long-term stability in liquids. Therefore, NBs have gained increasing attention as a novel enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique, offering potential advantages over traditional gas flooding and chemical flooding. CO2-NB specifically represents a particularly promising approach as an intersection of EOR and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as CO2-NB enables hydrocarbon recovery and in situ CO2 utilization and storage at reservoir conditions. This paper presents a structured comparative discussion of currently identified experimental EOR studies that employ CO2-NBs. Based on the observations of these experiments, this paper discusses the proposed mechanisms in those experiments or other studies that could scientifically play a role in achieving incremental recovery. The main mechanisms discussed include interfacial tension reduction, wettability alteration, CO2 transfer from NBs into the oil liquid phase, and suppression of gravity segregation. Other possible contributors discussed in the literature include buoyancy-assisted mobilization, induced shock waves, and drag force reduction. These mechanisms are examined in relation to the distinctive properties of CO2-NBs, showing how these properties contribute to the occurrence of the proposed mechanisms, showcasing the potential of CO2-NBs as an emergent EOR–CCUS technology. A preliminary probabilistic assessment was performed to estimate CO2 storage potential during CO2-NBs EOR injection. The results suggest that the majority of the injected CO2 is dissolved in the saturated liquid phase, while the amount of free NBs is negligible, indicating that CO2-NB injection may provide secure storage through solubility trapping, but with lower storage capacity compared to conventional geological sequestration in saline aquifers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Carbon Capture and Clean Energy Technologies)
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