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Recent Advances in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Techniques

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Chemical Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 1099

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy
Interests: carbon capture and utilization; CO2 separation and sequestration; CO2 hydrogenation; hydrogen; methanol and dimethyl-ether dehydration; indium oxide; copper; iron oxides and iron carbides; heterogeneous catalysis; thermal integration; power-to-fuel systems; methanation and synthetic fuels

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Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, Via Pietro Bucci, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
Interests: carbon capture and utilization; CO2 conversion to methane and synthetic fuels; power-to-gas systems; catalytic reactions over zeolites; pyrolysis and gasification

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to comprehensively explore carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, highlighting recent innovations and challenges in terms of carbon-neutral and carbon-negative applications. The purpose of CCUS is to decarbonize sectors where emissions are hard to abate, such as cement, steel, and chemical production, while promoting circular economy principles for the mitigation of climate change, aligning with global sustainability goals, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Hence, this Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews related to both carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies.

CCS technologies focus on capturing CO2 from industrial and energy-related sources and securely storing it in geological formations, hence advances in this field have centered on improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of CCS technologies. Simultaneously, innovations in monitoring ensure safe, long-term storage by mitigating leakage risks. CCS provides a critical solution for reducing emissions in sectors where full decarbonization remains technologically challenging.

CCU, on the other hand, expands the scope of CCS by transforming CO2 into valuable products, such as methane, methanol, synthetic hydrocarbons, and other sustainable fuels, particularly when paired with green hydrogen produced using renewable energy. These fuels are pivotal for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation and shipping. Advances in environmental catalysis, including thermo-, photo- and electro-catalytic methods, are also enabling the transformation of CO2 into chemicals, polymers, and other industrial products, promoting circularity and resource efficiency.

Together, CCS and CCU are pivotal in achieving climate targets while fostering a circular carbon economy. By integrating with green hydrogen technologies and supporting sustainable transportation, CCUS strengthens its role as a cornerstone of global sustainability efforts.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fabio Salomone
Dr. Emanuele Giglio
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability 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 2400 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 and storage
  • carbon capture and utilization
  • CO2 hydrogenation
  • synthetic fuels
  • CO2 absorption
  • solid sorbents
  • membrane technologies
  • CO2 valorization
  • environmental catalysis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

34 pages, 5186 KB  
Article
Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessments of Aqueous Phase Reforming for the Energetic Valorization of Winery Wastewaters
by Giulia Farnocchia, Carlos E. Gómez-Camacho, Giuseppe Pipitone, Roland Hischier, Raffaele Pirone and Samir Bensaid
Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7856; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177856 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 827
Abstract
Globally, winery wastewaters (WWWs) are estimated to account for about 62.5 billion L annually (2021), with COD levels up to 300,000 mg O2/L primarily attributed to residual ethanol, posing serious environmental concerns. Conventional treatments are effective in COD removal, but they [...] Read more.
Globally, winery wastewaters (WWWs) are estimated to account for about 62.5 billion L annually (2021), with COD levels up to 300,000 mg O2/L primarily attributed to residual ethanol, posing serious environmental concerns. Conventional treatments are effective in COD removal, but they often miss opportunities for energy recovery and resource valorization. This study investigates the aqueous phase reforming (APR) of ethanol-rich wastewater as an alternative treatment for both COD reduction and energy generation. Two scenarios were assessed: electricity and heat cogeneration (S1) and hydrogen production (S2). Process simulations in Aspen Plus® V14, based on lab-scale APR data, provided upscaled material and energy flows for techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and energy sustainability analysis of a 2.5 m3/h plant. At 75% ethanol conversion, the minimum selling price (MSP) was USD0.80/kWh with a carbon footprint of 0.08 kg CO2-eq/kWh for S1 and USD7.00/kg with 2.57 kg CO2-eq/kg H2 for S2. Interestingly, S1 revealed a non-linear trade-off between APR performance and energy integration, with higher ethanol conversion leading to a higher electricity selling price because of the increased heat reactor duty. In both cases, the main contributors to global warming potential (GWP) were platinum extraction/recovery and residual COD treatment. Both scenarios achieved a positive energy balance, with an energy return on investment (EROI) of 1.57 for S1 and 2.71 for S2. This study demonstrates the potential of APR as a strategy for self-sufficient energy valorization and additional revenue generation in wine-producing regions. Full article
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