Search Results (28)

Heavy industry is a significant contributor to CO₂ global emissions, accounting for approximately 25% of the total. In Europe, the continent’s largest emitting industries, including steel, cement, and power generation, face significant decarbonization challenges due to multiple interrelated factors. Heavy industry must achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as outlined in the 13th United Nations Sustainable Goals. One strategy to achieve this goal involves Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) with post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) technologies playing a critical role. Key methods include absorption, which uses chemical solvents like amines; adsorption, employing solid sorbents; cyclic CO₂ capture, such as calcium looping methods; cryogenic separation, which involves chilling flue gas to liquefy CO₂; and membrane separation, leveraging polymeric materials. Each technology offers unique advantages and challenges, necessitating hybrid approaches and policy support for widespread adoption. In this sense, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the existing European pilot and demonstration units and projects, funded by the EU across several industries. It specifically focuses on PCC. This study examines 111 industrial facilities across Europe, documenting the PCC technologies deployed at plants of varying capacities, geographic locations, and operational stakeholders. The review further evaluates the techno-economic performance of these systems, assessing their potential to advance carbon neutrality in heavy industries. Full article

With the increasing severity of climate change, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology has become essential for reducing atmospheric CO₂. Marine carbon sequestration, which stores CO₂ in seabed geological structures, offers advantages such as large storage capacity and high stability. Cryogenic hoses are critical for the ship-to-ship transfer of liquid CO₂ from transportation vessels to offshore carbon sequestration platforms, but their design methods and mechanical analysis remain inadequately understood. This study reviews existing cryogenic hose designs, including reinforced corrugated hoses, vacuum-insulated hoses, and composite hoses, to assess their suitability for liquid CO₂ transfer. Based on CO₂’s physicochemical properties, a conceptual composite hose structure is proposed, featuring a double-spring-supported internal composite hose, thermal insulation layer, and outer sheath. Practical recommendations for material selection, corrosion prevention, and monitoring strategies are provided to improve flexibility, pressure resistance, and thermal insulation, enabling reliable long-distance tandem transfer. A mechanical analysis framework is developed to evaluate structural performance under conditions including mechanical loads, thermal stress, and dynamic responses. This manuscript includes an introduction to the background, the methodology for data collection, a review of existing designs, an analysis of CO₂ characteristics, the proposed design methods, the mechanical analysis framework, a discussion of challenges, and the conclusions. Full article

Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC) has emerged as a promising technology to enhance the sustainability of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) operations in line with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonization targets. This study investigates the integration of CCC within Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs), leveraging LNG’s cryogenic potential to improve CO₂ capture efficiency and optimize energy use. A detailed structural analysis of the FSRU’s energy balance was conducted considering variable regasification performance in open- and closed-loop regimes, followed by a Thermoflow-based simulation to assess the impact of CCC integration under real operational conditions. The results demonstrate that incorporating CCC into the FSRU’s closed-loop regasification process enables effective CO₂ capture and separation from the flue gas emitted by the Wärtsilä 8L50DF and 6L50DF dual-fuel electric diesel generators, as well as the boiler system. The study identifies a potential fuel consumption optimisation of 22% and a CO₂ capture rate of 100%, where the energy balance process requires 17.4 MW of combined energy unitisation. In addition, the study highlights the role of LNG cold energy potential in optimising heat exchange and mitigating thermal losses. These findings support the feasibility of CCC as a viable decarbonisation strategy for LNG FSRU operations. Future research should focus on improving system scalability and evaluating long-term performance under varying environmental and operational conditions. Full article

With the consequences of climate change becoming more urgent, there has never been a more pressing need for technologies that can help to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of the most polluting sectors, such as power generation, steel, cement, and the chemical industry. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art technologies for carbon capture, for instance, post-combustion, pre-combustion, oxy-fuel combustion, chemical looping, and direct air capture. Moreover, already established carbon capture technologies, such as absorption, adsorption, and membrane-based separation, and emerging technologies like calcium looping or cryogenic separation are presented. Beyond carbon capture technologies, this review also discusses how captured CO₂ can be securely stored (CCS) physically in deep saline aquifers or depleted gas and oil reservoirs, stored chemically via mineralization, or used in enhanced oil recovery. The concept of utilizing the captured CO₂ (CCU) for producing value-added products, including formic acid, methanol, urea, or methane, towards a circular carbon economy will also be shortly discussed. Real-life applications, e.g., already pilot-scale continuous methane (CH₄) production from flue gas CO₂, are shown. Actual deployment of the most crucial technologies for the future will be explored in real-life applications. This review aims to provide a compact view of the most crucial technologies that should be considered when choosing to capture, store, or convert CO₂, informing future researchers with efforts aimed at mitigating CO₂ emissions and tackling the climate crisis. Full article

The pressing environmental and energy challenges of today are driven by the depletion of fossil fuels and a surge in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. This situation highlights the critical need for sustainable energy solutions. While carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies offer hope, they face economic challenges at the scale needed to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Biogas, produced mainly through the anaerobic digestion of various biomass sources like agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, and wastewater, presents a renewable alternative. Composed largely of methane and carbon dioxide, biogas can be upgraded to bio-methane, serving as an eco-friendly replacement for natural gas. Technological advancements, particularly in membrane separation, have made biogas purification more efficient and cost-effective. Anaerobic digestion, a key process in biogas production, breaks down organic matter into simpler compounds, which are then transformed into gases like methane and carbon dioxide. The composition of biogas depends on the feedstock and digestion conditions, with methane being a valuable but challenging component to separate due to its greenhouse gas properties. Several purification technologies have been developed, including absorption, adsorption, cryogenic separation, and membrane separation, each with unique benefits and drawbacks. Membrane separation is particularly promising for its environmental benefits and scalability. However, the biogas industry faces challenges, especially in developing countries, due to high costs and limited research and development. Overcoming these obstacles requires collaboration among various stakeholders. Looking ahead, the future of biogas technology is bright, with advances in membrane materials and integrated refining processes. Integrating biogas into sectors like waste management and agriculture is crucial for its development and for meeting global renewable energy goals. Biogas technology not only reduces dependence on fossil fuels but also plays a vital role in the transition to sustainable energy. Full article

Climate change necessitates urgent actions to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuel-based energy generation. Among various strategies, the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions is critical for reducing emissions from point sources such as power plants and heavy industries. In this context, cryogenic carbon capture (CCC) via desublimation has emerged as a promising technology. While CCC offers high separation efficiency, minimal downstream compression work, and integration potential with existing industrial processes, challenges such as low operating temperatures and equipment costs persist. Ongoing research aims to address these hurdles in order to optimize the desublimation processes for widespread implementation. This review consolidates diverse works from the literature, providing insights into the strengths and limitations of CCC technology, including the latest pilot plant scale demonstrations. The transformative potential of CCC is first assessed on a theoretical basis, such as thermodynamic aspects and mass transfer phenomena. Then, recent advancements in the proposed process configurations are critically assessed and compared through key performance indicators. Furthermore, future research directions for this technology are clearly highlighted. Full article

The cement industry is regarded as one of the primary producers of world carbon emissions; hence, lowering its carbon emissions is vital for fostering the development of a low-carbon economy. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies play significant roles in sectors dominated by fossil energy. This study aimed to address issues such as high exhaust gas volume, low CO₂ concentration, high pollutant content, and difficulty in carbon capture during cement production by combining traditional cement production processes with cryogenic air separation technology and CO₂ purification and compression technology. Aspen Plus^® was used to create the production model in its entirety, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted on pertinent production parameters. The findings demonstrate that linking the oxygen-enriched combustion process with the cement manufacturing process may decrease the exhaust gas flow by 54.62%, raise the CO₂ mass fraction to 94.83%, cut coal usage by 30%, and considerably enhance energy utilization efficiency. An exergy analysis showed that the exergy efficiency of the complete kiln system was risen by 17.56% compared to typical manufacturing procedures. However, the cryogenic air separation system had a relatively low exergy efficiency in the subsidiary subsystems, while the clinker cooling system and flue gas circulation system suffered significant exergy efficiency losses. The rotary kiln system, which is the main source of the exergy losses, also had low exergy efficiency in the traditional production process. Full article

Carbon dioxide, the leading contributor to anthropogenic climate change, is released mainly via fossil fuel combustion, mostly for energy generation. Carbon capture technologies are employed for reducing the emissions from existing huge point sources, along with capturing them from direct air, to reduce the existing concentration. This paper provides a quantitative analysis of the various subtypes of carbon capture technologies with the aim of providing an assessment of each from technological, social, geo-political, economic, and environmental perspectives. Since the emissions intensity and quantity, along with the social–political–economic conditions, vary in different geographic regions, prioritising and finding the right type of technology is critical for achieving ambitious net-zero targets. Four main types of carbon capture technology were analysed (adsorption, absorption, membrane, and cryogenic) under four scenarios depending on the jurisdiction. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (also known as the TOPSIS method) was used to establish a quantitative ranking of each, where weightages were allocated according to the emissions status and economics of each depending on the jurisdiction. Furthermore, forecasting the trends for technology types vis à vis carbon neutral targets between 2040 and 2050 was carried out by applying regression analysis on existing data and the emissions footprint of major contributing countries. The study found the membrane score to be the highest in the TOPSIS analysis in three of the four scenarios analysed. However, absorption remains the most popular for post-combustion capture despite having the highest energy penalty per ton of CO₂ capture. Overall, capture rates are well short of projections for carbon neutrality; the methodology put forward for prioritising and aligning appropriate technologies and the region-by-region analysis will help highlight to technocrats, governments, and policymakers the state of the art and how to best utilise them to mitigate carbon emissions—critical in achieving the net-zero goals set at various international agreements on climate change. Full article

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set targets to reduce carbon emissions from shipping by 40% by 2030 (IMO2030) and 70% by 2040 (IMO2050). Within the framework of decarbonising the shipping industry, liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel and carbon capture technologies are envisioned as a transitional option toward a pathway for clean energy fuels. The aim of the complex experimental and computational studies performed was to evaluate the CO₂ capture potential through the utilisation of LNG cold potential on the FSR-type vessel within a dual-fuel propulsion system. Based on the experimental studies focused on actual FSRU-type vessel performance, the energy efficiency indicators of the heat exchanging machinery were determined to fluctuate at a 0.78–0.99 ratio. The data obtained were used to perform an algorithm-based systematic comparison of energy balances between LNG regasification and fuel combustion cycles on an FSRU-type vessel. In the due course of research, it was determined that LNG fuel combustion requires 18,254 kJ/kg energy to separate and capture CO₂ in the liquid phase to form exhaust gas; meanwhile, low sulfur marine diesel oil (LSMDO) requires 13,889 kJ/kg of energy. According to the performed calculations, the regasification of 1 kg LNG requires 1018 kJ/kg energy, achieving a cryogenic carbon capture ratio of 5–6% using LNG as a fuel and 7–8% using LSMDO as a fuel. The field of carbon capture in the maritime industry is currently in its pioneering stage, and the results achieved through research establish an informative foundation that is crucial for the constructive development and practical implementation of cryogenic carbon capture technology on dual-fuel ships. Full article

Carbon dioxide (CO₂), which results from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes, accounts for a substantial part of the total anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs). As a result, several carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies have been developed during the last decade. Chemical absorption, adsorption, cryogenic separation and membrane separation are the most widely used post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies. This study reviews post-combustion CO₂ capture technologies and the latest progress in membrane processes for CO₂ separation. More specifically, the objective of the present work is to present the state of the art of membrane-based technologies for CO₂ capture from flue gases and focuses mainly on recent advancements in commonly employed membrane materials. These materials are utilized for the fabrication and application of novel composite membranes or mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs), which present improved intrinsic and surface characteristics and, thus, can achieve high selectivity and permeability. Recent progress is described regarding the utilization of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), carbon molecular sieves (CMSs), nanocomposite membranes, ionic liquid (IL)-based membranes and facilitated transport membranes (FTMs), which comprise MMMs. The most significant challenges and future prospects of implementing membrane technologies for CO₂ capture are also presented. Full article

Carbon capture has been an important topic of the twenty-first century because of the elevating carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere. CO₂ in the atmosphere is above 420 parts per million (ppm) as of 2022, 70 ppm higher than 50 years ago. Carbon capture research and development has mostly been centered around higher concentration flue gas streams. For example, flue gas streams from steel and cement industries have been largely ignored due to lower associated CO₂ concentrations and higher capture and processing costs. Capture technologies such as solvent-based, adsorption-based, cryogenic distillation, and pressure-swing adsorption are under research, but many suffer from higher costs and life cycle impacts. Membrane-based capture processes are considered cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives. Over the past three decades, our research group at Idaho National Laboratory has led the development of several polyphosphazene polymer chemistries and has demonstrated their selectivity for CO₂ over nitrogen (N₂). Poly[bis((2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)phosphazene] (MEEP) has shown the highest selectivity. A comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to determine the life cycle feasibility of the MEEP polymer material compared to other CO₂-selective membranes and separation processes. The MEEP-based membrane processes emit at least 42% less equivalent CO₂ than Pebax-based membrane processes. Similarly, MEEP-based membrane processes produce 34–72% less CO₂ than conventional separation processes. In all studied categories, MEEP-based membranes report lower emissions than Pebax-based membranes and conventional separation processes. Full article

Recently, the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the harmful environmental effects caused by burning fossil fuels have signified the supreme importance of utilizing sustainable energy reserves such as geothermal and solar energies. The advancement of the Organic Rankine Cycle as a clean energy generation path by researchers has gained momentous demand for its commercialization. The sole Organic Rankine Cycle can produce a large amount of energy in contrast to other power production cycles. To make this clean energy recovery sustainable, liquefied natural gas cold energy can be utilized through regasification to integrate the Organic Rankine Cycle with the anti-sublimation carbon dioxide capture process, merging the biogas setup. Liquefied natural gas cold energy recovery has paramount importance with aspects of energy economy and environment preservation. Liquefied natural gas regasification in shell and tube heat exchangers poses a minimal freezing risk and is high duty. Anti-sublimation of biogas is an energy-intensive process. It can be materialized from liquefied natural gas cold energy implementation through the Organic Rankine Cycle by maintaining cryogenic temperatures there. In this situation, greenhouse gas emissions can be minimized. The simulation analysis is performed based on thermodynamic and techno-economic assessments of the poly-generation energy systems. It is proved to be useful in conducting by regulating different working fluids. The optimum electric power generated is 2492 MW. While the optimum net present value, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency of this proposed energy system are 19.5, 57.13%, and 76.20%, respectively. The governmental authorities and environmental protection can benefit from this scientific research work to create an environmentally friendly atmosphere and energy for contemporary society. Full article

Moving bed heat exchangers (MBHE)s are used in industrial applications including waste heat recovery and the drying of solids. As a result, energy balance models have been developed to simulate the heat transfer between a moving bed and the gas phase. Within these energy balance models, phase change of components within the gas phase has not been considered as the liquefaction or desublimation of the gas phase does not occur in typical industrial applications. However, available energy balance models for cryogenic CO₂ capture (CCC) have only focused on fixed packed beds. The development of a suitable energy balance model to predict the energy duties for MBHEs that include phase change would be beneficial for CCC applications. This work investigated the development of moving bed energy balance models for the design of moving bed columns that involve phase change of CO₂ into frost, using existing models for MBHEs and fixed-bed CCC capture. The models were evaluated by comparison with available moving bed experimental work and simulated data, predicted energy duty requirements and bed flow rates from the suggested moving bed CCC models to maintain thermal equilibrium. The comparisons showed a consistent prediction between the various methods and closely align with the available experimental and simulated data. Comparisons of energy duty and bed flow rate predictions from the developed energy balance models with simulated cases for an oil-fired boiler, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) and biogas upgrading showed energy duty requirements for the gas phase with a proximity of 0.1%, 20.8%, and 3.4%, respectively, and comparisons of gas energy duties from developed energy balance models with energy duties derived from experimental results were compared with a proximity of 1.1%, 1.1% and 0.6% to experimental results for CO₂ % v/v concentrations of 18%, 8% and 4%. Full article

The cryogenic carbon capture (CCC) process is a promising post-combustion CO₂ removal method. This method is very novel compared with conventional and well-developed methods. However, cryogenic carbon capture is not yet commercially available despite its techno-economic benefits. Thus, a model-based design approach for this process can provide valuable information. This paper will first introduce the cryogenic carbon capture process. Then, a comprehensive literature overview that focuses on different methods for modeling the process at the component level will be given. The modelling methods which are deemed most effective are presented more in depth for each of the key system components. These methods are compared with each other in terms of complexity and accuracy and the simplest methods with an acceptable level of precision for modelling a specific component in the CCC process are recommended. Furthermore, potential research areas in modeling and simulation of the CCC process are also highlighted. Full article

Liquified natural gas (LNG) is a clean primary energy source that is growing in popularity due to the distance between natural gas (NG)-producing countries and importing countries. The large amount of cold energy stored in LNG presents an opportunity for sustainable technologies to recover and utilize this energy. This can enhance the energy efficiency of LNG regasification terminals and the economic viability of the LNG supply chain. The energy stored in LNG in the form of low temperatures is referred to as cold energy. When LNG is regasified, or converted back into its gaseous form, this cold energy is released. This process involves heating the LNG, which causes it to vaporize and release its stored energy. The current state-of-the-art techniques for LNG cold energy utilization, including power generation, air separation, traditional desalination, and cryogenics carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture are discussed in this review. While most of the current LNG cold energy utilization systems are presented, potential future applications are also discussed. The commercialization of sustainable technologies, such as improvement strategies for LNG cold energy utilization, is becoming increasingly important in the energy industry. Full article