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The Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) is leading a coalition of technical experts to identify and address regional onshore storage and transport challenges facing commercial deployment of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies.
The “Southeast Regional CO 2 Utilization and Storage Acceleration Partnership” (SECARBUSA) project supports the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy's (FE) mission to help the United States meet its need for secure, affordable, and environmentally sound fossil energy supplies by utilizing the advancements made by the current Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative to continue to identify and address knowledge gaps. The primary project objective is to identify and address regional onshore storage and transport challenges facing commercial deployment of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. The Research Partners and a selected industry network of experienced CCUS project developers and operators will coordinate their capabilities to accelerate CCUS deployment by achieving four primary research objectives: 1) address key technical challenges; 2) facilitate data collection, sharing and analysis; 3) assess transportation and distribution infrastructure; and 4) promote regional technology transfer and dissemination of knowledge. The SECARB-USA Region includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia and portions of Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia. Under subtask 5.2: Non-Technical Challenges to CCUS Deployment, the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) will define and identify An Inventory of Non-Technical Challenges to CCUS Deployment. As an initial step, SSEB organized an Industry and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Working Group comprised of knowledgeable market participants to assist in the development of an initial list of non-technical challenges to CCUS development.
To realize their full sustainability potential, carbon dioxide utilization technologies (carbon capture and utilization/CCU) presently require policy support. Consequently, they require acceptance among a variety of stakeholders in industry, policy making, and in the public sphere alike. While CO 2 utilization is already a topic of discourse among these stakeholders, there is a lack of common terminology to describe such technologies. On the contrary: The present article shows that terminology in the field of CO 2 utilization technologies is currently used inconsistently, and that different designations such as CCU, CCUS, or CDR convey different meanings and contexts. These ambiguities may cause communication problems with regard to policy making, funding proposals, and especially in public discourse. In order to initiate and accompany a goal-oriented and knowledge-based debate on CO 2 utilization technologies in the future, actors in the field are asked to question their own choices of terminology and to assess its accuracy. Acronyms and technical abbreviations are the chief cause of potential misunderstandings, and so should be avoided whenever possible or else include a brief explanation. Consistent and precise use of terminology will facilitate transparent dialogue concerning CO 2 utilization in the future.
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture materials comprising one or more 3D-printed zeolite monoliths for the capture and or removal of CO 2 from air or gases in enclosed compartments, including gases or mixtures of gases having less than about 5% CO 2 . Methods for preparing 3D-printed zeolite monoliths useful as CO 2 capture materials and filters, as well as methods of removing CO 2 from a gas or mixture of gases in an enclosed compartment using 3D-printed zeolite monoliths are provided.
The Illinois Basin – Decatur Project is a large-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration project located in Decatur, Illinois, USA. In this project, one million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) was captured from an ethanol production facility and successfully injected into a deep saline reservoir over a period of three years. The scale of this project presented an opportunity to explore emerging technologies for effective long-term monitoring of the carbon capture and storage site. This research documents the application of three emerging monitoring techniques: (1) a prototype “open-path” sensor, a method of continuously monitoring atmospheric CO 2 by applying tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy to provide a warning system for personnel safety along pipelines and at wellheads; (2) the Greenhouse Gas Laser Imaging Tomography Experiment (GreenLITE), an automated system for measuring two-dimensional spatial distribution of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations; and (3) periodic aerial imagery, a method of documenting surface-vegetation dynamics to detect vegetative responses to CO 2 leaks. The objective of this work was to assess the advantages and limitations of these monitoring techniques and quantify their reliability over an extended deployment at an active industrial site. These results will aid in determining viability of long-term monitoring on a commercial scale.
Manned Space missions require maintaining a safe environment for the crew that can both sustain a breathable atmosphere and remove pollutants. Carbon dioxide, while not toxic in low concentrations, accumulates as crew members work and breath and can eventually affect the crew’s health. Therefore, a constant, passive system to remove the carbon dioxide build up is necessary for long-term missions. Currently, the prevailing liquid sorbent used in submarines and industrial flue gas utilizes the primary amine, monoethanolamine (MEA), to capture, transfer, and remove carbon dioxide from air. Diglycolamine (DGA) is an alternate primary amine that has similar performance and less volatility. It is currently being studied at Ames Research Center (ARC) and is the primary candidate for the operation of the sub-scale liquid amine test stand. The test stand is used to investigate liquid flow and liquid gas interfaces to assist in a system design for microgravity applications. The test stand includes a wedge design utilizes capillary action to hold the liquid while allowing gas-liquid interaction for carbon dioxide transfer. These wedge trays are placed in a contactor unit to remove carbon dioxide from the air stream, a degasser unit to replenish the liquid amine, and a capillary condensing heat exchanger (CCHX) to recapture water lost in the degasser unit. Nominal operating conditions for the contactor are a gas flow rate of 26scfm enriched with pure CO2 to 2600ppm and a liquid mixture of 65/35 vol% DGA/H2O at 0.65mL/min while the degasser was operated at 100°C and 1 atm. This paper discusses the challenges and limitations of a fully integrated system which will influence the design of a new subscale test stand.
Carbon capture from industrial point sources is an essential component of the global effort to mitigate climate risks. However, traditional approaches require significant energy input—often provided, counterproductively, by fossil fuel combustion. Using sunlight directly as the energy source would significantly improve the energy efficiency of carbon capture processes. Herein, we report the first fully visible-light-driven CO 2 separation system, in which carbon capture is achieved via the photoenolization/addition reaction of inexpensive 2-methylbenzophenone with CO 2 , and CO 2 release is realized through an intramolecular photodecarboxylation reaction. Finally, this system operates isothermally, works with natural sunlight, and facilitates CO 2 removal from natural gas flue emissions, providing a blueprint for other non-thermal chemical separations.
This paper presents a coupled techno-economic and life cycle assessment of “blue” hydrogen to be produced at a hydrogen facility through steam methane reforming (SMR) equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Blue hydrogen was modeled in ChemCAD, while an integrated asset model represented the carbon capture and storage chain. An unabated carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) configuration release 11.99 kgCO 2 -eq/ kgH 2 . Capturing ≥95% of the CO 2 stream lowers the carbon footprint to 6.59 kgCO 2 -eq/kgH2 but raises the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) from $\$$1.82/kgH 2 (no CO 2 capture) to $\$$3.22/kgH 2 ; the U.S. 45Q tax credit reduces it to $\$$2.59/kgH 2 . Incorporating CCS reduces the levelized net present value from $\$$0.87/kgH 2 to $\$$0.74/kgH 2 , owing to additional capture, transport, and storage costs. Supplying SMR with low-carbon electricity, especially nuclear, wind, or hydro, delivers the lowest carbon footprint relative to geothermal or grid mixes. Sensitivity analysis identifies that hydrogen sales price, internal rate of return, and CCS cost as the strongest economic levers, while electricity demand dominates residual lifecycle emissions. The results underscore a clear trade-off; substantial CO 2 reductions are achievable, but only with higher production costs, making supportive policy instruments, access to clean power, and robust hydrogen markets essential for large-scale deployment of blue hydrogen.
Metallic catalyst modification by organic ligands is an emerging catalyst design in enhancing the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reactive capture and reduction to value-added fuels. However, a lack of fundamental science on how these ligand–metal interfaces interact with CO 2 and key intermediates under working conditions has resulted in a trial-and-error approach for experimental designs. With the aid of density functional theory calculations, we provided a comprehensive mechanism study of CO 2 reduction to multicarbon products over aminothiolate-coated copper (Cu) catalysts. Our results indicate that the CO 2 reduction performance was closely related to the alkyl chain length, ligand coverage, ligand configuration, and Cu facet. The aminothiolate ligand–Cu interface significantly promoted initial CO 2 activation and lowered the activation barrier of carbon–carbon coupling through the organic (nitrogen (N)) and inorganic (Cu) interfacial active sites. Experimentally, the selectivity and partial current density of the multicarbon products over aminothiolate-coated Cu increased by 1.5-fold and 2-fold, respectively, as compared to the pristine Cu at –1.16 V RHE , consistent with our theoretical findings. Furthermore, this work highlights the promising strategy of designing the ligand–metal interface for CO 2 reactive capture and conversion to multicarbon products.
Direct air capture (DAC) technologies that extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via chemical processes have the potential to restore the atmospheric CO 2 concentration to an optimal level. This study elucidates structure-property relationships in DAC by crystallization of bis-iminoguanidine (BIG) carbonate salts. Here, their crystal structures are analyzed by X-ray and neutron diffraction to accurately measure key structural parameters including molecular conformations, hydrogen bonding, and π-stacking. Experimental measurements of key properties, such as aqueous solubilities and regeneration energies and temperatures, are complemented by first-principles calculations of lattice and hydration free energies, as well as free energies of reactions with CO 2 , and BIG regenerations. Minor structural modifications in the molecular structure of the BIGs are found to result in major changes in the crystal structures and the aqueous solubilities within the series, leading to enhanced DAC.
Estimates show that 6.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) can be captured and utilized across three pathways, concrete, chemical, and minerals, by 2050. However, it is difficult to compare the climate benefit across these three carbon capture and utilization (CCU) pathways to determine the most effective use of captured CO2. The life cycle assessment methods to evaluate the climate benefit of CCU chemicals should additionally account for the change in material properties of concrete due to CO2 utilization. Furthermore, with most CO2 utilization technologies being in the early stages of research and development, the uncertainty and variability in process and inventory data present a significant challenge in evaluating the climate benefit. We present a stochastically determined climate return on investment (ROI) metric to rank and prioritize CO2 utilization across 20 concrete, chemical and mineral pathways based on the realized climate benefit. We show that two concrete pathways, which use CO2 during concrete mixing, and two chemical pathways, which produce formic acid through hydrogenation of CO2 and carbon monoxide through dry reforming of methane, generate the greatest climate ROI and are the only CCU pathways with a higher likelihood of generating a climate benefit than a climate burden.
To design and optimize cost-effective technologies for the capture, utilization, and storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), we need a fundamental knowledge and control of chemical interactions associated with the capture and conversion of the molecule into high-value chemicals, minerals, and all kinds of materials. Bulk magnesium oxide (MgO) is frequently used for the trapping and storage of CO 2 by generation of magnesium carbonates. In this study, the growth and reactivity of MgO nanostructures on a Cu 2 O/Cu(111) substrate were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and synchrotron-based ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS). For extremely small concentrations of Mg (~ 0.01 monolayer (ML)), a well-ordered film of copper oxide with small clusters (0.2-0.5 nm in width, 0.4-0.6 Å in height) of embedded MgO was seen. At a coverage of 0.1 ML, MgO nanoparticles with a width of 0.4 to 1 nm and a height of ~ 1.5 Å were randomly distributed on the copper oxide. Further, random distribution was also observed when the MgO coverage was raised to 0.25 ML, with the width of the MgO particles increasing to 2-2.5 nm and the height reaching 2 Å. These oxide nanostructures displayed a high reactivity towards CO 2 and H 2 that is not seen for bulk MgO. Dissociation of H 2 was observed at room temperature with reaction of the H adatoms with CuO x and C-containing groups. On the small MgO nanostructures (< 1 nm in width), instead of plain carbonate formation, there was dissociation of CO 2 into CO and C species, opening reaction channels for the conversion of this harmful molecule into oxygenates and light alkanes.
Direct air capture (DAC) may be feasible to remove carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere at the gigaton scale, holding promise to become a major contributor to climate change mitigation. Mineral looping using magnesium oxide (MgO) is potentially an economical, efficient, and sustainable pathway to gigaton-scale DAC. The hydroxylation and carbonation of MgO determine the efficiency of the looping process, but their rates and mechanisms remain uncertain. Here, in this work, MgO single crystals were reacted in air or CO 2 at varying humidities and characterized by X-ray scattering, microscopy, and vibrational spectroscopy. Results show that the hydroxylation formed a brucite (Mg(OH) 2 )-like layer immediately after crystal cleaving. Concurrently, the carbonation formed hydrated magnesium carbonate phases, including barringtonite (MgCO 3 ·2H 2 O) and nesquehonite (MgCO 3 ·2H 2 O), in the layer. Rapid initial growth of the layer is also manifested in short-range bending/warping of nanocrystallites, resulting in multiple orientations of the same phases on the surface. The layer growth slowed down over time, indicating surface passivation. The formation of barringtonite and nesquehonite with 1:1 CO 3 /Mg ratio indicates an efficient carbonation when compared to other magnesium carbonate phases of lower ratio. Our results are essential for understanding surface passivation mechanisms and tackling the passivation issue of mineral looping DAC technology.
Capture and storage of carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, which burn fossil fuels, is one of the best ways to mitigate climate change. Polyethylenimine (PEI) impregnated protonated titanate nanotubes (PEI-PTNTs) are efficient amine-modified solid adsorbents for post combustion carbon capture. This study is to investigate the effects of synthesis conditions of titanate nanotubes on the carbon capture capacity of PEI-PTNTs. PTNTs are synthesized using hydrothermal treatment of TiO 2 anatase powder at different temperatures and in different days, followed by washing with dilute HCl solution and deionized water. PEI-PTNTs are prepared by loading PEI (M.W. = 10,000) onto PTNTs at a weight ratio of 1:1 using a wet impregnation process. PTNTs and PEI-PTNTs are characterized using transmission electron microscopy, porosity and surface area analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. CO 2 adsorption is conducted at 75 °C using simulated flue gas, and CO 2 desorption is performed at 110 °C by purging the adsorbent with dry nitrogen gas. CO 2 adsorption experiments demonstrate that the PEI-PTNTs synthesized at 130 °C within 3 or 5 days, have the highest CO 2 capture capacity. These optimized PEI-PTNTs have a significant potential to capture CO 2 from power plants.
This paper describes modeling methods for the three core components of a Metabolic heat regenerated Temperature Swing Adsorption (MTSA) subassembly: a sorbent bed, a sublimation (cooling) heat exchanger (SHX), and a condensing icing (warming) heat exchanger (CIHX). The primary function of the MTSA, removing carbon dioxide from a space suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) ventilation loop, is performed via the sorbent bed. The CIHX is used to heat the sorbent bed for desorption and to remove moisture from the ventilation loop while the SHX is alternately employed to cool the sorbent bed via sublimation of a spray of water at low pressure to prepare the reconditioned bed for the next cycle. This paper describes subsystem heat a mass transfer modeling methodologies relevant to the description of the MTSA subassembly in Thermal Desktop and SINDA/FLUINT. Several areas of particular modeling interest are discussed. In the sorbent bed, capture of the translating carbon dioxide (CO2) front and associated local energy and mass balance in both adsorbing and desorbing modes is covered. The CIHX poses particular challenges for modeling in SINDA/FLUINT as accounting for solids states in fluid submodels are not a native capability. Methods for capturing phase change and latent heat of ice as well as the transport properties across a layer of low density accreted frost are developed. This extended modeling capacity is applicable to temperatures greater than 258 K. To extend applicability to the minimum device temperature of 235 K, a method for a mapped transformation of temperatures from below the limit temperatures to some value above is given along with descriptions for associated material property transformations and the resulting impacts to total heat and mass transfer. Similar considerations are given for the SHX along with functional relationships for areal sublimation rates as limited by flow mechanics in t1he outlet duct.
The infrastructure required to enable carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) goes beyond the equipment and materials needed to capture, transport, and store carbon dioxide (CO2) but includes people and policy that make CCS feasible. The Infrastructure Assessment task of the Midwest Regional Carbon Initiative (MRCI) seeks to determine the infrastructure requirements for the MRCI study area through four activities: • Infrastructure Readiness: Strategizing the buildout of capture, transport, and storage infrastructure in the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic Offshore. • Site Readiness: Determining the CCS readiness of each state in the MRCI region in the categories of subsurface readiness; infrastructure readiness; regulations, permitting, and incentives; and social dynamics. • Jobs, Economics, and Social Characteristics: Quantifying the economic potential, job opportunities, and training opportunities for CCS as well as the social characteristics of the region with a focus on energy and environmental justice (EJ) issues. • Policy and Regulations: Providing an updated accounting of the CCS-relevant policy and regulations in the MRCI region.
Water-lean solvents are a promising technology for capturing acid gases like carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). In situ liquid time-of-flight secondary ionization mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) is used to study a representative solvent N-(2-ethoxyethyl)-3-morpholinopropan-1-amine (2-EEMPA) with different CO 2 loadings to reveal the complex solvent structure upon CO 2 capture. Characteristic peaks of 2-EEMPA, such as m/z – 215 C 11 H 23 N 2 O 2 – (deprotonated 2-EEMPA) and m/z + 217 C 11 H 25 N 2 O 2 + (protonated 2-EEMPA), are detected due to acid gas uptake. Also, solvent molecules and carboxylate ion pairs, such as m/z – 259 C 12 H 23 N 2 O 4 – [(deprotonated 2-EEMPA∙∙∙CO 2 )] and m/z + 261 C 12 H 25 N 2 O 4 + (protonated 2-EEMPA∙∙∙CO 2 ), are observed. Interestingly, more than one CO 2 molecule can be captured per each solvent molecule as evidenced in SIMS mass spectra, for example, m/z – 321 C 13 H 25 N 2 O 7 – [(deprotonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙2CO 2 ∙∙∙H 2 O], m/z + 305 C 13 H 25 N 2 O 4 + [(protonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙2CO 2 ], m/z – 389 C 17 H 29 N 2 O 8 – [(deprotonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙3CO 2 ∙∙∙3CH 2 ], and m/z + 373 C 16 H 25 N 2 O 8 + [(protonated 2-EEMPA)∙∙∙3CO 2 ∙∙∙2C]. However, the monomer of 2-EEMPA and CO 2 seems to be most prevalent. Furthermore, solvent clusters are detected in loaded solvents, for instance m/z + 433 C 22 H 49 N 4 O 4 + [(2-EEMPA)2∙∙∙H] and m/z + 646 [(2-EEMPA) 3 -2H], while capturing CO 2 at different amounts. Relative abundance of cluster ions provides a semi-qualitative venue to assess the free energies of gas capture energetics, indicating the relative stability trend within the same solvent system, previously impossible. These observed ion clusters are verified with molecular modeling, where dimer, trimer, and cluster ions are validated for their presence either due to weak molecular interactions or hydrogen bonds. In situ molecular imaging of ionic liquids and molecular modeling reveals that the acid gas capture mechanism by ionic liquids includes both physical adsorption and chemical bonding with multiple reaction pathways, engaging cluster formation and alteration of solvent structures.
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) must be removed from the atmosphere to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. However, the most scalable methods for removing CO 2 from the air require heat from fossil-fuel combustion to produce pure CO 2 and continuously regenerate the sorbent. Bipolar-membrane electrodialysis (BPM-ED) is a promising technology that uses renewable electricity to dissociate water into acid and base to regenerate bicarbonate-based CO 2 capture solutions, such as those used in chemical loops of direct-air-capture (DAC) processes, and in direct-ocean capture (DOC) to promote atmospheric CO 2 drawdown via decarbonization of the shallow ocean. In this study, we develop an experimentally validated 1D model for the electrochemical regeneration of CO 2 from bicarbonate-based carbon capture solutions and seawater using BPM-ED. For DAC, our experimental and computational results demonstrate that pH swings induced by BPM water dissociation drive the formation of CO 2 at the cation-exchange layer|catholyte interface with energy-intensities of less than 150 kJ mol -1 . However, high rates of bubble formation increase energy intensity at current densities >100 mA cm -2 . Correspondingly, accelerating water dissociation catalysis and enacting bubble removal could enable CO 2 recovery at energy intensities <100 kJ mol -1 and current densities >100 mA cm -2 . For DOC, mass transport limitations associated with low carbon concentrations in oceanwater suggest that DOC is best suited for clean production of acid and base usable in downstream processes. Further, these results provide design principles for industrial-scale CO 2 recovery using BPM-ED.