Publications
Multi-objective economic and environmental assessment for the preliminary design of CO2 transport pipelines
Article in Journal of Cleaner production
Author: University College London
DOI/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137330
CaLby2030: per catturare la CO2 dai processi industriali entro il 2030
Collaborative article published on RiENERGIA magazine. English version is available upon request ([email protected])
Authors: Martina Fantini, J. CARLOS ABANADES, Mª ELENA DIEGO
2nd Women in CCUS workshop - Stockholm, Sweden - 28th September, 2023
This dissemination workshop has been co-organized between CaLby2030 and C4U projects and aimed at promoting STEM subjects as a study and research path for young women through the direct experience of female scientists working in CCUS. The initiative has been divided into two main sessions:
1- Role models: Selected speakers will be sharing direct experiences with the aim of inspiring the audience and highlighting critical issues that can be improved for gender equality.
2- Technical discussion, aiming at detecting concrete tools and strategies for the future.
Authors: CaLby2030 and C4U projects
Public Perception and Business Models Joint Event - 14th November 2023, Brussels
Organised by the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) & Alternative Fuels Horizon 2020/ Horizon Europe CLUSTER projects
Supported by CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
Public perception and business models are key to enabling innovative technologies, guiding the decisions of the policymakers at national and European Commission levels. In addition, more and more Horizon calls require these two aspects to be dealt with in relation to the technology that will be developed in the project.With more than 20 selected Horizon projects and more than 50 key stakeholders involved in the audience, this joint workshop represented a unique opportunity to strongly impact both on the activities still to be implemented by the ongoing projects and the design of new projects at higher TRL (close to commercial scale). Bringing together stakeholders from various technical projects, the event has provided an excellent networking opportunity for policymakers, building relationships with industry experts, project representatives, investors and policy makers, thus facilitating collaboration, knowledge sharing, and future partnerships.
Authors: CaLby2030, HERCCULES, Cleanker and eCOCO2 projects
Will carbon management take off in Europe? How to get both industry and society on board?
Insights from an analysis of the European Commission’s Industrial Carbon Management Strategy Call for Evidence submissions
The new policy brief written within CaLby2030 project with a joint effort between Radboud University and EU CORE, discusses how Europe's ambitious climate goals can be sustained through effective Industrial Carbon Management. Published after the recent European Commission Communication, the brief underlines that while financial support remains crucial, predictability and strategic alignment with both industry and society are imperative.
Key Points:
- Predictability Matters: Sustainable industrial strategies rely on transparent and consistent policy frameworks.
- Inclusive Dialogue: Engaging various stakeholders, from industry leaders to local communities, is key to reducing societal resistance and improving implementation.
- Technological Integration: Encouraging innovation in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) can turn challenges into opportunities, helping industries remain competitive while reducing emissions.
This brief is a pivotal resource for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and anyone invested in the future of sustainable European industry. Find out how coordinated efforts can ensure a cleaner, competitive Europe!
Authors: Senni Määttä, Martina Fantini, Moises Covarrubias, Vincent de Gooyert
A critical review of social scientific research on carbon capture and storage
Authors: Senni Määttä, Vincent de Gooyert
Resistance to market interventionism: an analysis of the European industrial carbon management strategy consultation
Establishing a framework for carbon management in the European Union and aligning this with climate policy relies on collaboration between diverse actors and coordination between diverse goals. The European Industrial Carbon Management Strategy, a policy that sets ambitions for carbon capture, carbon utilization, carbon storage and carbon removals, was published in February 2024. The strategy underwent a public consultation during the summer of 2023. The consultation offered valuable insights on how the key stakeholders view the governance challenges. This study analyses the consultation submissions and how the stakeholders perceive carbon management challenges and solutions. All submissions (n = 205) to the call for evidence were synthesized using qualitative system dynamics modelling. The analysis resulted in the identification of two dominant approaches to carbon management, a market-driven and a society-driven approach, debated by the stakeholders. These two approaches have an inherent tension between them. The market-driven approach favours minimal regulation and relies on competition and economic incentives as key drivers for carbon management. In contrast, the society-driven approach advocates for strict regulation and active government intervention to ensure technology aligns with broader climate mitigation goals. The European industrial carbon management faces strong advocacy for a market-driven approach. However, due to the interconnections between decarbonization goals, inherent contradictions, and the collaborative nature of the challenge, a solely market-driven approach may not result in the desired acceleration.
Authors: Senni Määttä, Moises Covarrubias & Vincent de Gooyert
An analysis of the European Industrial Carbon Management Strategy consultation: Who makes the normative decisions?
Establishing a framework for carbon management in Europe relies on collaboration between diverse actors. The European Industrial Carbon Management Strategy (the Strategy) is going through its last phase. As announced by the European Commission, the first quartile of 2024 will witness the deliberation of the Strategy. In the summer of 2023, a public consultation, and a call for evidence on the Strategy provided valuable stakeholder perspectives on the challenges and possible solutions for carbon management in Europe. This paper presents an analysis of these stakeholder perspectives and what input they give of the problems and solutions to carbon management. All submissions (n = 205) to the call for evidence were synthesised using qualitative system dynamics modelling. We found two dominant approaches to carbon management, a market-driven approach and a society-driven approach. Aligning carbon management within broader decarbonisation and fostering collaboration, requires a society-driven approach. A market-driven approach on the other hand provides high financial incentives. Our analysis suggests a conflict between a market-driven approach and collaboration, as a purely market-driven approach worsens the barriers to a collaborative approach, such as power and resource imbalance and a lack of facilitative leadership. Therefore, a careful balance between the two is required. This leads to several policy insights presented at the beginning of this paper.
Authors: Senni Määttä, Moises Covarrubias & Vincent de Gooyert
Pilot Testing of Calcium Looping at TRL7 with CO2 Capture Efficiencies toward 99%
Postcombustion CO2 capture by calcium looping using circulating fluidized bed technology, CFB-CaL, is evolving to tackle industrial sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. In addition to the known advantages of CFB-CaL (i.e., retrofittability and competitive energy efficiencies and cost), the fuel flexibility by using renewable biomass in the oxy-fired CFB calciner and the possibility to reach extremely high CO2 capture efficiencies in the carbonator are demonstrated in this paper. Results from the latest experimental campaigns in the TRL7 CFB-CaL pilot of the La Pereda are reported, treating over 2000 N m3/h of flue gases in the carbonator with a firing capacity of biomass pellets up to 2 MWth in the oxy-fired calciner. A new strategy to reach high CO2 capture efficiencies (above 99% in some cases) in the carbonator has been tested. This involves decoupling the carbonator in two temperature zones by cooling the solids-lean top region to below 550 °C and ensuring that a sufficient flow of active CaO reaches such a region.
Authors: Borja Arias, Yolanda Alvarez Criado, Alberto Méndez, Paula Marqués, I. Finca, and J. Carlos Abanades
A conceptual evaluation of the use of Ca(OH)2 for attaining carbon capture rates of 99% in the calcium looping process
Calcium looping (CaL), typically capable of reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 90%, is a technology well suited to capturing CO2 emissions from a wide array of industrial processes. An approach in which Ca(OH)2 is injected into the carbonator to increase the carbon capture efficiency of the CaL process to 99% was evaluated in this study using a one-and-a-half-dimensional reactor model. The effect of several key parameters was considered, including the injection flow rate, injection elevation, and the formation rate of CO2 in the freeboard of the carbonator due to the combustion of char particles elutriated from the calciner. The main finding was that capture rates of 99% appear attainable, given that enough Ca(OH)2 is injected and that the injection occurs at a suitable location, i.e., the sorbent is allowed sufficient residence time in the reactor.
Authors: Markus Secomandi, Markku Nikku, Borja Arias, Jouni Ritvanen
Tiered Multi-Objective Optimization of CO2 Transport for CCS
To accelerate the deployment of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), as a key technology for mitigating global warming, affordable and efficient CO2 transport solutions are urgently needed for implementation in industrial clusters. Finding these solutions requires balancing the transport technology costs against several other factors, including public acceptance, environmental impacts, safety, financial and operational risks, and construction time. In this study, a Tiered Multi-Objective Optimization (TMOO) method was developed to provide decision makers with a tool for systematically evaluating and ranking the CO2 transport solutions. In the model, the cost of CO2 transport was calculated from techno-economic analysis, while the environmental impacts on global warming, biodiversity, and human health are evaluated using life cycle assessment. A weighted sum method is applied to combine the financial costs and environmental impacts for the Pareto multi-objective optimization. The TMOO method was applied to determine optimal strategies for aggregation of CO2 from five large industrial emitters in the North Sea Port (NSP) region, as a case study. Realistic CO2 infrastructure design cases were considered, involving shipping and pipeline transport and conditioning for subsequent transportation to outside the cluster region at –30 °C and 20 bar. In all the cases at the emission sources, the CO2 was assumed to be at 5 bar and 40 °C. The results show that a low pressure (35 bar) CO2 collection pipeline is the optimal solution, with the lowest cost (€12.5/tCO2) and global warming impact (22.9 kgCO2-eq/tCO2), followed by ship ‘hub and spoke’ as a second preferable solution that comes at higher costs and environmental impacts. To help identify potential alternatives for CO2 transport in the region, ranking of sub-optimal solutions, involving higher pressure (110 bar) pipelines and ‘milk-round’ shipping of CO2, was performed. Across all the CO2 transport cases studied, electricity consumed for CO2 compression and liquefaction was found to make the largest contribution to costs (ca 44%) and environmental impacts (ca 96%).
Authors: Thomas Hennequin, Diarmid Roberts, Rosalie van Zelm, Solomon F. Brown, Richard T.J. Porter, Haroun Mahgerefteh and Sergey B. Martynov
Calcium Looping for Decarbonizing Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking with CCS: A Preliminary Analysis of the Role of Solid Storage
Decarbonising Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking (30% of global steel production) is crucial to achieving the emission reduction targets in the iron and steel sector, which is responsible for ~7% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Carbon capture in EAF steelmaking is necessary to manage the unavoidable process emissions. However, the flue gases produced in the EAF have highly variable properties, making integrating carbon capture technologies within EAF plants particularly challenging.
In this work, process simulations are used to assess and compare various CaL plant configurations for capturing CO2 from EAF flue gases. The CaL plant configuration with two intermediate solid storage vessels offers advantages, requiring smaller equipment sizes and lower resource consumption than the configuration with one intermediate solid storage vessel.
Authors: Néstor D. Montiel-Bohórquez, Edoardo de Lena, Maurizio Spinelli, Malin Blomqvist, Paul Cobden, Manuele Gatti, Matteo C. Romano
Modelling-based proof-of-concept for Ca(OH)2-enhanced CO2 capture in a calcium looping process
Scenarios in which global warming is limited to 1.5°C require some form of carbon dioxide removal technologies. Calcium looping (CaL) is an emerging CO2 capture process in which CaO is cycled between two CFB reactors: the carbonator, in which CO2 is adsorbed, forming CaCO3, and the calciner, in which the sorbent is regenerated. The carbonator is typically operated at a temperature close to 650ºC and with CO2 capture efficiencies of around 90%.This modelling study assesses a concept to improve the CO2 capture efficiency of the CaL process to 99%.The investigated carbonator design employs a larger heat exchanger to attain a temperature drop of 100°C over the height of the reactor. This results in a temperature of approximately 550°C in the top region of the carbonator, thus reducing the minimum CO2 concentration achievable according to the CO2-CaO equilibrium. In addition, calcium hydroxide is fed in the upper part of the reactor as an additional sorbent to capture part of the remaining CO2. An in-house model is used to simulate the interconnected reactors, represented one-dimensionally by control volumes along their heights. The model features comprehensive reaction modelling, with heterogeneous and homogeneous combustion and sorbent reactions expressed by kinetic equations. Semi-empirical closure models are used for fluidised bed hydrodynamics and heat transfer. First, asteady state balance measured in the “La Pereda” pilot is simulated and serves as a reference point. Then, a calcium hydroxide injection is added, and the resulting temperature and CO2 profiles are compared with those of the reference case. The resulting CO2 capture efficiency of the carbonator increases from 93% close to 99%.Based on the model results, the investigated carbonator configuration offers a significant potential to further reduce CO2 emissions in industrial processes. The parameters controlling the sorbent reaction rates will be calibrated with experimental data from pilot tests once available, and the validated model will be used in future large-scale studies.
Authors: Markus Secomandi, Borja Arias, Markku Nikku, Kari Myöhänen, Jouni Ritvanen
A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Model for Multi-Modal CO2 Transport
This study describes a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model for optimizing the costs of CO₂ transport network infrastructure, involving multiple modes of transport (pipelines, trucks, trains, and ships) and the required conditioning and processing steps, for industrial Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) projects. The model assumes varied amounts of CO2 transported from the emission sources and accounts for essential factors, such as geographical locations of CO2 emitters, injection points of geological storage, interim storage locations at seaports, and CO2 transportation routes. To be more accurate and realistic, the model involves conditioning functions based on the pressure requirements of upstream and downstream transport systems, offering a precise representation of conditioning change processes. A case study is constructed to compare the costs and optimal transport network designs for various amounts of CO2 transported from a set of industries in Western Europe. The results highlight the economic viability of flexible, multi-modal systems for small-scale applications, transitioning to pipelines for larger volumes. This work offers critical insights into scalable CO2 transport solutions, supporting efficient CCUS deployment in the near future.
Techno-economic analysis of CO2 conditioning and transport systems for offshore shipping
Among available modes for transport of captured CO2, pressurised pipelines are generally preferred for long distances and attract the most attention. However, limitations such as the high capital expenditure and implementation time have introduced more focus on the emerging marine transportation of CO2 especially for offshore transport. This more flexible mode of CO2 transport requires the liquefaction of CO2 before shipping This study investigates liquefaction systems for CO2 ship transport with different feed streams representative of three different types of capture routes (pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxyfuel) and four industries (cement plant, iron and steel industry, power plant, and refinery) at delivery pressure 7 bar and 15 bar. The methodology results in various liquefaction routes configured using Aspen Plus process simulations, showing that the purities of CO2 products reach 99% after the liquefaction process in all the cases. The refinery case at the 15 bar delivery pressure presents the lowest levelised cost of $16.01/tCO2.
Operation Experience In A TRL7 Calcium Looping Plant Using Biomass As A Fuel In The Oxy-Fired Circulating Fluidised Bed Calciner
This work reports some of the initial tests carried out in the 1.7 MWth “la Pereda” Calcium Looping pilot after being re-furnished during 2023 to allow biomass firing in the oxy-fired circulating fluidised bed combustor-calciner. The TRL7 pilot can treat up to 1% of the flue gases of the 50 MWe power plant of Hunosa. This work is part of the EU funded CaLby2030 project, that intends, among other objectives, to demonstrate at TRL7 Calcium Looping using Circulating Fluidised Beds, CFB-CaL, in a range of carbon intensive industries [1]. The first test conducted under oxy-combustion of biomass pellets in the calciner is reported, including campaigns devoted to test at TRL7 the capability of CFB-CaL systems to reach CO2 capture efficiencies in the carbonator approaching 99%, by cooling the exit area do the carbonator and by ensuring a sufficient reactivity of the Ca-solids in that region, feeding a small “polishing flow” of Ca(OH)2 powder when needed.
A DYNAMICALLY OPERATED DUAL CFB CAL TAILORED FORCARBON CAPTURE OF FUTURE IRON & STEEL INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT AND MODEL INVESTIGATION
Instances necessitating the limitation of global warming to a 1.5 °C temperature increase mandate the deployment of carbon dioxide removal technologies [1]. The steel industry presents a formidable challenge due to its substantial global contribution to greenhouse gas emissions [2]. The complexity of emissions abatement in this sector is compounded by the batch-oriented nature of the steelmaking process and the inherent variability in both flue gas flow rates and properties.
Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) continues its pioneering efforts for the development of carbon capture technologies together with core partners. The special focus of this study is the adaptation of the well-known calcium looping process (CaL) to capture CO2 from the steelmaking industry, which is a novel application. This study shows the fundamental stages of steel production and identifies the predominant greenhouse gas emission sources associated with it. Furthermore, it presents the steel case-specific conceptual aspects of the CaL pilot facility, which is under engineering phase and will be used for the demonstration of CO2 capture in steelmaking. Additionally, the study provides modelling principles regarding a 1.5D dynamic simulation tool and offers preliminary simulation results relating to the time-dependent operation of the CFB-CaL process.
The simulations confirm that the dynamic nature of flue gas originating from the steel production process introduces additional complexities in managing the operation of the CaL system. Owing to the interdependence of material and heat capacity flows, specific design solutions are needed to provide sufficient operational flexibility and particular attention is necessary for developing the control strategies.
CALCIUM LOOPING TO DECARBONIZE CO2-INTENSE INDUSTRIES WITH ADDED REVENUE STREAMS
Calcium Looping (CaL) is a competitive carbon capture (CC) technology due to the inherently efficient process combined with its offsetting revenue streams such as additional heat and/or power as well as calcined lime. CaL technology can be applied to virtually all carbon-intensive industries, including heat & power, cement plants as well as current and future iron- & steelmaking processes. Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) is a global provider of solutions and services that drive the decarbonization of several industries. SFW has developed CC solutions since the late 2000s, including the CaL technology based on circulating fluidized beds (CFB). Now, we are extending the technology development to new applications, and we target commercial demonstration of SFW CaL+ with partnering customers for 2025-2027 (depending on the application case). In this conference we will outline and discuss the status of SFW CaL+ product development, related piloting and demonstration activities as well as the pathway towards commercialization of the technology.
Advanced CO2 capture systems based on Calcium Looping for deep decarbonization of flue gases
CO2 capture efficiencies in post-combustion Calcium looping (CaL) systems are usually reported to be around 0.90, mainly due to the operation of the carbonator at temperatures around 650 ºC and the restrictions imposed by the CO2-CaO equilibrium. This work analyzes a solution to increase the CO2 capture efficiencies, by reducing the temperature in the solid entrainment upper part of the circulating fluidized carbonator. To overcome known CaO conversion limits in such region, an additional small flow of Ca(OH)2 is fed to the cooled solid entrainment region of the carbonator. Thus, the dense bed, where most of the CO2 is captured, is operated at standard conditions but the full CaL process includes a small hydrator to treat a small fraction of the purge of CaO-rich solids and to provide the necessary flow of Ca(OH)2. A second approach also discussed in this work involves similar actions but carried out after the carbonator cyclone, where the cooling is facilitated by the absence of the circulating solids. In this case, the flue gas leaving the CFB carbonator is put in contact with Ca(OH)2 in a second carbonation entrainment zone. These two CaL configurations can reach CO2 capture efficiencies of 0.99. Experimental work characterizing the fast carbonation kinetics of Ca(OH)2 powders in the entrainment zones has been completed. Mass and energy balances have been solved to discuss feasible process configurations. Net energy efficiencies of 0.342 and 0.345 have been estimated for the two CaL configurations, which result into a decrease of only 0.021 and 0.018 net points respect to a standard CaL system with a CO2 capture efficiency of 0.90.
State of the Art: CCS Technologies 2023
The compendium showcases a wide range of commercially available CCS technologies, providing readers with insights on the latest advancements made globally.
In this second annual release – led and coordinated by the Institute’s Matthew Loughrey, Hugh Barlow and Shahrzad Shahi – the compendium provides an overview of over 70 technologies and solutions, along with details surrounding key benefits and relevant facts and figures tied to the innovations highlighted.
One of the technologies is Calcium looping or CaL, and CaLby2030 and HERCCULES projects are featured.
Bio-Combined Heat & power plant integrated with calcium looping: How environmentally friendly this integration is?
A crucial step in achieving the Net-Zero Emissions Scenario goals is thought to be integrating CO2 capture technologies into Bio-Combined Heat and Power (Bio-CHP) facilities. The present study investigates the environmental impact of a Bio-CHP plant integrated with Calcium Looping (CaL) CO2 capture through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, comparing it with a state-of-the-art Mono-Ethanol-Amine (MEA) based CO2 capture. The environmental performance of the two capture technologies is examined using a cradle-to-gate analysis based on the ReCiPe 2016 assessment method and considering three CO2 transportation scenarios, i.e., onshore pipelines (T1), onshore and offshore pipelines (T2), and onshore pipelines, liquefaction and offshore shipping (T3). The findings of the LCA study show that the first transportation case (T1) generates the best environmental results. The CO2 liquefaction and ship transportation (T3) raises the GWP impact by 313 kg CO2 eq./t CO2 captured and determines a 13-fold increase in Fossil fuel Depletion Potential (FDP) compared to T1. When comparing the two CO2 capture technologies, the CaL system exhibits better environmental performance, with ten out of eleven impact indicators showing lower values. Beyond the environmental benefits, this research demonstrates that CaL technology surpasses the amine scrubbing system in net power output (e.g., 50.6 vs. 26.6 MWe) and direct fossil emissions (e.g., −2748.2 vs. −1079.9 kg CO2/t wood), despite a higher fuel consumption (e.g., 224.7 vs. 135.3 MWLHV). These findings underscore the advantages of integrating post-combustion CO2 capture with efficient CO2 transportation strategies, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable heat and power sector.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE APPROACHES IN CC(U)S PROJECTS, EXAMPLES FROM THREE HORIZON EUROPE PROJECTS: HERCCULES, ENCASE and CaLby2030
This paper presents an overview of the results of research activities on public perceptions and citizens engagements in three research and innovation industrial projects related to CCUS technologies granted under the Horizon Europe (HE) programme: HERCCULES, ENCASE and CaLby2030. In particular, methodologies, approaches and first results from the current activities on society's and relevant stakeholders' perceptions of CCUS technologies, and examples of involvement of the society are described. While HERCCULES project includes social acceptance and community engagement and it reveals both opportunities and challenges for CCUS acceptance, ENCASE empathised the importance of co-creation process. In CaLby2030 the approach provides insight for considering local industrial dynamic and public perceptions, which can serve as a potential adaptation to the Emilia-Romagna context. Across all these three projects, it emerges that effective CCUS deployment requires not only technological innovation, but it demands a deep understanding of social perceptions, trust-building, and inclusive engagement strategies. These projects collectively show that a one-size-fits-all approach to social engagement is insufficient and engagement strategies must be tailored to the specific social, cultural, economic and political contexts of each region, and stakeholders priorities. The social activities in these projects aim to provide empiricallybased recommendations for the design of strategies for involving local communities and relevant local and regional stakeholders from the beginning of the process applicable also in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Authors: Guasti, Elisa; Fantini, Martina; Kantel, Anne
Numerical investigation of the impact of solids flow control on the performance of the calcium looping process
Calcium looping (CaL) is a promising post-combustion carbon capture technology that employs a dual fluidized bed reactor system to cyclically capture and release CO2. The efficiency of the CaL process strongly depends on controlling key operating conditions, such as reactor temperatures and the transfer of solids between reactors. This study presents a numerical investigation of solids flow control and its impact on CaL performance using a 1.5D modeling approach. The model, developed in the Simulink environment, is validated against experimental data from the 1.7 MWth La Pereda pilot plant. The study analyzes how controlling the transfer rate of solids between reactors affects reactor temperatures and CO2 capture efficiency. The results show that precise control of solids transfer significantly expands the operating window of the system and may enable more efficient CO2 capture. By recycling part of the solids back to the carbonator and adjusting the fuel feeding rate, the capture efficiency of the simulated scenario could be increased by up to 9 percentage points, reaching a 90 % efficiency. These findings highlight the importance of developing reliable and scalable solids control strategies to ensure efficient operation of the CaL process.
Authors: Markus Secomandi, Eemeli Anetjarvi, Markku Nikku, Kari Myohanen, Jouni Ritvanen
Flexible calcium looping for CO2 capture in electric Arc Furnace steelmaking: A techno-economic analysis
Authors: Montiel-Bohórquez, Néstor D., Gatti, Manuele, Romano, Matteo Carmelo
Development and application of calculation tool for performance evaluation of calcium looping pilot plant - Masters Thesis
Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reached an all-time high of 57.1 GtCO2e in the year 2023. The Paris Agreement takes action to limit the GHG emissions and global warming by a set of goals, laws and legislations. These incentivise development and deployment of technologies such as carbon capture, which is a crucial technology as nearly 70 % of GHG emissions consist purely of CO2. Calcium looping (CaL) is a promising carbon capture technology that utilizes the reversible carbonation reaction of lime in a cyclic system to capture CO2 from flue gases.
The objective of the thesis was to develop a calculation tool in MS Excel with macros written in Visual Basic for Applications and apply it to the experimental data from the La Pereda CaL pilot plant. The tool was used to solve the material and heat balances and obtain derived process parameters, as well as CaL specific key performance indicators for all relevant time intervals. The tool is related to scaling up of the CaL process and was therefore structured to facilitate future changes.
The development and application of the tool were successful, as the results were logical and in-line with those shown in previous studies. The main shortcomings in the tool arose from the accuracy of reactions and species-specific material imbalances both of which can be explained by the accuracy of measurements. The experiment examined in the thesis indicates that the plant was performing well, the material and heat balances for the entire unit were solved, and the derived KPIs are in line and greatly enhance the current state-of-the-art
Author: Kalasniemi, Veikka-Joonatan
CO2 transport for fast-track CCS: Balancing economics and environmental impacts in industrial clusters
Carbon Capture and Sequestration is a key technology for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries and power generation. To accelerate its deployment, affordable and efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) transport solutions are needed. In this paper a tiered multi-objective optimization method is developed to predict a hierarchy of CO2 transport strategies, balancing the financial costs and environmental impacts. The method is applied to optimize the strategies for collecting CO2 from five energy-intensive industries in the North Sea Port industrial cluster. The results show that a low pressure (35 bar) CO2 collection pipeline network and a point-to-point CO2 transport by barges (the ‘hub and spoke’ design) are the two most optimal (tier 1) competitive strategies. Lower-tier solutions involving using higher pressure (110 bar) pipelines and ‘milk round’ shipping of CO2, come at greater costs and larger environmental impacts. The costs and environmental impacts are largely attributed to the electricity consumed in CO2 compression and liquefaction. The use of a low-carbon electricity mix is shown to reduce the environmental impacts by ca 80 % across all the scenarios studied. The study concludes that paying for unabated emissions during two years of construction of the CO2 pipelines nearly doubles the cost of the project, making CO2 shipping the more cost-effective solution.
Authors: Thomas Hennequin, Diarmid Roberts, Rosalie van Zelm, Solomon F. Brown, Richard T.J. Porter, Haroun Mahgerefteh, Sergey B. Martynov
https://zenodo.org/records/19250805
Drivers and barriers to social acceptance of carbon capture, utilisation and storage: A systematic literature review of survey-based studies
Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) refers to a suite of technologies that can play an important role to decarbonise the energy and industry sectors. However, it is often argued that CCUS faces social acceptance issues. After more than 20 years of extensive research on this topic, this article provides a systematic literature review to assess the level of social acceptance of CCUS and analyse the role and importance of existing drivers and barriers for this acceptance. The results show that, overall, social acceptance of CCUS is neutral to slightly positive, being generally less preferred than other climate mitigation options. The most relevant drivers include perception of benefits (particularly effectiveness in climate change mitigation), knowledge of CCUS and trust on relevant stakeholders. In addition to proximity to a CCUS facility, the main barriers are related to perceived technological risks and leakage. The article identifies some knowledge gaps on the topic and proposes several avenues for further research. It also derives some policy implications from the research.
Authors: DEL RIO, PABLO, Oviedo, J.L.Kiefer, C.P.
https://zenodo.org/records/19257238
Carbon capture utilisation and storage technologies - Decarbonising hard-to-abate industries and strengthening strategic autonomy- Case study
Horizon Europe funds industrial carbon management (ICM) to enable decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries towards climate neutrality by 2050. These technologies are set processes aimed at mitigating CO2 emissions from industrial processes and preventing them from entering the atmosphere. This includes the capture of CO2 emissions, amongst other from sources like power plants and heavy industry, utilising captured CO2 for products such as fuels or materials, and/or storing it geologically, e.g. in depleted reservoirs. This case study analyses key Horizon Europe ICM projects, focusing on their technological advancements and contributions to EU-wide deployment targets as well as social acceptance challenges.
Authors: European Commission: Directorate-General for Climate Action, UAB Civitta
https://zenodo.org/records/19336449
Exceeding 100% CO2 capture efficiencies in a calcium looping system using Ca(OH)2 as a polishing sorbent: Experimental results from a 1.7 MWth pilot plant
Calcium Looping using circulating fluidized bed technology (CFB-CaL) is increasingly being developed to address the decarbonization challenges of hard-to-abate industrial sectors. This study experimentally demonstrates the potential to reach extremely high CO2 capture efficiencies when using Ca(OH)2 as an additional sorbent. Recent experimental campaigns conducted at the 1.7 MWth La Pereda pilot plant tested a novel strategy that thermally decouples the carbonator into two distinct regions. In the lower solid-dense zone, CaO coming from the calciner captures 85–95% of the CO2 in the flue gas. In the upper solids-lean section, heat exchangers reduce the temperature below 550 °C, overcoming equilibrium limitations while powdered Ca(OH)2 is introduced as a polishing sorbent to further enhance CO2 removal. Experiments have been carried out by feeding Ca(OH)2 into the CFB carbonator of La Pereda pilot plant during short periods of time to facilitate the data interpretation. Despite the limitation of the facility to achieve sufficient Ca(OH)2 residence time, the experimental results confirm that CO2 capture efficiencies above 99%, including values >100% under some conditions, can be achieved. A basic plug flow model that incorporates known kinetic limitations in the carbonation of Ca(OH)2 is consistent with the observations. In addition, the hydration of the CaO purge to produce Ca(OH)2, together with complementary strategies such as recycling carbonated fly ash, emerges as a promising route to expand the operating window and reduce sorbent demand in future implementations. Results presented in this work can facilitate future scale up of this approach to attain the “zero emission” concept in industries implementing CO2 capture by Calcium Looping.
Authors: Borja Arias, Yolanda A. Criado, Alberto Mendez, Roberto García, Igor Finca,Juan Carlos Abanades
https://zenodo.org/records/20326937
Operation experience in a Calcium Looping plant using biomass as a fuel in a 2MWth oxy-fired circulating fluidized bed calciner
This study presents recent experimental results from the 1.7 MWth “La Pereda” Calcium Looping pilot plant, following its upgrade to enable biomass combustion in the oxy-fired circulating fluidized bed combustor-calciner which is the main focus of this work. New steady-state trials were conducted under oxy-combustion conditions using biomass pellets in the calciner, accumulating >1500 h of additional experience. A key objective of the new experiments was to leverage the high reactivity of biomass as a fuel to enable combustion under conditions of low oxygen excess. This approach resulted in outlet oxygen concentrations in the CO2-rich flue gas from the calciner close to zero, and nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) levels below 20 ppmv. These conditions have the potential to reduce the purification requirements downstream of the CO2 capture system, while at the same time, the presence of unburnt fuel constituents and/or intermediate combustion products, such as CO and CxHyOz, needs to be managed according to the configuration and boundary conditions of the entire CCS/U system. In particular, operation under sub-stoichiometric conditions (λ < 1) may lead to CO and unburnt hydrocarbon levels that could be incompatible with CO2 transport for permanent storage. No adverse impacts of biomass firing were observed on sorbent performance or CO2 capture efficiency, which reached up to 95% under standard conditions.
Authors: Borja Arias, Alberto Mendez, Yolanda Alvarez Criado, Paula Marques, Roberto García, Javier Camús, Igor Finca, Martin Haaf, J․Carlos Abanades
TOP NEWS
17 March 2026 Lulea, Sweden