Carbon Capture and Utilization in the Industrial Sector

The
fabrication and manufacturing processes of industrial commodities
such as iron, glass, and cement are carbon-intensive, accounting for
23% of global CO2 emissions. As a climate mitigation strategy,
CO2 capture from flue gases of industrial processesmuch
like that of the power sectorhas not experienced wide adoption
given its high associated costs. However, some industrial processes
with relatively high CO2 flue concentration may be viable
candidates to cost-competitively supply CO2 for utilization
purposes (e.g., polymer manufacturing, etc.). This work develops a
methodology that determines the levelized cost ($/tCO2)
of separating, compressing, and transporting carbon dioxide. A top-down
model determines the cost of separating and compressing CO2 across 18 industrial processes. Further, the study calculates the
cost of transporting CO2 via pipeline and tanker truck
to appropriately paired sinks using a bottom-up cost model and geo-referencing
approach. The results show that truck transportation is generally
the low-cost alternative given the relatively small volumes (ca. 100
kt CO2/a). We apply our methodology to a regional case
study in Pennsylvania, which shows steel and cement manufacturing
paired to suitable sinks as having the lowest levelized cost of capture,
compression, and transportation.