ADVANCING CARBON NEUTRALITY: Techno-economic analysis of Direct Air Capture at commercial scale—Thesis

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1879970&dswid=6328

Author

Nilsson, Martin

01 July 2024

Abstract

In light of escalating concerns over climate change and the imperative to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon emissions, the pursuit of negative emissions technologies (NETs) has gained significant attention. Direct air capture (DAC) stands out as a promising avenue, offering the potential to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This degree project provides a thorough examination of two leading DAC projects, Mammoth and Stratos, which exemplify innovative approaches to achieving negative emissions at scale. By employing low-temperature DAC (LT DAC) and high-temperature DAC (HT DAC) respectively, Mammoth and Stratos confront the challenge of carbon capture with distinct technological strategies. This degree project employs a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) to estimate the Levelized Cost of CO2 Capture through DAC (LCOD), revealing Mammoth'sLCOD at $260/tCO2and Stratos at $608/tCO2, excluding costs for carbon transport and storage.The TEA is followed up with a Sensitivity Analysis to assess how the LCOD is affected by variations in input parameters, such as capital costs and electricity demand/costs among several parameters. Furthermore, this degree project identifies that uncertainties remain regarding the carbon storage solution, including its efficiency, long-term environmental implications, and associated costs. Given the Stratos projects’ dependence on Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) as the method of storing the captured carbon, the concern regarding efficiency and environmental implications is particularly relevant, as this method could potentially optimize oil production by 5-20%. As the discourse on DAC continues to evolve, this degree project advocates for the integration of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to comprehensively evaluate environmental impactsof both projects. This would guide the path towards sustainable carbon capture solutions, aiding in informed decision-making and guiding future DAC endeavors.

Source: DiVA