{"id":121733,"date":"2023-01-31T07:14:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T06:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=121733"},"modified":"2023-02-06T09:19:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T08:19:11","slug":"scientists-unveil-least-costly-carbon-capture-system-to-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/scientists-unveil-least-costly-carbon-capture-system-to-date\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Unveil Least Costly Carbon Capture System to Date"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p><strong>The need for technology that can capture, remove and repurpose carbon dioxide grows stronger with every CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;molecule that reaches Earth\u2019s atmosphere. To meet that need, scientists at the Department of Energy\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\">Pacific Northwest National Laboratory<\/a>&nbsp;have cleared a new milestone in their efforts to make carbon capture more affordable and widespread. They have created a new system that efficiently captures CO<sub>2<\/sub>\u2014the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0959652622052702\">least costly to date<\/a>\u2014and converts it into one of the world\u2019s most widely used chemicals: methanol.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snaring CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;before it floats into the atmosphere is a key component in slowing global warming. Creating incentives for the largest emitters to adopt carbon capture technology, however, is an important precursor. The high cost of commercial capture technology is a longstanding barrier to its widespread use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PNNL scientists believe methanol can provide that incentive. It holds many uses as a fuel, solvent, and an important ingredient in plastics, paint, construction materials and car parts. Converting CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;into useful substances like methanol offers a path for industrial entities to capture and repurpose their carbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"BorlabsCookie _brlbs-cb-youtube\"><div class=\"_brlbs-content-blocker\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-embed _brlbs-video-youtube\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_brlbs-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/borlabs-cookie\/assets\/images\/cb-no-thumbnail.png\" alt=\"YouTube\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-caption\"> <p>By loading the video, you agree to YouTube&#8217;s privacy policy.<br><a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy?hl=en&amp;gl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more<\/a><\/p> <p><a class=\"_brlbs-btn _brlbs-icon-play-white\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Load video<\/a><\/p> <p><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"unblockAll\" value=\"1\" checked> <small>Always unblock YouTube<\/small><\/label><\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><div class=\"borlabs-hide\" data-borlabs-cookie-type=\"content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-id=\"youtube\"><script type=\"text\/template\">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<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have created the most affordable carbon dioxide capture and conversion system to date, bringing the cost to capture CO2 down to about $39 per metric ton. The process takes flue gas from power plants, uses a PNNL-patented solvent to strip out CO2, then converts the CO2 into industrially useful methanol. <strong>\u00a9<\/strong> Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Eric Francavilla<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>PNNL chemist&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/david-heldebrant\">David Heldebrant<\/a>, who leads the research team behind the new technology, compares the system to recycling. Just as one can choose between single-use and recyclable materials, so too can one recycle carbon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cThat&#8217;s essentially what we&#8217;re trying to do here,\u201d said <strong>Heldebrant<\/strong>. \u201cInstead of extracting oil from the ground to make these chemicals, we&#8217;re trying to do it from CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;captured from the atmosphere or from coal plants, so it can be reconstituted into useful things. You&#8217;re keeping carbon alive, so to speak, so it&#8217;s not just \u2018pull it out of the ground, use it once, and throw it away.\u2019 We&#8217;re trying to recycle the CO<sub>2<\/sub>, much like we try to recycle other things like glass, aluminum and plastics.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/aenm.202202369\" target=\"_blank\">As described<\/a>&nbsp;in the journal <em>Advanced Energy Materials<\/em>, the new system is designed to fit into coal-, gas-, or biomass-fired power plants, as well as cement kilns and steel plants. Using a&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/available-technologies\/co2bol-solvents-cheaper-carbon-capture-and-sequestration-pre-and-post\" target=\"_blank\">PNNL-developed capture solvent<\/a>, the system snatches CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;molecules before they\u2019re emitted, then converts them into useful, sellable substances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A long line of dominoes must fall before carbon can be completely removed or entirely prevented from entering Earth\u2019s atmosphere. This effort\u2014getting capture and conversion technology out into the world\u2014represents some of the first few crucial tiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deploying this technology will reduce emissions, said Heldebrant. But it could also help stir the development of other carbon capture technology and establish a market for CO<sub>2<\/sub>-containing materials. With such a market in place, carbon seized by anticipated direct air capture technologies could be better reconstituted into longer-lived materials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The call for cheaper carbon capture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In April 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its Working Group III report focused on mitigating climate change. Among the emissions-limiting measures outlined, carbon capture and storage was named as a necessary element in achieving net zero emissions, especially in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, like steel and chemical production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cReducing emissions in industry will involve using materials more efficiently, reusing and recycling products and minimizing waste,\u201d the IPCC stated in a&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg3\/resources\/press\/press-release\/\" target=\"_blank\">news release<\/a>&nbsp;issued alongside one of the report\u2019s 2022 installments. \u201cIn order to reach net zero CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;emissions for the carbon needed in society (e.g., plastics, wood, aviation fuels, solvents, etc.),\u201d the report reads, \u201cit is important to close the use loops for carbon and carbon dioxide through increased circularity with mechanical and chemical recycling.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>PNNL\u2019s research is focused on doing just that\u2014in alignment with DOE\u2019s&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/fecm\/carbon-negative-shot\" target=\"_blank\">Carbon Negative Shot<\/a>. By using renewably sourced hydrogen in the conversion, the team can produce methanol with a lower carbon footprint than conventional methods that use natural gas as a feedstock. Methanol produced via CO<sub>2<\/sub> conversion could qualify for policy and market incentives intended to drive adoption of carbon reduction technologies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Methanol is among the most highly produced chemicals in existence by volume. Known as a \u201cplatform material,\u201d its uses are wide ranging. In addition to methanol, the team can convert CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;into formate (another commodity chemical),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/news-media\/making-methane-co2-carbon-capture-grows-more-affordable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">methane<\/a>&nbsp;and other substances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A significant amount of work remains to optimize and scale this process, and it may be several years before it is ready for commercial deployment. But, said&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/casie-davidson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Casie Davidson<\/a>, manager for PNNL\u2019s Carbon Management and Fossil Energy market sector, displacing conventional chemical commodities is only the beginning. \u201cThe team\u2019s integrated approach opens up a world of new CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;conversion chemistry. There\u2019s a sense that we\u2019re standing on the threshold of an entirely new field of scalable, cost-effective carbon tech. It\u2019s a very exciting time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crumbling costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Commercial systems soak up carbon from flue gas at roughly $46 per metric ton of CO<sub>2<\/sub>, according to a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osti.gov\/biblio\/1569246-cost-performance-baseline-fossil-energy-plants-volume-bituminous-coal-natural-gas-electricity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DOE analysis<\/a>.&nbsp;The PNNL team\u2019s goal is to&nbsp;continually chip away at costs by making the capture process more efficient and economically competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team brought the cost of capture down to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/news-media\/cheaper-carbon-capture-way\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$47.10 per metric ton of CO<sub>2<\/sub><\/a>&nbsp;in 2021. A new study described in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0959652622052702\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Journal of Cleaner Production<\/a>&nbsp;explores the cost of running the methanol system using different PNNL-developed capture solvents, and that figure has now dropped to just below $39 per metric ton of CO<sub>2<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWe looked at three CO<sub>2<\/sub>-binding solvents in this new study,\u201d said chemical engineer&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/yuan-jiang\" target=\"_blank\">Yuan Jiang<\/a>, who led the assessment. \u201cWe found that they capture&nbsp;over 90 percent of the carbon that passes through them, and they do so for roughly 75 percent of the cost of traditional capture technology.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Different systems can be used depending on the nature of the plant or kiln. But, no matter the setup,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/publications\/capturing-utilizing-and-storing-carbon-solvents-outlining-path-forward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">solvents are central<\/a>. In these systems, solvents wash over CO<sub>2<\/sub>-rich flue gas before it\u2019s emitted, leaving behind CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;molecules now bound within that liquid.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating methanol from CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;is not new. But the ability to both capture carbon and then convert it into methanol in one continuously flowing system is. Capture and conversion has traditionally occurred as two distinct steps, separated by each process\u2019s unique, often non-complementary chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re finally making sure that one technology can do both steps and do them well,\u201d said Heldebrant, adding that traditional conversion technology typically requires highly purified CO<sub>2<\/sub>. The new system is the first to create methanol from \u201cdirty\u201d CO<sub>2<\/sub>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dialing down tomorrow\u2019s emissions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The process of capturing CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;and converting it to methanol is not CO<sub>2<\/sub>-negative. The carbon in methanol is released when burned or sequestered when methanol is converted to substances with longer lifespans. But this technology does \u201cset the stage,\u201d Heldebrant said, for the important work of keeping carbon bound inside material and out of the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other target materials include polyurethanes, which are found in adhesives, coatings, and foam insulation, and polyesters, which are widely used in fabrics for textiles. Once researchers finalize the chemistry behind converting CO<sub>2<\/sub>&nbsp;into materials that keep it out of the atmosphere for climate-relevant timescales, a wide web of capture systems could be poised to run such reactions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In lieu of today\u2019s smokestacks, Heldebrant envisions CO<sub>2&nbsp;<\/sub>refineries built into or alongside power plants, where CO<sub>2<\/sub>-containing products can be made on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWe are at a turning point,\u201d Heldebrant and his coauthors wrote in a&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/pubs.rsc.org\/en\/content\/articlelanding\/2022\/sc\/d2sc00220e\" target=\"_blank\">recent article published in the journal Chemical Science<\/a>, \u201cwhere we can continue to use 20th century, monolithic capture and conversion infrastructure or we can begin the transition to a new 21st century paradigm of integrated solvent-based carbon capture and conversion technologies.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This technology is available for licensing. Please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/sara-hunt\">Sara Hunt<\/a>, PNNL commercialization manager, to learn more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This work was supported by the Department of Energy\u2019s Technology Commercialization Fund, the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, and Southern California Gas. Part of the work was performed at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.emsl.pnnl.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EMSL<\/a>, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science user facility at PNNL. Preliminary work that led to this latest research, along with the&nbsp;perspective article in Chemical Science, was supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About PNNL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pacific Northwest National Laboratory<\/a>&nbsp;draws on its distinguishing strengths in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/chemistry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chemistry<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/earth-coastal-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Earth sciences<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/biology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">biology<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/graph-and-data-analytics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data science<\/a>&nbsp;to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/sustainable-energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sustainable energy<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/national-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national security<\/a>. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE\u2019s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/energy.gov\/science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/energy.gov\/science<\/a>. For more information on PNNL, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PNNL&#8217;s News Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The need for technology that can capture, remove and repurpose carbon dioxide grows stronger with every CO2&nbsp;molecule that reaches Earth\u2019s atmosphere. To meet that need, scientists at the Department of Energy\u2019s&nbsp;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory&nbsp;have cleared a new milestone in their efforts to make carbon capture more affordable and widespread. They have created a new system [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"PNNL scientists carve a path to profit from carbon capture through carbon upcycling, unlock crucial step in decarbonization and advancing toward net zero emissions","footnotes":""},"categories":[5571],"tags":[10744,19644,21439,14120,19659,13062,13718,10743],"supplier":[21671,5349,3345,21672,3791,14798,11236],"class_list":["post-121733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-co2-based","tag-carboncapture","tag-carbonremoval","tag-carbonutilisation","tag-catalysis","tag-convertco2","tag-fossil","tag-methanol","tag-useco2","supplier-department-of-energys-technology-commercialization-fund","supplier-environmental-molecular-sciences-laboratory-emsl","supplier-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change-ipcc","supplier-office-of-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management","supplier-pacific-northwest-national-laboratory","supplier-southern-california-gas-co-socalgas","supplier-u-s-department-of-energy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121733\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121733"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=121733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}