In recent years, Carbon Capture and Storage (Sequestration) (CCS) has been proposed as a potential method to allow the continued use of fossil-fuelled power stations whilst preventing emissions of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere. Gas, coal (and biomass)-fired power stations can respond to changes in demand more readily than many other sources of electricity production, hence the importance of retaining them as an option in the energy mix. Here, we review the leading CO2 capture technologies, available in the short and long term, and their technological maturity, before discussing CO2 transport and storage. Current pilot plants and demonstrations are highlighted, as is the importance of optimising the CCS system as a whole. Other topics briefly discussed include the viability of both the capture of CO2 from the air and CO2 reutilisation as climate change mitigation strategies. Finally, we discuss the economic and legal aspects of CCS.

Carbon capture and storage update

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture using solid sorbents has been recognized as a very promising technology that has attracted intense attention from both academic and industrial fields in the last decade. It is astonishing that around 2000 papers have been published from 2011 to 2014 alone, which is less than three years after our first review paper in this journal on solid CO2 sorbents was published. In this short period, much progress has been made and the major research focus has more or less changed. Therefore, we feel that it is necessary to give a timely update on solid CO2 capture materials, although we still have to keep some important literature results published in the past years so as to keep the good continuity. We believe this work will benefit researchers working in both academic and industrial areas. In this paper, we still organize the CO2 sorbents according to their working temperatures by classifying them as such: (1) low-temperature ( 400 °C). Since the sorption capacity, kinetics, recycling stability and cost are important parameters when evaluating a sorbent, these features will be carefully considered and discussed. In addition, due to the huge amounts of cost-effective CO2 sorbents demanded and the importance of waste resources, solid CO2 sorbents prepared from waste resources and their performance are reviewed. Finally, the techno-economic assessments of various CO2 sorbents and technologies in real applications are briefly discussed.

Recent advances in solid sorbents for CO2 capture and new development trends

It is generally accepted by the scientific community that anthropogenic CO2 emissions are leading to global climate change, notably an increase in global temperatures commonly referred to as global warming. The primary source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions is the combustion of fossil fuels for energy. As society’s demand for energy increases and more CO2 is produced, it becomes imperative to decrease the amount emitted to the atmosphere. One promising approach to do this is to capture CO2 at the effluent of the combustion site, namely, power plants, in a process called postcombustion CO2 capture. Technologies to achieve this are heavily researched due in large part to the intuitive nature of removing CO2 from the stack gas and the ease in retrofitting existing CO2 sources with these technologies. As such, several reviews have been written on postcombustion CO2 capture. However, it is a fast-developing field, and the most recent review papers already do not include the state-of-the-art research. Notable am...

Amine-Based CO2 Capture Technology Development from the Beginning of 2013—A Review

Dramatically increased CO2 concentration from several point sources is perceived to cause severe greenhouse effect towards the serious ongoing global warming with associated climate destabilization, inducing undesirable natural calamities, melting of glaciers, and extreme weather patterns. CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) has received tremendous attention due to its significant role in intensifying global warming. Considering the lack of a timely review on the state-of-the-art progress of promising CCU techniques, developing an appropriate and prompt summary of such advanced techniques with a comprehensive understanding is necessary. Thus, it is imperative to provide a timely review, given the fast growth of sophisticated CO2 capture and utilization materials and their implementation. In this work, we critically summarized and comprehensively reviewed the characteristics and performance of both liquid and solid CO2 adsorbents with possible schemes for the improvement of their CO2 capture ability and advances in CO2 utilization. Their industrial applications in pre- and post-combustion CO2 capture as well as utilization were systematically discussed and compared. With our great effort, this review would be of significant importance for academic researchers for obtaining an overall understanding of the current developments and future trends of CCU. This work is bound to benefit researchers in fields relating to CCU and facilitate the progress of significant breakthroughs in both fundamental research and commercial applications to deliver perspective views for future scientific and industrial advances in CCU.

Industrial carbon dioxide capture and utilization: state of the art and future challenges

Chemical looping combustion of solid fuels

The development of effective CO2 sorbents is vital to achieving net-zero CO2 emission targets. MgO promoted with molten salts is an emerging class of CO2 sorbents. However, the structural features that govern their performance remain elusive. Using in situ time-resolved powder x-ray diffraction, we follow the structural dynamics of a model NaNO3-promoted, MgO-based CO2 sorbent. During the first few cycles of CO2 capture and release, the sorbent deactivates owing to an increase in the sizes of the MgO crystallites, reducing in turn the abundance of available nucleation points, i.e., MgO surface defects, for MgCO3 growth. After the third cycle, the sorbent shows a continuous reactivation, which is linked to the in situ formation of Na2Mg(CO3)2 crystallites that act effectively as seeds for MgCO3 nucleation and growth. Na2Mg(CO3)2 forms due to the partial decomposition of NaNO3 during regeneration at T ≥ 450°C followed by carbonation in CO2.

https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.adg5690?download=true

Agnieszka M. Kierzkowska

Papers

Deciphering the structural dynamics in molten salt–promoted MgO-based CO2 sorbents and their role in the CO2 uptake