Gaseous Carbon Waste Streams Utilization Status and Research Needs (2019) / Chapter Skim
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10 Criteria for Evaluating Carbon Utilization Technologies
10 Criteria for Evaluating Carbon Utilization Technologies
Pages 201-214
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From page 201... ...
Factors relevant to assessing and commercializing carbon utilization technologies are discussed in Chapters 8 and 9. Key factors include the technology's potential economic value; its scale, market capacity, and market penetration; the ability to manage relevant external factors such as infrastructure and regulations; the potential unintended outcomes and consequences associated with the technology; the availability and suitability of the carbon waste stream to be used; the potential environmental and societal risks associated with using a carbon waste stream to generate products; and the associated life-cycle greenhouse gas impact.
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From page 202... ...
Companies developing carbon waste–derived products apply similar criteria to guide product development and investment decisions (see Box 10-1 Carbon XPRIZE Evaluation Criteria The NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE is an international competition designed to accelerate the deploy ment of carbon utilization technologies. Teams develop technologies focused on utilizing carbon dioxide from either natural gas or coal-based flue gas streams.
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From page 203... ...
For example, developers assessed economic value, scale, market capacity, market penetration, and control of external fac tors such as waste stream source, quality, quantity, and siting. This assessment led the company to focus on flexible foams, the largest segment of the polyurethane market.
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From page 204... ...
If a new technology represents a direct replacement for an existing process or product, it likely needs to be economically competitive with existing technology to be commercially viable. For example, if a product made using an existing technology can be sold at a lower price than an equivalent product made from carbon waste, it is unlikely that the product produced from carbon waste will be commercially viable unless there is a differentiation for the product that can be promoted to justify its higher price.
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From page 205... ...
This means that the market capacity for oxalic acid is potentially much greater than the current scale at which it is synthesized. Evaluation criteria include the following: • In what volumes is the product currently made through conventional means?
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From page 206... ...
For example, regional differences in the price of hydrogen or electricity may allow a product made from carbon waste to have significant market penetration in one area but not in others. This is exemplified by the production of methanol from gaseous carbon waste streams in Iceland, where electricity and hydrogen are available at much lower prices than elsewhere due to the country's hydroelectric and geothermal resources (see Box 10-4)
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From page 207... ...
Evaluation criteria include the following: • Would the carbon waste–derived product be expected to achieve substantial market penetration within years, or would it take decades? Control of External Factors For many technologies, control of external factors associated with the technology (often referred to as the value chain)
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From page 208... ...
CRITERIA SPECIFIC TO CARBON WASTE UTILIZATION In addition to factors that are commonly considered when assessing any emerging technology, the viability of carbon utilization technologies also depends on factors that are unique to the use of carbon waste as a feedstock or unique to technologies that are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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From page 209... ...
The availability and quality of carbon dioxide waste streams is discussed in Chapter 2. Evaluation criteria include the following: • Is a sufficient quantity of carbon waste available at the required quality to produce the product at a cost that enables competitive market pricing?
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From page 210... ...
Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Impact Carbon utilization technologies are often viewed through the lens of mitigating carbon emissions. While carbon utilization is indeed an important strategy to make use of a widely available waste stream toward a circular carbon economy, not every utilization technology will offer significant levels of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or act as a net carbon sink (see Box 8-1, Chapter 8)
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From page 211... ...
In either case, it is important to use common and transparent assumptions in the analysis and common emissions factors to describe the emissions associated with various inputs and processes in order to accurately compare carbon utilization technologies with conventional processes. Evaluation criteria include the following: • Are the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and air pollutant emissions of the carbon utilization–derived product advantageous compared to the same or functionally equivalent product produced conventionally?
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From page 212... ...
Life-cycle greenhouse gas • the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, Are reductions and air pollutant emissions of the carbon utilization–derived product advantageous compared to the same or functionally equivalent product produced conventionally? What is the total potential for carbon uptake into the product, given • the product's market potential and the amount of waste carbon incorporated per unit mass produced?
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From page 213... ...
For example, if the market for a given product is small when technology is at the bench scale, it is likely to remain so and this criterion would not need to be revisited. For other criteria, multiple evaluations may be needed as the technology matures.
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