Carbon Utilization Infrastructure, Markets, and Research and Development A Final Report (2024) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 13-25
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From page 13... ...
When the carbon was fossil in origin, as is true for the vast majority of fuels, chemicals, and polymers produced today, then material end of life results in fossil CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. To achieve net zero, these linear carbon flows from fossil feedstock to CO2 in the atmosphere will need to shift to circular flows such that no new carbon enters the system, and instead any carbon emitted is 1 The warming effects of CO and other GHGs differ depending on their atmospheric lifetime and ability to absorb energy.
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From page 14... ...
, this report examines in greater depth the role of CO2 utilization in a net-zero future, where CO2 flows to the atmosphere are likely to be greatly reduced, and carbon wastes including CO2 and coal waste streams will serve as feedstocks for carbonbased chemicals and materials, as well as for carbon storage in long-lived products. The report considers how chemicals and materials manufacturing could be adapted to take advantage of carbon wastes, particularly CO2 and coal wastes, using low-carbon energy, and identifies circumstances in which CO2 and coal wastes are advantaged feedstocks over biomass and other carbon wastes such as plastics.
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The primary disadvantage of CO2 is its low energy, which makes chemical transformations very energy intensive; however, this is a necessary feature of a feedstock for circular carbon fuels. CO2's single-carbon, oxidized chemical structure requires restructuring the chemical industry around processes that use more energy and hydrogen, and can build carbon-carbon bonds.
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Transitioning from today's heavily fossil fuel–dependent economy to a future economy with sustainable carbon feedstocks and net-zero or net-negative GHG emissions requires careful consideration of policies and technologies that promote emissions mitigation while ensuring that other societal needs and objectives are met. Current uses of fossil feedstocks do not include an internalized cost for the waste GHG products they emit, and as such, materials produced from fossil feedstocks are less expensive than they would be if their eventual fossil emissions to the atmosphere were priced.
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. Using coal waste streams could enable environmental remediation, expand domestic supply chains for critical minerals and materials, and produce carbonbased products with improved performance and/or economics (Stoffa 2023)
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would provide additional detail on potential markets for products derived from CO2; the economic, environmental, and climate impacts of CO2 utilization infrastructure; RD&D needs to enable commercialization of CO2 utilization technologies and processes; and opportunities for and feasibility of coal waste–derived carbon products and critical minerals. The full statement of task for the study is provided in the next section, followed by a description of the study scope and definitions of relevant concepts used in the report (Box 1-1)
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Identify potential markets, industries, or sectors that may benefit from greater access to commercial carbon dioxide to develop products that may contribute to a net-zero carbon future; identify the markets that are addressable with existing utilization technology and that still require research, development and demonstration; b. Determine the feasibility of, and opportunities for, the commercialization of coal waste–derived carbon products in commercial, industrial, defense, and agricultural settings; for medical, construction and energy applications; and for the production of critical minerals; c.
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b. Coal waste includes coal combustion residuals (fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization products)
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-- The chemical or biological transformation of con centrated CO2 collected from the atmosphere, a body of water, or an industrial or waste gas stream into a carbon-containing product with market value. • Circular carbon economy -- A system in which carbon, energy, and material flows are reduced, removed, recycled, and reused to achieve net-zero emissions (Williams et al.
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From page 22... ...
It is un how mineral carbonates, such as those that are decomposed to make cement, should be classified between fossil and nonfossil carbon. ° supply Coal wastes -- Carbon and noncarbon waste streams that are generated throughout the coal chain, including acid mine drainage, coal impoundment wastes, and coal combustion residuals.
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From page 23... ...
° emissions Negative emissions -- A technology results in negative emissions if it removes physical from the atmosphere, if the removed gases are stored out of the atmosphere in a manner intended to be permanent, if upstream and downstream GHG emissions associated with the removal and storage process, such as biomass origin, energy use, gas fate, and co-product fate, are comprehensively estimated and included in the emission balance, and if the total quantity of atmospheric GHGs removed and permanently stored is greater than the total quantity of GHGs emitted to the atmosphere. To fully understand climate impacts, evaluations of negative emissions technologies also need to estimate biogeophysical and potential nonlinear effects on Earth systems (Zickfeld et al.
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From page 24... ...
Chapter 10 discusses infrastructure needed to support CO2 utilization, building on the first report's analysis with more detail on integrated infrastructure planning and the economic, environmental, health and safety, and environmental justice impacts of CO2 utilization infrastructure development. Chapter 11 discusses the crosscutting research needs of CO2 capture and purification and presents a research agenda for CO2 and coal waste utilization, based on the committee's analyses in Chapters 5–9.
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From page 25... ...
2023. "Carbon Ore Processing Program." Presented at the Carbon Utilization Infrastructure, Markets, Research and Development Meeting #4.
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