A techno-economic assessment of carbon dioxide removal pathways via biochemical conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels and bioplastics
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) is a promising pathway to mitigate climate change via large scale removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The techno-economic feasibility of CO2 removal via thermochemical conversion pathways, including gasification and pyrolysis of biomass, has been investigated thoroughly, but gaps in knowledge exist in biochemical conversion pathways, including fermentation. With modest modifications, fermentation technologies can become carbon-negative and serve as a powerful addition to the portfolio of BiCRS approaches. We modeled several fermentation technologies, producing a variety of bioproducts from lignocellulosic feedstocks, to understand their levelized cost of CO2 removal under multiple scenarios. Lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are accounted to provide cradle-to-grave estimates of carbon intensity (CI). The main products from the fermentation technologies we modeled include renewable diesel, ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and polyethylene (PE), with co-products including CO2, adipic acid, steam, and electricity. During the process of biomass fermentation, substantial quantities of biogenic CO2 are emitted onsite in the fermentation processes, and when captured, compressed, and injected in geological formations, the CI of the bioprocess decreases. PE, depending on its end-of-life management, can also serve as a form of biogenic carbon storage. We quantify costs of CO2 removal to be $60 – $675 per metric tCO2 removed across the various fermentation pathways. Under the scenarios analyzed, bioplastic production from lignocellulosic biomass is a more cost-effective route to CO2 removal than biofuel production. Future work should investigate the potential advantages and disadvantages of scaling up bioplastic production for large-scale CO2 removal.
Institutions: North Carolina State University, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, National University of Misiones, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Energy Biosciences Institute, Joint BioEnergy Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Merced
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,220
Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, ClimateWorks Foundation, Office of Science, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Biological and Environmental Research, Bioenergy Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Awards: G1079818582, G1143651532, G1286236842, G1337544421, G1356433355, G14554683, G2145270357, G2187077474, G223002938, G2293800358, G2710243964, G2812390658, G3083819904, G3084109318, G3571461640, G4188164460, G419881185, G42916606, G4501827968, G498139845, G574795485, G7354628648, G7787287669, G8326222658, G969889393, G991281326
OpenAlex ID: W4409250791