Work

A framework for regional high-level technical screening of promising CCUS value chains

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: There is a need to accelerate the deployment of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) throughout Europe. As a part of this, the CCUS ZEN project has looked at identifying promising value chains based on technical mapping of emission sources, utilization options, transport infrastructure and storage sites. This high-level screening has been carried out for two selected regions: the Baltic Sea region and the Mediterranean Sea region. First, a screening of the emission sources in each geographical region led to the identification of promising sites for CO2 capture. The focus was on identifying clusters of emitters, where CO2 could be captured from different industrial plants and gathered at a hub before transport to the storage site. The emitters can also be identified as promising depending on their amount of emission, location, type of industry, etc. For each emission source, information about the facility was collected, along with information about the facility’s emissions. The screening of potential storage sites in the geographical region was carried out based on public and available data. For each mapped storage site, information was gathered about the type of reservoir (deep saline aquifer or depleted hydrocarbon field), the onshore or offshore location, the capacity of the reservoir and the Storage Readiness Level indicating the maturity of the capacity evaluation. For the infrastructure screening, we looked at existing infrastructure relevant for CO2-transport with emphasis on pipelines, existing natural gas corridors, waterways and ports. If transport using pipelines or waterways were not an option, also railways and road (lorries) were evaluated. Thereafter, one or more chains were suggested, linking one or more emission clusters to one or more storage sites. The total emission volumes of the clusters and the storage capacities were considered. It was recognised that actual volumes should be treated with caution. On the storage side, the maturity level of the capacity estimation is often low, resulting in potential smaller capacities when the resource is further assessed. Also, crucial data can be missing or confidential, which makes detailed studies and dynamic reservoir modelling challenging. The total volumes of the clusters’ emission do not necessarily represent the amount of captured CO2, but rather a maximum, as not 100% of the emissions would necessarily be captured. The potential for carbon utilisation was assessed by identifying existing CO2 use projects and looking at the potential availability of renewable energy and biogenic CO2.

Source: Frontiers in Earth Science

DOI: 10.3389/feart.2025.1641951