Abstract
Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions for a range of technologies which capture CO2 from a variety of sources and transport it to permanent storage locations such as depleted oil fields or saline aquifers or supply it for use. CO2 transport is the intermediate step in the CCUS chain and can use pipeline systems or sea carriers depending on the geographical location and the size of the emitter. In this paper, CO2 shipping is critically reviewed in order to explore its techno-economic feasibility in comparison to other transportation options. This review provides an overview of CO2 shipping for CCUS and scrutinises its potential role for global CO2 transport. It also provides insights into the technological advances in marine carrier CO2 transportation for CCUS, including preparation for shipping, and in addition investigates existing experience and discusses relevant transport properties and optimum conditions. Thus far, liquefied CO2 transportation by ship has been mainly used in the food and brewery industries for capacities varying between 800 m3 and 1000 m3. However, CCUS requires much greater capacities and only limited work is available on the large-scale transportation needs for the marine environment. Despite most literature suggesting conditions near the triple-point, in-depth analysis shows optimal transport conditions to be case sensitive and related to project variables. Ship-based transport of CO2 is a better option to decarbonise dislocated emitters over long distances and for relatively smaller quantities in comparison to offshore pipeline, as pipelines require a continuous flow of compressed gas and have a high cost-dependency on distance. Finally, this work explores the potential environmental footprint of marine chains, with particular reference to the energy implications and emissions from ships and their management. A careful scrutiny of potential future developments highlights the fact, that despite some existing challenges, implementation of CO2 shipping is crucial to support CCUS both in the UK and worldwide.
Highlights
Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2018, were estimated to be 37.1 Gt, which is a 2.7% increase over 2017 [1]
This review provides an overview of CO2 shipping for CCUS and scrutinises its potential role for global CO2 transport
In Norway, a significant number of sources are located on or near the coast and an already established maritime tradition has created a suitable environment for CO2 shipping [56]; in the UK, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy is actively exploring the implementation of this technology in relation to sites isolated from CO2 transport and storage infrastructure in the British North Sea [30]
Summary
Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2018, were estimated to be 37.1 Gt, which is a 2.7% increase over 2017 [1]. CCUS consists of a number of technologies which capture CO2 from power generation and industrial sectors such as cement, iron and steel making [3]. New routes to carbon utilisation, including fuels, chemicals and building materials are currently being explored, with a high-level projection showing that potential use of CO2 could reach 5 GtCO2/year in the future [4]. Onshore projects can use CCUS for power plants and other industrial processes, but these are not currently installed on-board ships [21,22,23]. A lack of up-to-date commercial applications of shipping with CCUS indicates that more R&D aimed at reducing operational costs of the chain is desirable, due to the fact that carbon dioxide is perceived as a waste product rather than a valuable commodity. In addition to exploring the literature on CCUS as it relates to shipping, the present work focuses on the use of CCUS technologies to reduce CO2 and SO2 emissions, examining potential solvents that can serve for these dual purposes; embracing the concept of a near zero-emission CO2 shipping chain
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