Abstract
Sweden aspires to become totally carbon dioxide-neutral by 2045. Indisputably, what is needed is not just a reduction in the emissions of CO2 (greenhouse gases in general) from the technosphere, but also a manipulated diversion of CO2 from the atmosphere to ‘traps’ in the lithosphere, technosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The case study in this paper focused on Stockholm Exergi’s proposed waste-to-energy incineration plant in Lövsta, which is keen on incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS), but is also interested in understanding the potential of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCU/S) in helping it to achieve ‘carbon-dioxide-negativity’. Waste-to-energy incineration plants (in cases where the petro-plastics in the waste mix can be substantially reduced) are a key component of a circular bio-economy, though the circularity here pertains to recovering energy from materials which may or may not be recyclable. CCS (storage in the North Sea) was compared with CCU/S (CO2 sintered into high-quality building blocks made of recycled slag from the steel sector) from techno-economic and environmental perspectives. The comparative analysis shows, inter alia, that a hybridized approach—a combination of CCS and CCU/S—is worth investing in. CCU/S, at the time of writing, is simply a pilot project in Belgium, a possible creatively-destructive technology which may or may not usurp prominence from CCS. The authors believe that political will and support with incentives, subsidies, and tax rebates are indispensable to motivate investments in such ground-breaking technologies and moving away from the easier route of paying carbon taxes or purchasing emission rights.
Highlights
In Paris in 2015 at the UN Climate Conference, an accord was struck whereby member states pledged to work toward the common goal of limiting the global temperature rise relative to pre-industrial times to less than 2 ◦C [1,2]
The case study in this paper focused on Stockholm Exergi’s proposed waste-to-energy incineration plant in Lövsta, which is keen on incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS), but is interested in understanding the potential of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCU/S) in helping it to achieve ‘carbon-dioxide-negativity’
Nyström (2016) [7] observed that the concept of negative emissions is something that one must focus on in the future. This would imply that the emissions are less than zero, implying that if this succeeds on a large scale globally, the CO2 concentration curve will stop sloping upward
Summary
In Paris in 2015 at the UN Climate Conference, an accord was struck whereby member states pledged to work toward the common goal of limiting the global temperature rise relative to pre-industrial times to less than 2 ◦C (and in the most optimistic case, 1.5 ◦C) [1,2]. It is thereby imperative to invest in the capture and storage of CO2 whereby this GHG can be permanently sequestered in geological sinks beneath the ground [10,11], which is an effective method that can be adopted by industries and thermal power plants to counter the current climate change challenge [12,13,14]. This approach, according to Viebahn et al [15], can curtail GHG emissions by 50–85% by 2050. Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW importance here, for example, when metals, plastics, and paper can be recycled, why not look at ways aonthdemrweiasnesjuosftobpeeann-looobpno-rxeicoyucsliGngHCGO, e2s, paencdiaclolynfienrcroinugnatrdiedseadnvdarluegeitoonws whahtewreosutoldraogteheisrwnoisteajuvisatbblee aonptoiobnno[1x7io,3u1s]?GHG, especially in countries and regions where storage is not a viable option [17,31]?
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