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Economic and energetic analysis of capturing CO2 from ambient air.

ABSTRACT: Capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere ("air capture") in an industrial process has been proposed as an option for stabilizing global CO(2) concentrations. Published analyses suggest these air capture systems may cost a few hundred dollars per tonne of CO(2), making it cost competitive with mainstream CO(2) mitigation options like renewable energy, nuclear power, and carbon dioxide capture and storage from large CO(2) emitting point sources. We investigate the thermodynamic efficiencies of commercial separation systems as well as trace gas removal systems to better understand and constrain the energy requirements and costs of these air capture systems. Our empirical analyses of operating commercial processes suggest that the energetic and financial costs of capturing CO(2) from the air are likely to have been underestimated. Specifically, our analysis of existing gas separation systems suggests that, unless air capture significantly outperforms these systems, it is likely to require more than 400 kJ of work per mole of CO(2), requiring it to be powered by CO(2)-neutral power sources in order to be CO(2) negative. We estimate that total system costs of an air capture system will be on the order of $1,000 per tonne of CO(2), based on experience with as-built large-scale trace gas removal systems.

SUBMITTER: House KZ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3251141 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Economic and energetic analysis of capturing CO2 from ambient air.

House Kurt Zenz KZ Baclig Antonio C AC Ranjan Manya M van Nierop Ernst A EA Wilcox Jennifer J Herzog Howard J HJ

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20111205 51

Capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere ("air capture") in an industrial process has been proposed as an option for stabilizing global CO(2) concentrations. Published analyses suggest these air capture systems may cost a few hundred dollars per tonne of CO(2), making it cost competitive with mainstream CO(2) mitigation options like renewable energy, nuclear power, and carbon dioxide capture and storage from large CO(2) emitting point sources. We investigate the thermodynamic efficiencies of ...[more]

PMID: 22143760

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Project description:We were awarded a BBSRC grant about a year ago to undertake some affymetrix gene chip profiling of light and CO2 systemic signalling in Arabidopsis. The design of the proposed experiment is given below and the appropriate funding has been provided by the BBSRC. The aim of the project is to identify the temporal profile of those genes that respond to light and CO2 systemic signals in developing leaves. Moreover, as thes two signals have opposing effects on leaf development to ascertain whether they involve similar or parallel signalling pathways. The experiment is to examine the effect of exposing mature leaves to high CO2 or low light or both on the gene expression profile of developing leaves. We already have data for maize that changes in gene expression profile occur within 4h and that there are a variety of temporal responses that differ between individual gene transcripts. We have also demonstrated that Arabidopsis leaf development is altered by these systemmic signals and that lesions in the jasmonate and ethylene signalling pathways block these responses. Our experimental design is shown below: We have 4 treatments and 7 timepoints. (0, 2, 4, 12, 24, 48, 96 h) We would sample from 5 individual plants that would be pooled for each RNA preparation. This would require 28 chips and this would include extra replication of the 0 time-point control (deemed by many as nessary). Experimental details: All plants were germinated for 7 days under the following conditions: Humax multi-purpose compost, ambient carbon dioxide (370 ppm) and ambient light (250 µmol/m/s), constant temperature of 20°C and a 10 h photoperiod (8 am until 6 pm). After a week the the seedlings were potted up into 104-cell plug trays for a further 2 weeks and then potted up into 10 cm pots and the bottom part of the signalling cuvette system attached (see Lake et al., Nature 10th May 2001 Vol. 411, pp 154). Twenty four, 4 week old plants, then had the top part of the signalling system attached, trapping leaf insertions 5-13. Humidified, ambient air was passed through them at 500 mls/min via an oil-free air compressor. The three target leaves (19-21) were then marked with non-toxic, acrylic paint. After a 24 h period (the plants were sealed into the cuvettes from 10 am until 10am) of adjustment, the experiment was started by harvesting the target leaves from 4 plants and immediately freezing the tissue in liquid nitrogen to give the 0 h sample before RNA extraction. The remaining 20 plants were divided into 4 groups of five and given one of the following treatments: Ambient carbon dioxide/ambient light (Control) (A) Elevated carbon dioxide (750 ppm)/ambient light (E) Ambient carbon dioxide/low light (50 µmol/m/s) (AS) Elevated carbon dioxide/low light (ES) - For the Elevated CO2, elevated CO2 was pumped in using a CT room next door set to same temperature but with a CO2 cylinder inside and the same pump as used in the ambient room to supply the elevated CO2 laden, humidified air into the signalling room using rubber tubing. - Shade treatment consisted of neutral density filter (Cat. 210 0.6ND, Lee Filters) that had a hole cut in the middle to allow the middle developing leaves to grow through. A timecourse of 2, 4, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h were carried out each using a batch of 24 plants. This whole process was repeated with another batch of 24 plants at the same developmental stage to give a 2, 4, 12, 24, 48 and 96 hour sample from each of the four treatments. The whole timecourse was then repeated 4 times. For the mature leaves: We had 8 chips left over so we devised this little experiment to assess the gene changes that were occurring in the enclosed, treated, mature leaves that were signalling the environment to the young developing leaves. Experimenter name = Simon Coupe Experimenter phone = 0114 222 4115 Experimenter fax = 0114 222 0002 Experimenter institute = University of Sheffield Experimenter address = Animal and Plant Sciences Experimenter address = University of Sheffield Experimenter address = Western Bank Experimenter address = Sheffield Experimenter zip/postal_code = S10 2TN Experimenter country = UK Keywords: development_or_differentiation_design; growth_condition_design

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Economic and energetic analysis of capturing CO2 from ambient air.

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Economic and energetic analysis of capturing CO2 from ambient air.

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