No abstract

The fabrication and manufacturing processes of industrial commodities such as iron, glass, and cement are carbon-intensive, accounting for 23% of global CO emissions. As a climate mitigation strategy, CO capture from flue gases of industrial processes-much like that of the power sector-has not experienced wide adoption given its high associated costs. However, some industrial processes with relatively high CO flue concentration may be viable candidates to cost-competitively supply CO for utilization purposes (e.g., polymer manufacturing, etc.). This work develops a methodology that determines the levelized cost ($/tCO) of separating, compressing, and transporting carbon dioxide. A top-down model determines the cost of separating and compressing CO across 18 industrial processes. Further, the study calculates the cost of transporting CO via pipeline and tanker truck to appropriately paired sinks using a bottom-up cost model and geo-referencing approach. The results show that truck transportation is generally the low-cost alternative given the relatively small volumes (ca. 100 kt CO/a). We apply our methodology to a regional case study in Pennsylvania, which shows steel and cement manufacturing paired to suitable sinks as having the lowest levelized cost of capture, compression, and transportation.