Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of different CO2 supply options for an algal biorefinery

Arora, Pratham; Chance, R. R.; Hendrix, Howard; Park, Jongwoo; Thomas, Valerie M.; Yuan, Yanhui

doi:10.1016/j.jcou.2020.101213

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Furthermore, the utilization of relatively efficient processes such as biomass gasification must be studied. In previous work, [10] we evaluated the CO2 emissions of different CO2 sources. The results of that study, with biomass sourcing providing the lowest emissions and purposebuilt natural gas sourcing providing the highest emissions, are reflected in the results here.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the supply of CO 2, the following five different supply scenarios are considered: These CO 2 supply scenarios have been extensively discussed by the authors in previous publications [10,21] and are briefly described in the Supplementary Information. The process flowsheet for the base-case scenario is presented in Figure 1.…”

Section: Process Flowsheetmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These emissions account for the entire natural gas supply chain, including production, processing, transmission, storage, and distribution. The emissions related to the growth and supply chain of biomass feedstock are adopted from the work of Arora et al [10]. The biomass feedstocks (southeastern pine plantations) are grown in the US state of Florida with an 11-year harvesting cycle, representing thinnings from timber stands.…”

Section: Greenhouse Gas (Ghg) Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of CO 2 supply strategies have been proposed [9,10]. Most of the predicted CO 2 supply chains are linked to power plants, both new and existing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Greenhouse Gas Impact of Algal Bio-Crude Production for a Range of CO2 Supply Scenarios

et al. 2021

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Refined bio-crude production from hydrothermal liquefaction of algae holds the potential to replace fossil-based conventional liquid fuels. The microalgae act as natural carbon sequestrators by consuming CO2. However, this absorbed CO2 is released to the atmosphere during the combustion of the bio-crude. Thus, the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of refined bio-crude are linked to the production and supply of the materials involved and the process energy demands. One prominent raw material is CO2, which is the main source of carbon for algae and the subsequent products. The emissions associated with the supply of CO2 can have a considerable impact on the sustainability of the algae-based refined bio-crude production process. Furthermore, the diurnal algae growth cycle complicates the CO2 supply scenarios. Traditionally, studies have relied on CO2 supplied from existing power plants. However, there is potential for building natural gas or biomass-based power plants with the primary aim of supplying CO2 to the biorefinery. Alternately, a direct air capture (DAC) process can extract CO2 directly from the air. The life-cycle GHG emissions associated with the production of refined bio-crude through hydrothermal liquefaction of algae are presented in this study. Different CO2 supply scenarios, including existing fossil fuel power plants and purpose-built CO2 sources, are compared. The integration of the CO2 sources with the algal biorefinery is also presented. The CO2 supply from biomass-based power plants has the highest potential for GHG reduction, with a GHG footprint of −57 g CO2 eq./MJ refined bio-crude. The CO2 supply from the DAC process has a GHG footprint of 49 CO2 eq./MJ refined bio-crude, which is very similar to the scenario that considers the supply of CO2 from an existing conventional natural gas-based plant and takes credit for the carbon utilization.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Process Flowsheetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Greenhouse Gas (Ghg) Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of CO 2 supply strategies have been proposed [9,10]. Most of the predicted CO 2 supply chains are linked to power plants, both new and existing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Greenhouse Gas Impact of Algal Bio-Crude Production for a Range of CO2 Supply Scenarios

et al. 2021

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show abstract

“…Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an effective multi-step method to evaluate the feasibility of large-scale DAC deployment by considering the thermodynamic system efficiencies and environmental impact of the technology. 36–50…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%