Carbon capture, sequestration, and usage for clean and green environment: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT

The capture of carbon and sequestration (CCS) activity is considered strategic in the context of world energy policy. In fact, CO₂ emissions from fossil/conventional-fuel-fired power plants can be lowered by using CCS on the same. Various other methods have been developed to date to capture the carbon and store it. This article focuses on the various carbon capture technologies and the storage technologies such as pre-combustion, post-combustion, oxyfuel technology, and direct air capture (DAC) technology, including their subparts, along with the factors affecting the carbon capture technologies. The aim of the present study is to develop an overview of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and CO₂ sequestration, including a vast coverage of the various factors that have a huge impact on CCS. It emerged that the existing technologies that deal with CO₂ sequestration and capture are being used at large scale to produce derivatives including chemicals, polymers, building materials, and various other products. The newest technology that has been seen creating a huge effect is direct air capture, and commercial use of such technologies has been seen. Future potential application areas have been realised in this review work. In addition, this article explores policy recommendations for the future.

KEYWORDS:

• carbon capture
• carbon storage
• CCS technologies
• CDR technologies
• direct air capture

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Glossary of the terms

CO	=	carbon monoxide
CCU	=	Carbon capture and utilisation
CDR	=	Carbon Dioxide Removal
CCS	=	Carbon capture and sequestration
DBU	=	1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene
PEG	=	Polyethylene glycol
PSA	=	Pressure Swing Adsorption
TSA	=	Temperature Swing Adsorption
TSVA	=	Temperature Vacuum Swing Adsorption
DBD	=	Dielectric-barrier discharge
oxy-PC	=	Oxyfuel Combustion-Pulverised coal
oxy-CFB	=	Oxyfuel Combustion-Circulating fluidised bed
oxy-GT	=	Oxyfuel combustion for gas turbine-based power plants
Mt/year	=	Mega tonnes per year also million tonnes per year
Gt/year	=	Giga tonnes per year
t	=	tonnes

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Narinder Singh

Narinder Singh is a civil engineer with a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Salerno, Italy, and a specialization in additive manufacturing. With over 6–7 years of experience in the field, he has expertise in additive manufacturing techniques and their applications in civil engineering. During his Ph.D., he worked on the in-house seismic isolator produced by using additive manufacturing. Further, he focused on the development of novel 3D printing techniques, and his work has been published in several reputable academic journals. Dr. Singh also has experience in various recycling of plastic solid waste materials such as HDPE and LDPE and handled various government-sponsored projects based on the recycling of plastic solid waste while working in India. After completing their PhD, he joined the Department of Engineering at the University of Naples (Parthenope), Naples, Italy, as a research fellow, where he continued his research in additive manufacturing and contributed to several projects involving the 3D printing of construction materials. Narinder Singh's expertise in additive manufacturing has allowed them to work on a diverse range of projects, including the development of materials, the recycling of plastic waste, the design and fabrication of structural components, and the use of 3D printing for on-site construction. He is the author of several scientific papers published in international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.

Ilenia Farina

Ilenia Farina is a researcher in the Department of Engineering at the University of Naples Parthenope. She received her PhD in Energy Science and Engineering and her Master Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Naples “Parthenope”. In 2013, she received a Master of Science in “Materials Science and Engineering” at the University of Sheffield (UK). Her research interests deal with the development of innovative materials for sustainable constructions. She has conducted experimental studies to demonstrate the employability of plastic fibres obtained from waste plastic as dispersed reinforcement in cementitious materials. Furthermore, she has also developed new fibre geometries, with the aim of enhancing the thermo-mechanical performance of fibre reinforced concrete and mortars. Her current research activity focuses on the development of new fibre-reinforced materials using conventional raw materials as well as inorganic waste materials. She is author of several scientific papers published in international peer-reviewed journal and international conference proceedings.

Antonella Petrillo

Antonella Petrillo PhD, is a professor at the Department of Engineering of the University of Naples “Parthenope”, Italy. She received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from University of Cassino. Her research interests include multi-criteria decision analysis, industrial plant, logistic, manufacturing and safety. She serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. She is a member of AHP Academy and a member of several editorial boards.

Francesco Colangelo

Francesco Colangelo has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from University of Basilicata. Even the PhD thesis, focused on innovative techniques to optimize the use of wastes materials in concrete, received an award. He has a Master of Science in Environmental Research ITC from University of Rome. Currently he is Full Professor of Materials Science and Technology at the University of Naples Parthenope. His main research fields are the recycling of wastes materials in concrete and in the geoenvironmental and civil applications, the application of Life Cycle Assessment methodology to different processes for preparation of innovative building material, the evaluation of durability of mortars and concrete, the stabilization/solidification of hazardous wastes and the synthesis of geopolymer eco-sustainable materials based on industrial waste. The above activities are also done in co-operation with international research centres “ Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment” (Paris), “Geopolymer Institute” (Saint-Quentin – France) and “Sustainable Technology Research Centre, Kingston University” (London). He has been and still is scientific manager of a number of research projects with public and private companies. Since 2012 he is a senior member of RILEM. He is director of Director of Laboratory of Environmental Material and Safety at the Department of Engineering of University of Naples Parthenope. All the above researches are proved by more than seventy papers, mostly on international journals, and presentation to international and Italian conferences.

Fabio De Felice

Fabio De Felice is a professor at at the Department of Engineering of the University of Naples “Parthenope”. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio. His current research focuses on multi-criteria decision-making analysis (with emphasis on AHP and ANP) and industrial, project and supply chain management. He has always been interested in the study of innovative processes aimed at improving industrial production. Expert in business management systems oriented towards process optimization and corporate digitalization. Careful observer of the dynamics of entrepreneurial growth of the digital economy. He is a member of the editorial boards of several international organizations and journals and has authored/co-authored numerous articles in the areas of decision science and business management. He is director of Director of Laboratory of LAPIS Lean Advanced Production and Industrial Sustainable systems lab at the Department of Engineering of University of Naples Parthenope.