The pursuit of decarbonizing industries has led to a focus on the importance of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) for urea production globally and in Canada. Canada’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 highlights the urgency for environmentally friendly pathways for urea production to reduce carbon emissions. From this perspective, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the status, prospects, challenges, production technologies, and applications of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) utilization for urea synthesis based on existing and ongoing research and industry reports. Moreover, it compares and examines various traditional and modern urea production technologies for converting CO 2 into urea, along with their operating conditions, efficacy, scalability, and technology readiness levels (TRLs). It also investigates the market trends, future demand forecasts, and potential market dynamics affecting CO 2 utilization for urea production. Particularly, this review provides information on the current state of CO 2 utilization in Canada, reviewing regulatory frameworks, and identifying technical and economic barriers such as catalyst development, process optimization, high capital costs, life cycle assessments (LCAs), and long-term sustainability. Furthermore, the present study explores Canada’s potential for urea production, highlighting its technological, economic, and environmental benefits, and the importance of innovation and research and development (R&D) in CO 2 utilization technologies. Finally, the paper highlights future research, innovation, and collaboration, emphasizing the need for continued investment, supportive policies, and market development efforts. It calls for optimizing CO 2 utilization technologies, developing cost-effective solutions, and fostering partnerships between industry stakeholders and governmental bodies. This study can aid in creating a systematic roadmap for utilizing captured CO 2 in urea production, aligned with Canada’s Net-Zero 2050 targets.
Parween et al. (Mon,) studied this question.