Toward 2050: Critical Analysis of Energy and Economic Requirements of Carbon Capture and Storage in Post Combustion Capture

Abstract According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Net Zero report of 2023, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is projected to achieve an 8% reduction in cumulative emissions, with an estimated capacity of 6 billion tons per year by 2050. The purpose of this work is to estimate the magnitude of effort required to meet this projection, both from an economic and an energy point of view. Based on the post-combustion process of a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant and using Shell-Cansolv proprietary DC-103 solvent as a reference capture agent, an analysis of the energy requirements and economic costs associated with this technology has been conducted. This analysis includes parameters such as the energy surplus required for CO2 capture, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX) of the plant. Costs related to CO2 transport and storage have not been considered. The values obtained, applied to the IEA's climate neutrality goals, are essential for understanding the operational and economic challenges of post-combustion capture. In particular, considering the important role of CCS in the IEA report and considering the calculation made with the reference data, about 5000 plants would need to be built by 2050, equivalent to an average of nearly 200 plants annually. This would require an investment of 1. 24 trillion according by the current available technologies. Moreover, an additional energy cost of about 25% for the CCGT plant would be required to capture the CO2 that has been emitted for the power production. This could also result in additional CO2 emissions, thereby reducing the net capture capacity of the system. These data illustrate the scale of commitment required to achieve the ambitious climate-neutrality goals, in which significant amount of economic efforts and energy resources will have to be drawn upon. It also highlights the urgency of investing in more efficient and sustainable CO2 capture technologies and strategies. This study provides quantitative data that can be useful in making informed decisions regarding the adoption and implementation of CCS technologies.