Itinerary of a CO2 molecule along the CCUS chain

Capture - Transport - Utilization - Storage

Itinerary of a CO2 molecule along the CCUS chain

Capture - Transport - Utilization - Storage

Itinerary of a CO2 molecule along the CCUS chain

carbon neutrality by 2050

Our carbon debt

In addition to the use of renewable energies, and greater energy efficiency, to achieve carbon neutrality from 2050 onwards, 20% of current emissions would need to be captured and stored

CO2 plays an important role in the planet's carbon cycle. But the burning of fossil carbon due to human activities has thrown this cycle off balance. 5Gt of carbon are added each year to the 800Gt or so in the atmosphere. As a result, the greenhouse effect is hotting up!

Depth 800 m

The CO2 molecule is trapped!

Itinerary of a CO2 molecule along the CCUS chain

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Once upon a time there was a CO2 molecule...

Coal, petroleum, natural gas

Wood, garden waste, straw, etc.

Back to square one for that fossil fuel-generated molecule of ours! The CO2 molecule is locked away from the atmosphere. It is injected and stored in the subsurface on a long-term basis.

Turned into liquid to take up less space during transport that molecule of ours is then transported. Its destination? A nearby storage or utilization site

Direct capture of CO2 by suction from the air Large fans with filters or chemicals draw in the ambient air

CO2 capture in factories The CO2 molecule is captured directly in smoke from factories or upon combustion via various technologies. These are more efficient and yield more concentrated CO2, which is less costly to transport and store

That molecule of ours is considered a resource. Turned into fuels, plastics, fertilisers, medicines, or even used directly in carbonated drinks or greenhouses, our CO2 molecule can live on at ground level rather than up in the air

In factories and during transport and storage, there must checks to ensure that the CO2 molecule remains well contained. No escaping allowed whatsoever!

There is no point in capturing the molecule if it cannot be stored or used! Hence the importance of planning the rollout of the entire chain, by co-building projects with local actors

Once upon a time there was a CO2 molecule ...That never was. Bypassed thanks to nationwide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it has not caused any global warming. A real hero! Only it's not that easy. Because even once the various decarbonisation solutions have been applied, there are still CO2 molecules ready to join the ranks of those already in the atmosphere

Once upon a time there was a CO2 molecule ...

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ton of steel produced

ton of CO2 emitted

It all starts here at the source of the emissions!

So where do they come from? Heavy industry (steelworks, metallurgy and cement works) and chemical processes, which are hard to decarbonise. But we do have to find a way to lock them away from the atmosphere too, to prevent global warming How? By capturing them and storing them in the subsurface or reusing them. So our story focuses instead on one of these rogue molecules along the CCUS chain

billion tons

That's how much CO2 would have to be captured per year by 2035

Biomass

Fossil energy

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CO2 emissions can also be captured directly from the atmosphere. Large fans with a filter or chemicals draw in the ambient air and trap the CO2 molecule by absorption using a chemical There's a small drawback: since the CO2 is more diluted than it is in industrial smoke, it is also harder to capture

Direct capture of CO2 via suction from the air

CO2 capture in factories

A first step in terms of technology, tested on an industrial scale, consists of capturing the molecule by absorption using a chemical. The smoke is "cleansed" of some 90-95% of the CO2... Another step in terms of technology which is still under development, chemical loop combustion (CLC), is aimed at making CO2 extraction easier by affecting the combustion process While the absorption method applies to existing factories, as for the CLC process, it heralds a new generation of thermal power plants that will generate electricity or steam, or supply district heating networks using conventional fuels without emitting CO2

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A CO2 network or hub brings together different CO2 emissions sources and/or different storage sites by means of a shared transport network, with the aim of pooling costs and reducing risks

CO2 Hub

CO2 transport

Transport is generally via pipeline - either land-based or underwater - but can also be done by ship, train or truck if the quantities to be transported are not too large When CO2 is captured, the gas is never 100% pure, but it comes close (more than 98%). Its composition changes depending on the nature of the fuel and type of capture used. This impurity can affect transport via complex mechanisms, and researchers are working to gain a better understanding of them

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Global CO2 recovery stands at 230 million tonnes per year

This figure could be multiplied tenfold in the long term, with the development of new usage patterns in terms of fuels, chemistry and materials

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CO2 utilization

The CO2 captured can be used as a raw material to produce other molecules in a circular carbon economy setup For example, when a hydrogen reagent is used on CO2, it can produce fuels with properties similar to those of fossil fuels This allows them to be used in engines just as they are. CO2 can also be used to make plastics, fertilisers, medicines, etc. Hello, CO2 recycling. Farewell to fossil-based molecules!

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This is the CO2 storage capacity in Europe, equating to 100 years' worth of global emissions at 2019 rates

billion tons

500

CO2 is stored in the subsurface, in old hydrocarbon fields or in deep saline aquifers, at sea or on land, to be locked away from the atmosphere on a long-term basis Rocks in old hydrocarbon fields have demonstrated their ability to store gases for millions of years before ever being exploited for fossil fuels. However, there is a need to make sure that the exploitation of these fields, and of the wells in particular, has not compromised the seal. This is verified by means of solutions on which continuous improvement is brought to bear Deep saline aquifers hold significant potential in terms of CO2 storage. However, there is a need to conduct exploratory studies to achieve better profiling of them

Depth 800 m

CO2 storage

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Strategy CCUS

These scenarios are based on several factors :

Economic and social factors: not least, these include job creation and the societal perception of the project in the region(s) concerned. These latter factors also bring with them the co-construction of CCUS projects along with private-sector players

Environmental factors: life cycle analysis (LCA) methodologies are used not only to assess the CO2 emissions bypassed throughout the CCUS chain, but also to quantify the impact on water resources and requirements in terms of materials

Technical factors: the volumes of CO2 involved, the geographical areas concerned, the possible uses of the CO2 in the vicinity of the capture sites, and the possible storage sites are taken into account

The European Strategy CCUS project was conducted from 2019 to 2022 by the BRGM, IFPEN and 16 other European partners. It studied the development of CO2 capture, use and storage (CCUS) technologies in eight regions of Southern and Eastern Europe, to reduce the emissions of the industrial and power generation sectors

Strategy CCUS

Capture, recovery, transport and storage are all links in the same chain that must be thought of as a whole and rolled out at the same time and in the right place. Otherwise, what's the point in capturing CO2 if it can't be stored and/or used? So it is only through the shared vision of researchers, local authorities and manufacturers, set forth in the form of scenarios, and by means of nationwide or Europe-wide projects, that a rollout on this scale can be planned for and planned out

This requires sensors, measuring equipment and monitoring methods suited to the environment in which they will be used

Storage operations are also closely monitored to prevent or detect possible leaks

During transport, care must be taken to make sure that the CO2 remains contained

On industrial sites, CO2 emissions must be measured, as must those of other greenhouse gases and pollutants

Throughout the CO2 capture, transport, storage and use chain, there is a need to check emissions in real time and monitor environmental impact

IFPEN has developed a set of fixed and portable connected tools to measure the composition of gases (CO2, hydrogen, methane, etc.) in the air, on industrial sites, along gas pipelines on ships or above a CO2 storage site. They ensure that operations are uncompromised and safe

Emission checking and environmental monitoring

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CCUS AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION | THE PODCAST #5 -CO2 UTILIZATION

CCUS AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION | THE PODCAST #4 - CO2 CAPTURE

CCUS AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION | THE PODCAST #3 - TRANSPORT AND STORAGE

CCUS AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION | THE PODCAST #2 - ROLLING OUT

CCUS AND ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION | THE PODCAST #1 - DEFINITION AND CHALLENGES

Check out our podcasts on CCUS and ecological transition

Our solutions across the entire CCUS chain

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- Economy- Environmental impact assessment (LCA)- Regulatory framework

- Environmental gas monitoring solution Flair Suite - Leakage detection - Securing storage sites

- E-chemicals- E-fuels / e-biofuels / solar fuels

- Site screening & characterization- Injectivity - Monitoring

- Compression process- Purification solutions- Well integrity Reuse of O&G wells

- DMX™ process - Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) process - Breakthrough processes: process intensification, eco-efficient solvents, Direct Air Capture - Design of integrated solutions

Profondeur 800 m

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