Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe
To achieve the European Union's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, negative emissions may be required to compensate for emissions exceeding allocated carbon budgets. Therefore, carbon removal technologies such as bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC) may need to pl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-07-01
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| Series: | Advances in Applied Energy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666792424000040 |
| _version_ | 1797292870343852032 |
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| author | Rebeka Béres Martin Junginger Machteld van den Broek |
| author_facet | Rebeka Béres Martin Junginger Machteld van den Broek |
| author_sort | Rebeka Béres |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To achieve the European Union's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, negative emissions may be required to compensate for emissions exceeding allocated carbon budgets. Therefore, carbon removal technologies such as bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC) may need to play a pivotal role in the power system. To design carbon removal strategies, more insights are needed into the impact of sustainable biomass availability and the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS), including the expensive and energy-intensive DAC on achieving net-zero and net-negative targets. Therefore, in this study the European power system in 2050 is modelled at an hourly resolution in the cost-minimization PLEXOS modelling platform. Three climate-neutral scenarios with targets of 0, -1, and -3.9 Mt CO2/year (which agree with varying levels of climate justice) are assessed for different biomass levels, and CCS availability. Findings under baseline assumptions reveal that in a climate-neutral power system with biomass and CCS options, it is cost-effective to complement variable renewable energy with a mix of combined cycle natural gas turbines (CCNGT) for flexibility and BECCS as base load to compensate for the CO2 emissions from natural gas and additional carbon removal in the net-negative scenarios. The role of these technologies becomes more prominent, with -3.9 GtCO2/year target. Limited biomass availability necessitates additional 0.4–4 GtCO2/year DAC, 10–50 GW CCNGT with CCS, and 10–50 GW nuclear. Excluding biomass doubles system costs and increases reliance on nuclear energy up to 300 TWh/year. The absence of CCS increases costs by 78%, emphasizing significant investments in bioenergy, nuclear power, hydrogen storage, and biogas. Sensitivity analysis and limitations of the study are fully discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:03:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ea2bcb21e294c42bb6359fb77aab869 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7924 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:03:49Z |
| publishDate | 2024-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Applied Energy |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ea2bcb21e294c42bb6359fb77aab8692024-02-28T05:14:17ZengElsevierAdvances in Applied Energy2666-79242024-07-0114100166Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in EuropeRebeka Béres0Martin Junginger1Machteld van den Broek2Integrated Research on Energy Environment and Society (IREES), Energy Sustainability Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG), University of Groningen, Groningen, AG 9747, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, Utrecht, CB 3584, the NetherlandsDelft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Jaffalaan 5, Delft, BX 2628, the NetherlandsTo achieve the European Union's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, negative emissions may be required to compensate for emissions exceeding allocated carbon budgets. Therefore, carbon removal technologies such as bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC) may need to play a pivotal role in the power system. To design carbon removal strategies, more insights are needed into the impact of sustainable biomass availability and the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS), including the expensive and energy-intensive DAC on achieving net-zero and net-negative targets. Therefore, in this study the European power system in 2050 is modelled at an hourly resolution in the cost-minimization PLEXOS modelling platform. Three climate-neutral scenarios with targets of 0, -1, and -3.9 Mt CO2/year (which agree with varying levels of climate justice) are assessed for different biomass levels, and CCS availability. Findings under baseline assumptions reveal that in a climate-neutral power system with biomass and CCS options, it is cost-effective to complement variable renewable energy with a mix of combined cycle natural gas turbines (CCNGT) for flexibility and BECCS as base load to compensate for the CO2 emissions from natural gas and additional carbon removal in the net-negative scenarios. The role of these technologies becomes more prominent, with -3.9 GtCO2/year target. Limited biomass availability necessitates additional 0.4–4 GtCO2/year DAC, 10–50 GW CCNGT with CCS, and 10–50 GW nuclear. Excluding biomass doubles system costs and increases reliance on nuclear energy up to 300 TWh/year. The absence of CCS increases costs by 78%, emphasizing significant investments in bioenergy, nuclear power, hydrogen storage, and biogas. Sensitivity analysis and limitations of the study are fully discussed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666792424000040Bioenergy with carbon captureDirect air captureNegative emissionsEuropean green dealPower system modelling |
| spellingShingle | Rebeka Béres Martin Junginger Machteld van den Broek Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe Advances in Applied Energy Bioenergy with carbon capture Direct air capture Negative emissions European green deal Power system modelling |
| title | Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe |
| title_full | Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe |
| title_short | Assessing the feasibility of CO2 removal strategies in achieving climate-neutral power systems: Insights from biomass, CO2 capture, and direct air capture in Europe |
| title_sort | assessing the feasibility of co2 removal strategies in achieving climate neutral power systems insights from biomass co2 capture and direct air capture in europe |
| topic | Bioenergy with carbon capture Direct air capture Negative emissions European green deal Power system modelling |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666792424000040 |
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