(748g) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Capture and Utilization Pathways – Assessing the Synergies Between Biological Use and Geological Sequestration of CO2

As an important greenhouse gas (GHG), the emission of CO₂ to the atmosphere needs to be reduced in order to mitigate climate change. Designing of proper of CO₂ utilization pathways are imperative to reduce GHG emission. There are several ways to restrict CO₂ emission into the atmosphere. Two such promising technologies include geological sequestration of CO₂ in depleted oil and gas fields, saline aquifers and others, and biological sequestration of CO₂ via microalgae. The primary focus of the present study is to assess the integration potential of CO₂ geological sequestration and CO₂ biological sequestration via growth, harvest and conversion of microalgae to value-added bioproducts. Different ways of microalgae conversion, including lipid extraction, utilization of the spent algal biomass as well as hydrothermal liquefaction of the whole microalgal biomass, are considered for the production of value-added products. The present study aims to quantify the techno-economic tradeoffs and optimize the entire supply-chain of CO₂ utilization to ensure the most economically feasible alternative of CO₂ usage. A multi-scale supply chain optimization framework is considered which takes into account CO₂ capture, compression, pipeline transport and geologic storage as well as different processing pathways of microalgae. The state of Texas in USA is considered as the case study to evaluate the optimal design of CO₂ capture, storage and/or utilization pathways. The present study will help inform decision and policy makers the optimal pathway of CO₂ storage and utilization procedures for a particular location.