Quantifying Sustainability Impacts of Post Combustion Carbon Capture Using Process Simulation

The International Energy Agency sees carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) as a key route for decarbonization in the energy transition. Researchers have considered many different CCUS technologies, and each application to an existing facility has a different effect on the process. Changes in each facet of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) should be measured to determine which projects are the most sustainable developments. With hundreds of CCUS projects in development but few operational, computer modeling tools like process simulation remain one of the most effective ways of predicting the overall impact of carbon capture on a given process. This work uses process simulation to quantify the impact of amine-based carbon capture on the sustainability of a combined-cycle natural gas power plant. Economic analysis includes capital and operating cost estimates from simulated parameters. Life cycle analysis and model predicted emissions quantify environmental and societal impacts. The results justify recommendations to improve the sustainability of existing technology and identify better targets for the application of carbon capture.