Industrial Carbon Capture
Identifying emerging capture media and process innovations for a multinational steel producer to lower energy penalties, extend material lifetimes, and decarbonize operations cost-effectively.
Client
Multinational Steel Producer
Objective
Find Economically Viable CCUS Tech
Timeline
10-Week Program
Key Focus
Lowering Energy Penalty
The Challenge: The Grand Economics of Decarbonization
While carbon capture technology is promising, its practical implementation is stalled by three core economic hurdles that erode plant margins and create logistical bottlenecks.
Parasitic Energy Penalty
Regenerating capture media consumes significant steam or electricity, directly eroding plant profitability and operational efficiency.
Solvent & Sorbent Degradation
Capture media degrades over time, necessitating frequent and costly replacement, which drives up long-term operational expenses.
Sequestration Logistics
Even with high capture rates, the infrastructure for high-volume CO₂ transport and storage is underdeveloped in most regions.
Our Data-Driven Evaluation Method
We developed a weighted evaluation grid to rank potential solutions against the client's most critical performance and economic metrics.
| Axis | Illustrative Metrics |
|---|---|
| Material Capacity & Selectivity | CO₂ uptake (mmol g⁻¹), N₂ selectivity |
| Energy Penalty | GJ /tCO₂ for regeneration at scale |
| Durability & Fouling | % capacity loss after 1,000 cycles |
| Capital & Opex Estimates | $/tCO₂ installed capacity, $/tCO₂ annual cost |
| Retrofit Compatibility | Footprint, downtime for installation |
Strategic Impact: Pilot-Ready Solutions
Equipped with our analysis, the steel producer initiated pilot tests of two leading materials. Early data indicates a 25% reduction in steam penalty compared to conventional amines.
This positions the company to meet impending emissions regulations cost-effectively and strengthens its commitment to decarbonization through near-term, scalable capture solutions.
<$80
Per Tonne of CO₂
Levelized cost for three identified pathways