Deployment of infrastructure configurations for large-scale CO2 capture in industrial zones a case study for the Rotterdam Botlek area (part B)

Abstract

This article presents a method to assess deployment pathways for CO2 capture infrastructure configurations in industrial zones. This method was demonstrated for the Botlek area consisting of 16 emitters (7.1 MtCO2/y). Pathways were developed for two optimal infrastructures: Post-Recsor based on post-combustion capture and Oxy-Hybrid based on oxyfuel capture (see part A). The pathways vary regarding the sequence and timing in which industrial plants are equipped with CCS, number of buildout phases, and whether capture equipment is oversized or not. Results show that Post-Recsor and Oxy-Hybrid can be realized in three phases while maintaining most cost advantages of an ‘all-at-once’ strategy (Post-Recsor: 94–97 €/tCO2; Oxy-hybrid: 61–64 €/tCO2) compared to CO2 capture at industrial plant level (Post-Decentral: 100 €/tCO2; Oxy-Decentral: 66 €/tCO2). A fast deployment results in lower levelized avoidance costs (Post-Recsor: 86–88 €/tCO2; Oxy-Hybrid: 55–58 €/tCO2) and higher cumulative avoided emissions (Post-Recsor: 120–122 MtCO2; Oxy-Hybrid: 116–117 MtCO2) over a period of twenty years. This strategy requires a sufficiently high CO2 price and a rapid replacement of the capital stock. Oversizing is economically interesting for oxyfuel pathways with a fast deployment, regardless of the discount rate. For post-combustion, oversizing is only feasible under a fast deployment and low discount rate.