CCS (carbon capture and storage) is a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and subsequently storing CO₂, while CCU (carbon capture and utilisation) is a way of recycling the carbon in the captured CO₂ by converting it into new products. As CCU represents a multi-functional system, it is crucial to use relevant system boundaries and to define a joint functional unit when comparing CCU with CCS or with no capture. The application of system expansion ensures that the compared systems provide the same functions to society.

This study shows that it is today more climate friendly and energy efficient to produce conventional fuel and to use renewable electricity to substitute fossil power, than to produce fuel from captured CO₂. I tilfelle der ein ikkje fortrenger fossilbasert kraft, kan CCU vere det beste valget. Dette kan for eksempel skje i framtida, dersom produksjonen av fossilbasert kraft blir mindre enn i dag. The scientific paper is free to download here

Facts

Title of the article: LCA of CCS and CCU compared with no capture: How should multi-functional systems be analysed?
Written by: Hanne Lerche Raadal and Ingunn Saur Modahl
Published in: E3S Web of Conferences, 21. Mai 2022, open access
Link: https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/abs/2022/16/e3sconf_lcm2022_03001/e3sconf_lcm2022_03001.html
DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202234903001