Capturing Carbon: the role of biocatalysts and biofuels

August 6, 2013 |

The economics of CO2

akermin-capex

Now, the market price of industrial-grade CO2 — that is, pure enough to be used in industrial applications such as algae growth — is generally modeled by producers these days in the $30 per tonne range.

Add to that the cost of a permit to emit CO2 into the atmosphere. Between those two figures, you have the current value of a CO2 stream — in capturing CO2, you not only get the value of the CO2, but you avoid the cost of buying a carbon allowance.

In the EU, carbon allowances are trading these days at around $7 per tonne, after reaching a high of more than $40 per tonne in 2006. Australia currently has a $23 per tonne price for carbon, but it switching to a EU-price emissions trading scheme.

So you have around $37-$53 per tonne to work with.

Now, according to an MIT study from last year, the cost of CO2 capture, modeled across six scenarios and using current technologies and a 90 percent capture rate, comes in at $31 per tonne. Integrated coal Gasification Combined Cycle plants come in much lower, as a breakout, averaging in the $22 per tonne range.

In today’s Digest, we look at the composition of flue gas, the role of the biocatalyst, the role of biofuels, the scale of potential operations, next steps — and ultimately, “feasible or not feasible?” All available via the page links below.

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