DOE Roadmap Highlights the Potential of CCUS at Ethanol Plants

September 09, 2022

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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy on Sept. 7 released its Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap. The document, in part, identifies U.S. ethanol plants as among the lowest-cost industrial facilities for the implementation of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies.

The report indicates the 210 ethanol plants located in the U.S. emit approximately 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. An estimated 27 million metric tons of that carbon dioxide could be captured via CCUS technologies, according to the DOE, at a cost of $17.60 to $33.40 per metric ton, with an average price of $27 per metric ton. In addition, the report shows that ethanol plants already account for 41 of the 104 U.S. industrial facilities currently capturing commercial carbon dioxide.

The roadmap includes similar data for CCUS implementation for coal power plants, gas power plants, iron and steel plants, cement plants, oil refineries, gas processing facilities, hydrogen plants, ammonia plants and petrochemical facilities. The estimated cost per ton for these facilities ranges from a low of $12.20 per metric ton at certain hydrogen facilities to a high of $195.20 per ton at certain cement plants.

Overall, the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap identifies four key pathways to reduce industrial emissions from American manufacturing, including through the use of biofuels, biobased feedstocks and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

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The four key pathways to reduce industrial emissions include energy efficiency; industrial electrification; the use of low carbon fuels, feedstocks and energy sources (LCFFES); and CCUS.

The LCFFES pathway focuses on substituting low- and no-carbon fuel and feedstocks to reduce combustion-associated emissions for industrial processes. This includes the development of fuel-flexible processes; the integration of hydrogen fuels and feedstocks into industrial applications; and the use of biofuels and biobased feedstocks.

Also on Sept. 7, the DOE issued a $104 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that aims to advance industrial decarbonization technologies. The FOA focuses on six topic areas, including technologies to decarbonize chemicals; decarbonize iron and steel; decarbonize food and beverage products; decarbonize cement and concrete; decarbonize paper and forest products; and cross-sector decarbonization technologies. The FOA specifically addresses the use of low carbon fuels, including biomass/biofuels and waste or refuse-derived fuels, as a way to decarbonize cement and concrete production. Concept papers for the FOA are due Oct. 12, with full applications due Dec. 20.

Additional information, including full copies of the roadmap and FOA, are available on the DOE website. READ MORE

DOE Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap (U.S. Department of Energy)

Energy Department roadmap targets industrial sector emissions (Politico Pro)

To decarbonize industry, DOE road map focuses on efficiency, electrification and low-carbon fuels (Utility Dive)

DOE Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap (released 9.7.22) (American Economic Association)

Biden Administration releases Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap (Carbon Capture Magazine)

U.S. outlines roadmap to boost sustainable aviation fuel (Reuters)

Excerpt from U.S. Department of Energy: Strategies for Decarbonizing U.S. Industry

The Roadmap identifies four key technological pillars to significantly reduce emissions for these five subsectors studied. With the application of alternative approaches, 100% of annual CO2 emissions could be mitigated. The crosscutting decarbonization pillars are energy efficiency; industrial electrification; low-carbon fuels, feedstocks, and energy sources (LCFFES); and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). These pillars are applicable across all industrial subsector and have the capability to deliver near-term and future reductions as the GHG emissions intensity of the electrical grid decreases, technologies develop, and hard-to-abate sources are addressed.

Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is a foundational, crosscutting decarbonization strategy and is the most cost-effective option for GHG emission reductions in the near term. Decarbonization efforts include:
- Strategic energy management approaches to optimize performance of industrial processes at the system-level
- Systems management and optimization of thermal heat from manufacturing process heating, boiler, and combined heat and power (CHP) sources
- Smart manufacturing and advanced data analytics to increase energy productivity in manufacturing processes
Industrial Electrification: Leveraging advancements in low-carbon electricity from both grid and onsite renewable generation sources will be critical to decarbonization efforts. Decarbonization efforts include:
- Electrification of process heat using induction, radiative heating, or advanced heat pumps
- Electrification of high-temperature range processes such as those found in iron, steel, and cement making
- Replacing thermally-driven processes with electrochemical ones
Low-Carbon Fuels, Feedstocks, and Energy Sources (LCFFES): Substituting low-and no-carbon fuel and feedstocks reduces combustion associated emissions for industrial processes. Decarbonization efforts include:
- Development of fuel-flexible processes
- Integration of hydrogen fuels and feedstocks into industrial applications
- The use of biofuels and bio feedstocks
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS): CCUS refers to the multi-component strategy of capturing generated carbon dioxide (CO₂) from a point source and utilizing the captured CO₂ to make value added products or storing it long-term to avoid release. Decarbonization efforts include:
- Post-combustion chemical absorption of CO₂
- Development and manufacturing optimization of advanced CO₂ capture materials that improve efficiency and lower cost of capture
- Development of processes to utilize captured CO2 to manufacture new materials READ MORE