Development of transportation cost functions and optimization of transportation networks for solar-aided utilization of CO2. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pantoleontos, Grigorios; Tsongidis, Nikolaos I.; Daskalos, Emmanouil; Konstandopoulos, Athanasios G.
• Is Part Of: International journal of greenhouse gas control. Volume 112(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: CO2 infrastructure network -- CO2 transportation -- CO2 utilization -- Solar fuels; Greenhouse gases -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Air -- Purification -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Gaz à effet de serre -- Périodiques; Gaz à effet de serre -- Réduction -- Périodiques; Air -- Purification -- Technological innovations; Greenhouse gases -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; 363.73874605
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103528
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-5836

Abstract

Highlights: Development of transportation cost functions for the mixture CO2 :N2 (96:4%) within the ranges {25–2000 kg/s} and {50–2000 km}. Seventeen CO2 sources from power stations in the central EU region aggregating 3000 kg/s optimally allocated to 16 available sinks accounting for maximum solar capacity. For the mass flowrates considered and the sources locations chosen it is economically beneficial to transfer CO2 directly to the final sinks rather than via intermediate sources. The MINLP formulation derives values of solar utilization cost of over €7B and transportation cost of over €2B per year covering transportation pipelines distances of 34, 000 km. Abstract: The present work aims to establish a methodology for the optimization of CO2 transportation networks by developing transportation levelized-cost functions for the mixture CO2 :N2 (96:4%) within the ranges {25–2000 kg/s} and {50–2000 km}, locating the optimal solar cities (locations-sinks) to receive CO2 for further transformation into fine chemicals, and mapping the optimal routes which present the minimum transportation and utilization cost. Potential economies of scale of merging same-route sinks into a joint pipeline are scrutinized by selecting 17 CO2 sources from thermal power and combustion stations in the central EU region aggregating almost 3000 kg/s of CO2 ; these amounts are optimally allocated to 16 available sinks, which combine maximum solar capacity with the least distance to major ports. This study makes use of transport cost correlations, while the solar potential of the most promising solar cities is calculated in detail based on solar intensity databases and solar power plants cost assessment. Mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) techniques are incorporated in the optimization procedure under sinks capacity constraints. A major conclusion of this work is that for the mass flowrates considered and the sources locations chosen in the current study it is economically beneficial to transfer CO2 directly to the final sinks from the original sources rather than via intermediate sources. The MINLP formulation derives values of solar utilization cost of over €7B and transportation cost of over €2B per year covering transportation pipelines distances of 34, 000 km: precise economic estimates of the proposed methodology regarding CO2 transportation and utilization might have significant implications on energy and environmental policy issues on European or global scale.