The Sustainable Carbon Problem for E-fuels

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Why we nonetheless want carbon, how a lot is sustainable, and the way ought to we transfer it round?

Why can we nonetheless must seize carbon for the long run inexperienced transport system?

To realize its net-zero goal by 2050, Europe should decarbonise all of its transport sector. Whereas direct electrification is quickly scaling within the highway sector, sectors such aviation and transport stay more durable to impress and proceed to depend on energy-dense fuels. For these sectors, e-fuels are one of many most popular choices obtainable. However not all e-fuels are produced the identical means and never all carbon sources are eligible as sustainable underneath EU guidelines.

What are the various kinds of e-fuels?

Within the aviation sector, the flagship e-fuel is e-kerosene, usually termed e-SAF, which may be blended into fossil jet gas and used instantly into current plane engines. Producing e-kerosene requires massive portions of inexperienced hydrogen and a gentle provide of CO₂. For every ton of inexperienced hydrogen required, round 8 tonnes of CO₂ are wanted.

Transport has extra e-fuels choices obtainable. Two e-fuels choices are e-methanol and e-ammonia. Whereas the latter is carbon-free, e-methanol is a carbon-based gas, like e-kerosene, requiring round 7 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of inexperienced hydrogen.

Why does the supply of carbon matter?

In carbon-based fuels, the CO₂ turns into embedded within the gas molecule and is launched again into the ambiance when combusted. Not like different CO₂ utilisations, e-fuels don’t retailer carbon briefly. They solely delay its launch. The EU RFNBO guidelines accurately issue on this, with all fossil CO₂ changing into ineligible from 2041 (with a deadline already from 2036 for carbon from fossil energy technology), obliging e-fuels producers to show in the direction of sustainable carbon sources.

This leaves solely two long-term choices:

1. Direct Air Seize (DAC): refers back to the seize of CO₂ that’s instantly current within the ambiance.
2. Sustainable biogenic CO2: refers back to the seize of CO₂ from sustainable biomass-based processes, corresponding to pulp and paper mills.

Within the quick and mid-term, biogenic CO₂ is the simplest and most cost-effective CO₂ choice. DAC will likely be important within the long-term however at the moment the know-how can’t but provide the volumes required at economically viable price.

What’s the availability of biogenic CO2 for e-fuels within the quick to medium time period?

Europe has a various set of biogenic CO₂ sources however just some are really sustainable for e-fuel manufacturing. The ERM report commissioned by T&E identifies 92 Mt per yr of sustainable and accessible biogenic CO₂ in Europe in 2022. ‘Sustainable’ excludes bioethanol fermentation and biomass energy crops that depend on unsustainable feedstocks. Sustainable sources embody amongst others, pulp and paper mills, energy-from-waste, and biogas upgrading crops.

As proven within the graph beneath, the sustainable biogenic CO₂ availability in Europe is greater than sufficient to provide first of a form e-kerosene and e-methanol tasks, which require round 300 kt per yr of CO₂ every.

Are e-fuels the one sector needing biogenic CO₂? What different calls for for CCU or CCS?

However e-fuels usually are not the one sector in search of biogenic CO₂. The identical carbon streams are being focused by everlasting carbon storage tasks, particularly Bioenergy with Carbon Seize and Storage (BECCS), in addition to different CCU makes use of in chemical compounds, plastics and concrete. By 2050, mixed CCUS demand for biogenic CO₂ may rise properly past at this time’s 92 Mt of sustainable, accessible provide, that means not everybody will get the carbon they want. With sustainable biogenic CO₂ each restricted and more and more contested, T&E argues that the EU ought to prioritise its utilization and therefore, cease selling BECCS based mostly on burning biomass for energy and as a substitute make certain these scarce carbon assets go to sustainable makes use of like e-fuels manufacturing.

The chart beneath reveals that by 2050, the whole CCUS demand for biogenic CO₂ ranges from 140 Mt CO₂ within the minimal demand state of affairs to ~400 Mt CO₂ per yr in a excessive demand state of affairs. With the 92 Mt of sustainable, accessible biogenic CO₂ in Europe, even the minimal demand case already exceeds provide.In the end, DAC will must be scaled as much as meet demand for carbon utilisation and storage, and e-fuels might want to flip in the direction of DAC to be scalable.

The right way to entry these biogenic carbon sources?

The problem is that e-fuel crops usually are not all the time positioned subsequent to biogenic CO₂ emitters.

4 transport modes are thought of to move biogenic CO₂, specifically pipelines, rail, vehicles, and transport.

• Pipelines are probably the most environment friendly choice for big, regular flows. Nonetheless, deliberate CO₂ pipelines are closely concentrated across the North Sea, leaving main biogenic sources in Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and Central/Jap Europe unconnected.

• Rail is an economical choice for the standard e-fuel plant scale, with round 300 kt per yr over medium distances (round 300 km).

• Trucking might help mixture smaller, high-purity volumes (e.g., from biogas crops) within the early years.

• Transport might play a task for big coastal hubs.

Transporting CO₂ by way of pipeline, rail, ship or truck will likely be important because the volumes of e-fuels enhance. Our research reveals that whereas 60% of introduced tasks are inside 100 km of accessible biogenic CO₂, the remaining are farther away. Planning CO₂ transport is essential. With correct planning and assured third-party entry, this CO₂ may very well be made accessible to e-fuel producers, serving to join massive untapped volumes to future crops.

What’s the most cost-effective option to transport CO2?

Our research reveals that there isn’t any single preferable option to transport CO₂. The best option relies on the stream price and distance from the biogenic CO₂source to the e-fuel plant.

As proven within the desk beneath, for big, regular flows over shorter distances, pipelines are probably the most cost-effective answer, with transport prices beneath €50 per tonne of CO₂. For a typical e-fuels plant dealing with bigger volumes, a couple of hundred thousand tonnes per yr over a couple of hundred kilometres, rail may be aggressive, costing round 67 EUR per tonne for 300 kt over 300 km. Ships are probably the most cost-effective choice for transporting CO₂, however solely over lengthy distances and with a excessive stream price in massive coastal hubs. General our findings present that transporting biogenic CO₂, even over longer distances, provides solely lower than 10% to the manufacturing price of e-fuels.

What’s the EU planning on CO2 transport and what are T&E’s fundamental coverage suggestions?

In gentle of the 2040 local weather goal, the EU has began to underscore the necessity for CCUS to satisfy the EU 2050 local weather aims and therefore to plan the event of aggressive markets and transportation infrastructure for CO₂. As a part of this, the Fee is engaged on a brand new CO₂ transportation infrastructure and market laws.

This framework ought to map the place sustainable biogenic CO₂ is out there and the place e-fuel crops are deliberate, assure truthful third-party entry to pipelines and different CO₂ transport modes, and create a clear, aggressive market slightly than monopoly networks. Finished proper, this laws could make CO₂ infrastructure an enabler for e-fuels and different sustainable makes use of of biogenic carbon, as a substitute of a instrument that primarily locks in fossil emissions

Additional studying

Try T&E’s newest research on transporting CO₂.

Article from T&E.