Comparative environmental life cycle assessment of carbon capture for petroleum refining, ammonia production, and thermoelectric power generation in the United States

Abstract Understanding opportunities for carbon capture and storage (CCS) across sectors is important for choosing among greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. This study explores the cradle-to-gate life cycle environmental impacts of amine solvent based carbon capture systems on U.S. ammonia production, petroleum refineries, supercritical and subcritical pulverized coal power plants, and natural gas combined cycle plants. We use publicly available data to create comprehensive life cycle inventories for petroleum refining and ammonia production for 2014. We use these processes and additional modeled carbon capture processes to compare carbon capture on ammonia production and petroleum refining to inventories for coal and natural gas fired electricity with carbon capture. This analysis found that particulate matter formation potential, eutrophication potential, and water consumption increase in all sectors as a result of installation and operation of CCS technologies per kg CO2e abated, while the effect on acidification potential and particulate mater formation potential is mixed. The differences in tradeoffs among systems are driven primarily by three factors: the combustion emissions from fuel used to operate the capture unit, the upstream supply chain to obtain that fuel, and the relative impact of the carbon capture unit on baseline flue gas emissions (i.e. possible co-benefits from capture).