Techno-economic Analysis of Direct Air Carbon Capture with CO2 Utilisation

The article discusses the concept of Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC), a method to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere using sorbent chemicals. While recognized as an alternative to traditional Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) methods like afforestation and BECCS, DACC is cost-prohibitive, leading the authors to propose a new concept: Direct Air Carbon Capture with CO2 Utilization (DACCU). In DACCU, captured CO2 is utilized to create a saleable product, thus offsetting the high costs associated with capture.

The authors conduct a techno-economic analysis (TEA) of this new DACCU plant, assessing its economic viability and potential for revenue generation. This includes an evaluation of the process economics, a carbon emission assessment for the major utilities, and a scenario analysis of the decarbonization effect of DACCU on CO2 removal.