Restoring Pre-Industrial CO(2)Levels While Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Academic Article

Abstract

  • Unless humanity achieves United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and restores the relatively stable climate of pre-industrial CO2 levels (as early as 2140), species extinctions, starvation, drought/floods, and violence will exacerbate mass migrations. This paper presents conceptual designs and techno-economic analyses to calculate sustainable limits for growing high-protein seafood and macroalgae-for-biofuel. We review the availability of wet solid waste and outline the mass balance of carbon and plant nutrients passing through a hydrothermal liquefaction process. The paper reviews the availability of dry solid waste and dry biomass for bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage (BECCS) while generating Allam Cycle electricity. Sufficient wet-waste biomass supports quickly building hydrothermal liquefaction facilities. Macroalgae-for-biofuel technology can be developed and straightforwardly implemented on SDG-achieving high protein seafood infrastructure. The analyses indicate a potential for (1) 0.5 billion tonnes/yr of seafood; (2) 20 million barrels/day of biofuel from solid waste; (3) more biocrude oil from macroalgae than current fossil oil; and (4) sequestration of 28 to 38 billion tonnes/yr of bio-CO2. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) costs are between 25–33% of those for BECCS with pre-2019 technology or the projected cost of air-capture CDR.
  • Authors

  • Capron, Mark E
  • Stewart, Jim R
  • de Ramon N'Yeurt, Antoine
  • Chambers, Michael
  • Kim, Jang K
  • Yarish, Charles
  • Jones, Anthony T
  • Blaylock, Reginald B
  • James, Scott C
  • Fuhrman, Rae
  • Sherman, Martin T
  • Piper, Don
  • Harris, Graham
  • Hasan, Mohammed A
  • Status

    Publication Date

  • September 2020
  • Published In

  • Energies  Journal
  • Keywords

  • Allam Cycle
  • carbon dioxide removal (CDR)
  • carbon sequestration (BECCS)
  • hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL)
  • macroalgae (seaweed) biofuels
  • renewable energy
  • sustainable development goals (SDGs)
  • waste-to-energy
  • Digital Object Identifier (doi)

    Start Page

  • 4972
  • End Page

  • 4972
  • Volume

  • 13
  • Issue

  • 18