OPPORTUNITIES IDENTIFICATION FOR CCU IN BRAZIL

KKelvin André Pacheco1, Antonio Ésio Bresciani1, Cláudio Augusto

Oller do Nascimento1, Rita Maria de Brito Alves1
1
USP

INTRODUCTION
Other sources of electric power generation have been employed in the Brazilian electric grid.
Among them, the growing use of natural gas in Power Plants (PP) is observed. The CO2 emissions
concerning this energy matrix is an issue. An alternative to mitigate this problem is the use of
exhausted CO2 as a raw material to produce chemicals or fuels, through the integration with the
PP.

METHODOLOGY
A top-down methodology approach developed by Patricio et al., (2017a, 2017b) consisting of
three consecutive steps (Figure 1) was adapted and used in order to identify opportunities for
Carbon Dioxide Utilization (CCU) at a national level. In the first step, technologies that use CO2
in Brazil were identified. The second step is a matrix of TC (Natural Gas based). The third step
is matching the sources with the potential receiver at a regional level, based on technical and
geographic parameters.

Figure 1: Methodological framework. Adapted from: Patricio et al. (2017a, 2017b).

CO2 potential for utilization

CO2 can be used in a variety of industrial processes, either as a raw material or a solvent. In
Brazil there are operational plants of EOR (KETZER et al., 2015) and ECBM (SANTAROSA et al.,
2013), however these processes will not be covered in this study, which is biological or chemical
utilization (Table 1).
Table 1: Matrix of potential CO2 utilization.

Technology TRL Conversion Factor Purity Additional

Microalgae Production 4-7 1.65 - 1.83 t CO2 5 - 22% Stand alone
1 t CO2 and 0.14 tH2 produces
Methanol Production 7-8 0.68 tMeOH High pure CO2 Stand alone
1 t CO2 and 0.18 tH2 produces
Methane Production 6-8 0.364 tCH4 Concentrated CO2 Stand alone
Applicable to urea
Urea Yield boosting 9 0.735-0.75 t CO2 High pure CO2 production plants
Applicable to
Carbon Mineralization 7-8 0.12 - 0.18 t CO2 per tWaste Both low and high pure CO2 industrial waste
Applicable to
Concrete Curing 7-8 0.06-0.19 t CO2 Both low and high pure CO2 cement industry
Propylene Carbonate
Production 7 0.43 t CO2 High pure CO2 Stand alone
Polyurethane
Production 7 0.1 - 0.3 t CO2 High pure CO2 Stand alone
Applicable to pulp
Lignin Production 7-8 0.22 t CO2 High pure CO2 mill industry
Applicable to sugar
Sugar Production 9 0.36 t CO2 High pure CO2 production industry

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 4º Congresso Brasileiro de CO2 na Indústria do Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis

CO2 availability
For this study the sources of CO2 were defined only as Natural Gas based Power Plants. The data
were collected from Aneel (BIG) and the composition of the flue gas was taken from (GALE et
al., 2005).

RESULTS
The methodology was applied in Brazil. The results of the CO2 sources are show in Figure 2, the
thermal power plant emits low CO2 purity streams.

Figure 2: CO2 Availability.

The selected CO2 utilization technologies were splitted in mature technologies and potential
technologies. The mature technologies are urea production (operational plants in Bahia, Sergipe
and Paraná) with great potential, although it needs a pure CO2 stream. Microalgae production,
carbon mineralization and concrete curing employ low purity CO2 being potential technologies in
São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia states, where the concentration of thermal plants are high.

CONCLUSION
This paper has presented an approach to estimate the regional potential for CO2 utilization and
compare with the available CO2 provided by thermal power plants. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
shown the highest rate of thermal power plants where a new CCU plant could potentially be
installed.

REFERENCES
GALE, J.; BRADSHAW, J.; CHEN, Z.; GARG, A.; GOMEZ, D.; ROGNER, H.; SIMBECK, D.; WILLIAMS, R.;
TOTH, F.; VAN VUUREN, D. Sources of CO2. In: METZ, B.; DAVIDSON, H. O.; CONINCK, C.; LOOS, M.;
MEYER, L. A. (Ed.). IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage. New York, USA:
Cambridge University Press, 2005. p. 75–104.
KETZER, J. M.; MACHADO, C. X.; ROCKETT, G. C.; IGLESIAS, R. S. Brazilian Atlas of CO2 Capture
and Geological Storage. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, 2015.
PATRICIO, J.; ANGELIS-DIMAKIS, A.; CASTILLO-CASTILLO, A.; KALMYKOVA, Y.; ROSADO, L. Region
prioritization for the development of carbon capture and utilization technologies. Journal of CO2
Utilization, v. 17, p. 50–59, 2017a.
PATRICIO, J.; ANGELIS-DIMAKIS, A.; CASTILLO-CASTILLO, A.; KALMYKOVA, Y.; ROSADO, L. Method to
identify opportunities for CCU at regional level — Matching sources and receivers. Journal of CO2
Utilization, v. 22, p. 330–345, 1 dez. 2017b.
SANTAROSA, C. S.; CRANDALL, D.; HALJASMAA, I. V.; HUR, T. B.; FAZIO, J. J.; WARZINSKI, R. P.;
HEEMANN, R.; KETZER, J. M. M.; ROMANOV, V. N. CO2 sequestration potential of Charqueadas coal field
in Brazil. International Journal of Coal Geology, v. 106, p. 25–34, 2013.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to acknowledge the RCGI Research Centre for Gas Innovation, sponsored by
FAPESP (2014/50279-4) and financial support from CAPES (Coordenacão de Aperfeicoamento
de Pessoal de Nível Superior).

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