The carbon-energy-water nexus of the carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology deployment schemes: A case study in China's cement industry

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology plays a crucial role in the transition towards low-carbon emissions in the cement industry. However, it also results in numerous energy and water consumption. To formulate proper CCUS deployment strategies, it is essential to optimize spatial CCUS layouts and examine the carbon-energy-water nexus of the technology. This study combines China's cement emission inventory, representing carbon sources, with carbon storage sites data, and develops a source-sink matching model to determine optimal CCUS deployment schemes under different mitigation target scenarios. In addition, the spatial distribution of energy and water consumption impacts, as well as the carbon-energy-water nexus, are evaluated. Results indicate that the deployment of CCUS in 229, 445, and 627 cement plants is necessary to mitigate 20%, 40%, and 60% of carbon emissions in China's cement industry, respectively. The estimated economic costs of these schemes are 79.4, 167.9, and 269.5 billion CNY, posing a significant financial challenge for the industry. Carbon capture technologies greatly influence the carbon-energy-water nexus of the CCUS deployment schemes, with net energy and water consumption ranging from 271.5 to 2410.9 PJ and − 28.5 to 872.4 million m3. Totally, 13–15 provinces achieve synergic carbon mitigation and water extraction effects by using the technologies with low water intensity. Nevertheless, trade-offs between carbon and energy exist regardless the technology. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights for planning CCUS deployment schemes by revealing the multi-dimensional impacts on economic costs, energy consumption, and water consumption, which supports the decarbonization of China's cement industry.