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Multi-scenario life cycle assessment of post-combustion carbon capture in China's coal-fired power plant

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  • Zhou, Yilun
  • Guo, Dongfang
  • Qi, Guojie
  • Wang, Shujuan

Abstract

The environmental emissions associated with post-combustion carbon capture technologies in coal-fired power plants have gained significant attention, particularly those linked to chemical absorption methods and downstream carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) processes. Currently, China is deploying multiple megaton-scale absorbent-based carbon capture facilities, but research on commercial-scale multi-scenario life cycle assessments (LCA) of full-chain CCUS schemes remains limited. Therefore, this study conducts a detailed LCA based on input-output data from a newly operational 2 × 1000 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant in China. Four scenarios are evaluated: 1) baseline business-as-usual (BAU) operation without carbon capture; 2) carbon capture using 30 % monoethanolamine (MEA) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR-MEA); 3) carbon capture using 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) for EOR (EOR-AMP); 4) carbon capture and utilization (CCU) via AMP-enabled methanol synthesis (CCU-AMP). The results indicate that both EOR and CCU scenarios can reduce the global warming potential (GWP), with EOR achieving the highest reduction (61.7 %), followed by CCU (12.3 %). For midpoint environmental impact indicators such as acidification potential (AP) and eutrophication potential (EP), carbon capture technologies effectively mitigate impacts, with MEA-based systems outperforming AMP absorbents and CCU surpassing EOR. However, for endpoint environmental toxicity impacts such as freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential (FATEP), marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (MAETP), terrestrial ecotoxicity potential (TAETP), and human toxicity potential (HTP), the AMP absorbent shows lower toxicity, and the EOR scheme outperforms the CCU scheme. This study emphasizes the different impacts of various CCUS technologies on the environment, offering critical insights for the application and integration of commercial-scale carbon capture technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhou, Yilun & Guo, Dongfang & Qi, Guojie & Wang, Shujuan, 2025. "Multi-scenario life cycle assessment of post-combustion carbon capture in China's coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:340:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225049643
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139322
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