IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jeeman/v122y2023ics0095069623001201.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

CO2 storage or utilization? A real options analysis under market and technological uncertainty

Author

Listed:
  • Lamberts-Van Assche, Hanne
  • Lavrutich, Maria
  • Compernolle, Tine
  • Thomassen, Gwenny
  • Thijssen, Jacco J.J.
  • Kort, Peter M.

Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) are considered essential solutions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. A crucial difference between the two is that CCS is already a mature technology, while CCU is still in the R&D phase. Hence, firms are confronted with a dilemma, where they have to choose between either the mature CCS, the emerging CCU, or the installation of both in a Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) system. In this study, we analyze different strategies that the firm can pursue and determine the optimal investment timing. In doing so, we take into account both technological uncertainty, i.e. the unknown time-to-market of CCU, and market uncertainty, i.e. the CO2 price. Three different CCUS value chains in the cement industry are analyzed. We find that the anticipated arrival of profitable CCU technologies in the future does not delay investments in CCS in the current period. Investments in CCS and CCU can be accelerated by reducing the volatility of the CO2 price, or by increasing the growth rate of the CO2 price. Finally, we find that a higher fraction of CO2 emissions that can be used in CCU, results in sooner adoption of CCS today.

Suggested Citation

  • Lamberts-Van Assche, Hanne & Lavrutich, Maria & Compernolle, Tine & Thomassen, Gwenny & Thijssen, Jacco J.J. & Kort, Peter M., 2023. "CO2 storage or utilization? A real options analysis under market and technological uncertainty," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:122:y:2023:i:c:s0095069623001201
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2023.102902
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0095069623001201
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jeem.2023.102902?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:122:y:2023:i:c:s0095069623001201. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622870 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.