Chapter 24
CO 2 Removal Using the Sun and Forest:
An Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
of a Solar & Biomass Hybrid Carbon
Capture and Sequestration Plant
Shutaro Takeda, Andrew John Chapman, and Hoseok Nam
Abstract This paper proposes and analyses an innovative sustainable energy option;
a concentrated solar and biomass hybrid carbon capture and sequestration plant.
This conceptual plant utilizes concentrated solar as the heat source for the biomass
gasification process. The produced synthetic gas will then be used for electricity
generation and carbon dioxide will be removed and sequestrated in an underground
reservoir. With this new energy option, a sustainable future energy system can be
designed whereby the carbon removed by the forest can be both utilized and sequestrated using the power of the sun. The environmental impact of 1 kWh of electricity
production was assessed through a life cycle assessment using ecoinvent, and the life
cycle GHG emissions of the plant were estimated to be −0.812 kg CO2-eq/kWh.
This result shows that even at the 95% percentile, net GHG emissions from Solar
Hybrid BECCS (−0.492 kg/kwh) is lower than that of a conventional BECCS plant
(−0.474 kg/kwh). To summarize, this technologically fusible energy option may
have a great potential in achieving energy sustainability towards the 2.0- and 1.5degree scenarios by achieving carbon removal with the two fundamental gifts from
the nature: the sun and the forest.
Keywords Solar · Biomass · CCS · BECCS · LCA · GHG
Both authors contributed equally to this work.
S. Takeda (B)
Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University,
Kyoto, Japan
e-mail: takeda.shutaro.55r@kyoto-u.jp
A. J. Chapman
International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
H. Nam
Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_24
371
CO 2 Removal Using the Sun and Forest:
An Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
of a Solar & Biomass Hybrid Carbon
Capture and Sequestration Plant
Shutaro Takeda, Andrew John Chapman, and Hoseok Nam
Abstract This paper proposes and analyses an innovative sustainable energy option;
a concentrated solar and biomass hybrid carbon capture and sequestration plant.
This conceptual plant utilizes concentrated solar as the heat source for the biomass
gasification process. The produced synthetic gas will then be used for electricity
generation and carbon dioxide will be removed and sequestrated in an underground
reservoir. With this new energy option, a sustainable future energy system can be
designed whereby the carbon removed by the forest can be both utilized and sequestrated using the power of the sun. The environmental impact of 1 kWh of electricity
production was assessed through a life cycle assessment using ecoinvent, and the life
cycle GHG emissions of the plant were estimated to be −0.812 kg CO2-eq/kWh.
This result shows that even at the 95% percentile, net GHG emissions from Solar
Hybrid BECCS (−0.492 kg/kwh) is lower than that of a conventional BECCS plant
(−0.474 kg/kwh). To summarize, this technologically fusible energy option may
have a great potential in achieving energy sustainability towards the 2.0- and 1.5degree scenarios by achieving carbon removal with the two fundamental gifts from
the nature: the sun and the forest.
Keywords Solar · Biomass · CCS · BECCS · LCA · GHG
Both authors contributed equally to this work.
S. Takeda (B)
Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University,
Kyoto, Japan
e-mail: takeda.shutaro.55r@kyoto-u.jp
A. J. Chapman
International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
H. Nam
Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_24
371