Design and simulation of electrochemical regeneration of fuel from direct air capture

Abstract

Presently, Direct Air Capture (DAC) stands as a leading contender in the arsenal of strategies to mitigate CO2 emissions, which have reached a critical juncture with the imperative to address 30% of the latest greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While CO2 removal (CDR) technologies are projected to attain a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) suitable for industrial applications within seven years, the leap to TRL-11, as per the new IEA scale for disruptive technologies, appears improbable due to the intricate process of transitioning from small-scale pilots to industrial implementation, necessitating considerable time and investment. Furthermore, the absence or lack of planning for large-scale validation poses a significant obstacle. This study also pinpoints the critical materials supply chain and the competition posed by the energy transition as additional limiting factors that could impede DAC deployment and diminish its potential contribution during the crucial period when substantial emissions reductions are imperative. The escalating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, contributing to global warming, underscore the urgent need for sustainable carbon sequestration methods. In this review, we delve into carbon capture, utilization, and storage using microalgae, emphasizing techniques to enhance carbon dioxide uptake. These include systems integrating wastewater and flue gases, machine learning for strain identification, artificial intelligence, automation, and the circular bio economy. Strategies to boost carbon dioxide uptake by microalgae encompass modified photo bioreactors, membranes, chemical methods, solvents, adapted strains, genetically engineered strains, omics, and nanotechnology. Moreover, we explore the economic feasibility of microalgae-based carbon capture and bioenergy production. On average, micro algal cultivation across 13 million acres has the potential to sequester approximately 0.5 giga tons of CO2, yielding over 300 tons of biomass.