In the fight against climate change, much of the attention has been on reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels. But other sources represent a significant opportunity such as the case of biogenic carbon dioxide. By capturing CO2 from biogenic sources such as biomass, fermentation, or waste treatment, the balance can result in negative emissions. In this blog we discuss the challenges of the implementation of carbon capture systems due to the decentralized nature of such sources and how biogenic CO2 capture can lead to a net-zero and even net-negative targets.
Challenges in Capturing Biogenic CO₂
Unlike power plants and other industrial fossil fuels sources, many biogenic CO2 sources are geographically dispersed and operate at smaller scales. Biogenic carbon dioxide sources include breweries, biogas plants, and small-scale biomass power among others. Moreover, biogenic sources show variability in flow and composition. For instance, carbon dioxide from fermentation is highly pure, while biomass combustion gases contain carbon dioxide diluted with nitrogen, water vapor and other trace gases.
Owing to the geographical and technical challenges for biogenic carbon capture the industrial implementation of capture systems represents an economic constraint. Another constraint is the logistics related to storing and transporting the captured CO2. Overcoming these challenges requires modular, cost-effective, and flexible technologies tailored to decentralized operations.
Capture Technologies
Amine scrubbing is the most established and commercially mature technology for carbon capture. This technology has displayed effectiveness for capturing CO2 from point sources like biomass combustion and can achieve high CO2 recovery rates. However, when applied to decentralized sources, amine technology faces significant drawbacks. Its regeneration process is energy-intensive requiring large amounts of steam or heat that are often not available in remote locations. Its high energy requirements increase operating costs and reduce their overall efficiency when applied at small scale. Additionally, amines produce by products due to their degradation over time, requiring special handling and disposal of hazardous materials, increasing the logistical challenge.
MOF Technology
Alternatively, Metal-Organic Frameworks are crystalline adsorbent materials with highly porous structures and tunable chemical properties. The implementation of MOFs-based systems for carbon capture have shown outstanding capture efficiencies along with superior selectivity. One of the key features of MOF technology is their low energy requirements for regeneration as they can release captured CO2 under mild temperature or pressure, significantly reducing operating costs.
One major advantage of MOFs is their high chemical tunability, meaning MOFs can be engineered for specific gas compositions, ensuring adaptability across the diverse spectrum of biogenic CO2 sources. MOFs also offer compact and modular systems, making them suitable for deployment at any scale including small-scale facilities like biogas plants, breweries, or waste-to-energy units. MOF systems hold great potential to provide efficient and cost-effective carbon capture in decentralized facilities.
Biogenic CO2: a monetizable asset
Capturing CO2 from biogenic sources not only helps to mitigate emissions, but it also opens opportunities to add economic value. Biogenic CO2 carries the advantage of being renewable and aligned with net-zero and circular economy strategies, making it especially attractive in several sectors. Industries like food and beverages, agriculture and e-fuels and synthetic chemicals are demanding biogenic carbon dioxide to meet the requirements towards net-zero emissions.
In the beverage and food industry, CO2 is essential for carbonation, packing and preservation. A single plant can demand up to 15,000 tons of CO2 per year. Some manufacturers in this market are already supplying from biogenic sources, for example Coca-Cola Sweden managed to reduce its emissions by 64% in just over five years by using biogenic carbon dioxide, highlighting both the scale of demand and the viability of decentralized supply chains.
Greenhouses use CO2 to stimulate plant growth, increasing yields up to 25%. Another fast-growing market is the production of e-fuels and synthetic chemicals, where captured CO2 is used as a carbon feedstock for green methanol, synthetic methane, or even sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Large e-fuel makers are already relaying on CO2 from biogenic sources, for instance, a large e-methanol plant in Denmark is set to supply the shipping sector, producing 53 million liters of e-methanol per year using renewable sources and CO2 capture from biogas plants. In the aviation sector, Swiss Airlines is integrating SAF to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel, representing the opening of the aviation market for companies supplying biogenic carbon dioxide.
Besides the above-mentioned markets, the rise of carbon markets and policy incentives adds another layer of financial opportunity. Programs such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the U.S. 45Q tax credit can generate economic benefits ranging from $50 to $200 per ton of CO2 captured and utilized or stored.
The implementation of MOF-based capture systems in decentralized biogenic CO2 sources is a strategic solution offering modular, cost-effective, and flexible technology. MOFs represent a practical, scalable, and profitable solution for biogenic carbon capture, turning what was once considered waste into both a climate asset and a market-ready resource.
Interested in MOFs? Reach out to us to know more about CO2 capture solutions.