Design and techno-economic analysis of CO$_2$ mineralization process integrated with desalination

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO$_2$) mineralization, one kind of CO$_2$ sequestration method, enables permanent storage of CO$_2$ by converting it to a stable form of carbonate. Recently, an idea of CO$_2$ mineralization using electrodeionization has been suggested. In the electrodeinoization, seawater is separated into the deionized stream and concentrate, which is used for converting CO$_2$ into mineral carbonates. Hence, it is expected that the proposed process can perform both CO$_2$ mineralization and seawater desalination simultaneously. In this study, in order to identify the economic feasibility and CO$_2$ sequestration potential of the suggested process, design and techno-economic analysis considering the net amount of CO$_2$ sequestration is carried out. Prior to the evaluation of the process, design and techno-economic analysis on CO$_2$ mineralization process based on chlor-alkali is performed as a benchmark study. To obtain the necessary information for economic assessment, the process design and simulation are carried out using Aspen Plus. The design approach utilized in benchmark study is applied to the CO$_2$ mineralization process integrated with desalination. In the CO$_2$ mineralization- linked desalination process, the dilute chamber in which seawater desalination takes place is implemented in Matlab and then integrated with Aspen Plus model to design and simulate the overall process. Finally, the economic feasibility and CO$_2$ sequestration potential of the process are evaluated based on the simulation results and compared with reverse osmosis process. Water production cost is used as an economic indicator, and the amount of net CO$_2$ sequestration is calculated for different kinds of sources for electricity.