Cited by 55Carbon Dioxide Capture TechnologiesTechnology Assessment and ManagementClimate Change Policy and Economics

Adapting Technology Learning Curves for Prospective Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessments of Emerging Carbon Capture and Utilization Pathways

Open access
Faber, Grant, Ruttinger, Andrew, Strunge, Till, Langhorst, Tim, Zimmermann, Arno, van der Hulst, Mitchell, Bensebaa, Farid, Moni, Sheikh +1 more·2022·Frontiers in Climate

Abstract

Comparisons of emerging carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies with equivalent incumbent technologies are necessary to support technology developers and to help policy-makers design appropriate long-term incentives to mitigate climate change through the deployment of CCU. In particular, early-stage CCU technologies must prove their economic viability and environmental reduction potential compared to already-deployed technologies. These comparisons can be misleading, as emerging technologies typically experience a drastic increase in performance and decrease in cost and greenhouse gas emissions as they develop from research to mass-market deployment due to various forms of learning. These changes complicate the interpretation of early techno-economic assessments (TEAs) and life cycle assessments (LCAs) of emerging CCU technologies. The effects of learning over time or cumulative production themselves can be quantitatively described using technology learning curves (TLCs). While learning curve approaches have been developed for various technologies, a harmonized methodology for using TLCs in TEA and LCA for CCU in particular is required. To address this, we describe a methodology that incorporates TLCs into TEA and LCA to forecast the environmental and economic performance of emerging CCU technologies. This methodology is based on both an evaluation of the state of the art of learning curve assessment and a literature review of TLC approaches developed in various manufacturing and energy generation sectors. Additionally, we demonstrate how to implement this methodology using a case study on a CO 2 mineralization pathway. Finally, commentary is provided on how researchers, technology developers, and LCA and TEA practitioners can advance the use of TLCs to allow for consistent, high-resolution modeling of technological learning for CCU going forward and enable holistic assessments and fairer comparisons with other climate technologies.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fclim.2022.820261

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Authors
Faber, G., Ruttinger, A., Strunge, T., Langhorst, T., Zimmermann, A., van der Hulst, M., Bensebaa, F., Moni, S., & Tao, L.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • National Research Council Canada (CA)
  • Heriot-Watt University (GB)
  • ETH Zurich (CH)
  • Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
  • National Energy Technology Laboratory (US)
  • National Laboratory of the Rockies (US)
Corresponding author
Faber, Grant
Venue
Frontiers in Climate
Published
2022-04-14
Volume
4
ISSN
2624-9553 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4223910759
Cited by
55
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 1
FWCI
3.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Climate (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • NPARC (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Publication Database IASS (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • ETH Zürich Research Collection
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DE‐FE0025912)
  • University of Michigan
  • European Commission
  • University of Sheffield
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (016.Vici.170.190)
  • Technische Universität Berlin
  • RWTH Aachen University
  • National Energy Technology Laboratory (DE-FE0025912)
  • Argonne National Laboratory
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • EIT Climate-KIC
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality › Technology Assessment and Management
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Climate Change Policy and Economics
Keywords
technology learning curves, carbon capture and utilization, techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, CO2 mineralization, emerging technologies, economic feasibility, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change mitigation, technology deployment

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