Carbon Utilisation in the South Wales Industrial Cluster

Research into industrial decarbonisation is essential to asset the growing mix of low-carbon technologies that will dominate in the Net Zero future. This research focuses on identifying business-case carbon capture utilisation (CCU) applications across South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC). CCU is a recognised (and commercialised) method of industrial decarbonisation and sustainable waste management. Utilisation of waste-CO2 reduces a process' carbon footprint by avoiding emissions from conventionally fossil-derived inputs. In some cases CCU can permanently store CO2 in products i.e., mineralisation in construction materials. Furthermore, utilisation of waste-CO2 as a feedstock enables local circularity, and reduces resource consumption by adding value to waste, helping decarbonisation of traditionally hard to abate sectors (e.g., sustainable aviation fuel generation from waste-CO2).

Although CCU is a viable decarbonisation method, particularly in dispersed industrial sites, it is not as well researched nor applied as other low-carbon technologies. This is mainly due to insufficient carbon pricing, technology immaturity with energy penalties and lack of CCU awareness. Thus, the following research aims to hurdle such challenges by applying circularity and green-industrial symbiosis concepts with CCU by sharing low-carbon infrastructure and locally reusing waste-CO2.

We hope to identify what CO2 utilisation pathways best suit SWIC; and where CO2 derived products can be incorporated locally. Hence research objectives are to simulate relevant CCU plants within the a SWIC landscape case-by-case. This will be done using chemical/system engineering software Aspen Plus. Currently, renewable methanol synthesis from waste-CO2 emissions was found to have relevancy, thus a model is being developed to evaluate its potential in SWIC.

The proposed Centre will benefit the following groups

1. Students - develop their professional skills, a broad technical and societal knowledge of the sector and a wider appreciation of the role decarbonised fuel systems will play in the UK and internationally. They will develop a strong network of peers who they can draw on in their professional careers. We will continue to offer our training to other Research Council PhD students and cross-fertilise our training with that offered under other CDT programmes, and similar initiatives where that develops mutual benefit. We will further enhance this offering by encouraging industrialists to undertake some of our training as Professional Development ensuring a broadening of the training cohort beyond academe. Students will be very employable due to their knowledge, skills and broad industrial understanding.
2. Industrial partners - Companies identify research priorities that underpin their long-term business goals and can access state of the art facilities within the HEIs involved to support that research. They do not need to pre-define the scope of their work at the outset, so that the Centre can remain responsive to their developing research needs. They may develop new products, services or models and have access to a potential employee cohort, with an advanced skill base. We have already established a track record in our predecessor CDTs, with graduates now acting as research managers and project supervisors within industry
3. Academic partners - accelerating research within the Energy research community in each HEI. We will develop the next generation of researchers and research leaders with a broader perspective than traditional PhD research and create a bedrock of research expertise within each HEI, developing supervisory skills across a broad range of topics and faculties and supporting HEIs' goals of high quality publications leading to research impacts and an informed group of educators within each HEI. .
4. Government and regulators - we will liaise with national and regional regulators and policy makers. We will conduct research directly aligned with the Government's Clean Growth Strategy, Mission Innovation and with the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund's theme Prosper from the Energy Revolution, to help meet emission, energy security and affordability targets and we will seek to inform developing energy policy through new findings and impartial scientific advice. We will help to provide the skills base and future innovators to enable growth in the decarbonised energy sector.
5. Wider society and the publics - developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the cost of a transition to a low carbon economy. Need to ascertain the publics' views on the proposed new technologies to ensure we are aligned with their views and that there will be general acceptance of the new technologies. Public engagement will be a two-way conversation where researchers will listen to the views of different publics, acknowledging that there are many publics and not just one uniform group. We will actively engage with public from including schools, our local communities and the 'interested' public, seeking to be honest providers of unbiased technical information in a way that is correct yet accessible.