Periodic Reporting for period 1 - REPAIR (Removing non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions to support ambitious climate transitions)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-10-01 al 2024-03-31
The ambition of the REPAIR project is to develop a proof-of-concept for technologies to remove CH4 (and possibly N2O) from dilute (<1 %-vol) non-fossil sources and evaluate its impact on the environment. Stakeholder feedback is considered at an early stage in developing technologies and identifying the plausibility of upscaling in real conditions. Proposed technologies are evaluated for techno-economic, environmental, social and policy compatibility.
These technologies have the potential to abate and remove >50% of CH4 emissions from dilute non-fossil sources (mainly originating from agricultural sources) in the EU by 2035, to be in line with the scenarios to limit warming between 1-1.9 °C. It directly contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal. In addition, in the “Fit for 55” proposal, the EC aims to remove 310 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030 in the LULUCF sector. From 2031, the LULUCF sector will include the non-CO2 GHG emissions from agriculture. The agricultural sector has been identified to be the first adopter of these technologies since it contributes to nearly ~50% of methane emissions in the EU, and methane concentration is higher than in ambient air. In REPAIR, we are also actively working on raising awareness on the effects of non-CO2 greenhouse gases on earth warming.
A systematic approach is followed to achieve the objectives of REPAIR. This includes (i) develop and validate technological options to remove non-CO2 GHGs (ii) evaluate techno-economic and environmental potential of application of technologies (iii) assess potential for upscaling with input from stakeholders. To develop the envisioned technologies, firstly suitable materials are identified and tested for either converting or capturing methane at low concentrations (<1%-vol) in air. The thermodynamic and kinetic data generated is utilised to develop reactor scale and process models enabling design of process technologies and optimizing design conditions. The process models are used to establish a mass and energy flows within the process, which helps in evaluating the techno-economic and environmental potential (via LCA) of the processes. These results feed into the integrated assessment models to identify the potential of non-CO2 greenhouse gas abatement/removal technologies in future energy scenarios. Stakeholder feedback is taken continuously to design and optimize the technological solutions and their potential upscaling and implementation.
These technologies have the potential to abate and remove >50% of CH4 emissions from dilute non-fossil sources (mainly originating from agricultural sources) in the EU by 2035, to be in line with the scenarios to limit warming between 1-1.9 °C. It directly contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal. In addition, in the “Fit for 55” proposal, the EC aims to remove 310 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030 in the LULUCF sector. From 2031, the LULUCF sector will include the non-CO2 GHG emissions from agriculture. The agricultural sector has been identified to be the first adopter of these technologies since it contributes to nearly ~50% of methane emissions in the EU, and methane concentration is higher than in ambient air. In REPAIR, we are also actively working on raising awareness on the effects of non-CO2 greenhouse gases on earth warming.
A systematic approach is followed to achieve the objectives of REPAIR. This includes (i) develop and validate technological options to remove non-CO2 GHGs (ii) evaluate techno-economic and environmental potential of application of technologies (iii) assess potential for upscaling with input from stakeholders. To develop the envisioned technologies, firstly suitable materials are identified and tested for either converting or capturing methane at low concentrations (<1%-vol) in air. The thermodynamic and kinetic data generated is utilised to develop reactor scale and process models enabling design of process technologies and optimizing design conditions. The process models are used to establish a mass and energy flows within the process, which helps in evaluating the techno-economic and environmental potential (via LCA) of the processes. These results feed into the integrated assessment models to identify the potential of non-CO2 greenhouse gas abatement/removal technologies in future energy scenarios. Stakeholder feedback is taken continuously to design and optimize the technological solutions and their potential upscaling and implementation.
During the first reporting period, the main focus was on identifying suitable materials that can enable either conversion or capture of methane with concentrations <1%-vol in air. Co-based thermal-catalysts have been selected for the conversion route that can convert methane at <1%-vol in air at lower temperatures than other studied catalysts. In addition, TiO2 and CuO/ZnO-based photocatalysts were studied as potential catalysts to eliminate any other impurities in the air, such as VOCs, that can hinder the performance of thermal-catalytic systems. Similarly, zeolites and porous carbon materials were tested and selected for further studies to capture methane from low-concentration sources. These results are also important for reactor scale and process modelling. A 0D model to screen suitable sorbents for methane separation has been developed. In addition, the existing 1D model for the vacuum temperature swing adsorption process has been modified to suit the methane separation process. Work on the conceptual design of technology is ongoing, which will result in identifying mass and energy flows. This is important when performing techno-economic analysis and LCA. It is important to develop a framework to assess the techno-economic performance of technologies for non-CO2 greenhouse gas abatement/removal since it has not been done before. In this regard, a group of experts has been selected to develop the framework to assess the techno-economic performance of greenhouse gas removal technologies. The agricultural sector, being responsible for ~50% of methane emissions with a higher concentration of methane at the point of emission when compared to the concentration in ambient air, will be the first adopter of technologies. Therefore, conditions in reference farms were identified as the main source of emissions. There are several ongoing discussions between the different EU and national projects on a large range of topics, from conditions in ventilation stables of cattle to LCA, policy and farmers' perspectives. A project website has also been created. The first version of the communication and dissemination plan is available. REPAIR newsletter was distributed to relevant contacts by all partners and published on social media.
The project is still in an early phase of its development, and although significant results are foreseen in the later stages of the project to surpass the current state of the art. The ongoing efforts in material selection and model development is surpassing the current state of the art and are expected to be published in the next project period.