As the world strives to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is emerging as one of the most promising approaches to achieving cost-effective negative emissions and is of high interest to the pulp and paper industry. Compared with direct air capture, BECCS uses the Earth’s natural carbon cycle to concentrate CO2 from ~425 ppm in the atmosphere to > 140 000 ppm in a flue gas stream, making carbon capture orders of magnitude more energy efficient. With an abundance of highly nuanced carbon capture processes being developed these days, a pulp and paper mill reached out to Exergy to help verify that the novel process vendor they selected was the right fit for the facility and to lean on our expertise in the carbon capture due-diligence space to increase the facility’s probability of success.
The Exergy team first got up to speed on the unique attributes of the pulp and paper facility, its operating profile, availability of steam and electricity, and considerations from operating staff, to understand what would truly make any technology a good fit for the site. Equipped with this knowledge, the team engaged in a review of design documentation provided to date by the technology developer as well as their proposed de-risking plan. We led management interviews and conducted a site visit of the vendor’s test facility to determine a level of confidence in their competence and the technology readiness for commercialization.
After a deep dive, Exergy documented our perceived risks and proposed mitigations based on the team’s previous experience in both carbon capture and new technology deployment. The recommended path forward was well received and provided a justifiable basis for continued engagement with the vendor while also reducing risk for the pulp and paper facility.
Subsequently, Exergy has been tasked with continued support as external technical advisors to provide a critical eye as the partnership moves forward.
Thinking of deploying a novel technology at your site but want a second opinion to make sure nothing was overlooked? Reach out to learn more about how we can help you deploy new technologies cost-effectively and with reduced risk.