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Carbon Capture & Storage in the Cement Industry: A viable option for Sweden?

Millar, Timothy LU (2017) In IIIEE Masters Thesis IMEN41 20172
The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Abstract
The Swedish government has set the goal of achieving carbon-neutrality by 2045. The production of cement currently accounts for 8% of CO2 emissions worldwide, with a similar figure also true of Sweden. A clear government strategy is therefore needed to work with and provide support to the cement industry for decarbonisation. The most developed pathway for cement decarbonisation in the literature is through the application of CCS. However, the implementation of CCS has been problematic in projects globally. The largest barrier to CCS implementation is the cost. In Sweden, emitting carbon dioxide remains much cheaper under the EU ETS compared to the cost implementing carbon-abatement measures.
This thesis aims to explore the pertinent... (More)
The Swedish government has set the goal of achieving carbon-neutrality by 2045. The production of cement currently accounts for 8% of CO2 emissions worldwide, with a similar figure also true of Sweden. A clear government strategy is therefore needed to work with and provide support to the cement industry for decarbonisation. The most developed pathway for cement decarbonisation in the literature is through the application of CCS. However, the implementation of CCS has been problematic in projects globally. The largest barrier to CCS implementation is the cost. In Sweden, emitting carbon dioxide remains much cheaper under the EU ETS compared to the cost implementing carbon-abatement measures.
This thesis aims to explore the pertinent factors surrounding the political economy of CCS implementation, the economic feasibility of CCS implementation in the cement industry and discuss some of the important issues in the CCS debate that are relevant for Sweden. The political economy is valuable here because the interaction between the state and industry can help overcome the economic barriers to CCS implementation. This exploratory study serves as an important case study of the complexity of implementing CCS in an industrial context.
CCS, for most, is the only way to decarbonise the cement industry. Further research is needed into how best this transition could be catalysed through regulation and/or fiscal stimulus from the government. The cement value chain is unique in its structure and could lend itself to a lower cost of implementation for CCS than other sectors. Furthermore, when combined with bioenergy, CCS holds the potential for producing negative emissions. This is currently the only well-developed technology to achieve negative emissions. Further research is needed in order to establish the exact potential of CCS with bioenergy to harness negative emissions, a necessity in order to achieve complete carbon neutrality.
The government must capitalise on easy leverage points for CCS implementation, such as for the cement industry described in this research, as a first step to realising the potential of CCS. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Millar, Timothy LU
supervisor
organization
course
IMEN41 20172
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Carbon Capture & Storage, Cement, Political Economy, Decarbonisation.
publication/series
IIIEE Masters Thesis
report number
2017:23
ISSN
1401-9191
language
English
id
8927136
date added to LUP
2017-10-12 11:25:13
date last changed
2017-10-12 11:25:13
@misc{8927136,
  abstract     = {{The Swedish government has set the goal of achieving carbon-neutrality by 2045. The production of cement currently accounts for 8% of CO2 emissions worldwide, with a similar figure also true of Sweden. A clear government strategy is therefore needed to work with and provide support to the cement industry for decarbonisation. The most developed pathway for cement decarbonisation in the literature is through the application of CCS. However, the implementation of CCS has been problematic in projects globally. The largest barrier to CCS implementation is the cost. In Sweden, emitting carbon dioxide remains much cheaper under the EU ETS compared to the cost implementing carbon-abatement measures.
This thesis aims to explore the pertinent factors surrounding the political economy of CCS implementation, the economic feasibility of CCS implementation in the cement industry and discuss some of the important issues in the CCS debate that are relevant for Sweden. The political economy is valuable here because the interaction between the state and industry can help overcome the economic barriers to CCS implementation. This exploratory study serves as an important case study of the complexity of implementing CCS in an industrial context.
CCS, for most, is the only way to decarbonise the cement industry. Further research is needed into how best this transition could be catalysed through regulation and/or fiscal stimulus from the government. The cement value chain is unique in its structure and could lend itself to a lower cost of implementation for CCS than other sectors. Furthermore, when combined with bioenergy, CCS holds the potential for producing negative emissions. This is currently the only well-developed technology to achieve negative emissions. Further research is needed in order to establish the exact potential of CCS with bioenergy to harness negative emissions, a necessity in order to achieve complete carbon neutrality.
The government must capitalise on easy leverage points for CCS implementation, such as for the cement industry described in this research, as a first step to realising the potential of CCS.}},
  author       = {{Millar, Timothy}},
  issn         = {{1401-9191}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{IIIEE Masters Thesis}},
  title        = {{Carbon Capture & Storage in the Cement Industry: A viable option for Sweden?}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}