Thermo Fisher on Carbon Storage and Carbon Capture

From cement plants to waste incinerators, companies are looking for ways to capture and utilize their carbon. That trend is growing in recent years as countries around the world regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

In this Waste360 Q&A, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Samuel Evans, senior development manager, discusses emerging technologies; tax credits and other incentives for adopting carbon capture and storage technologies; and the market outlook within this emerging space.

Thermo Fisher is a scientific research and technology company specializing in solutions for pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and diagnostics, among industries.  The company has established itself as an expert in carbon capture and carbon conversion through its work in environmental monitoring and analysis, leveraging advanced technologies and a multidisciplinary approach to support the carbon capture industry.

Waste360: Can you provide us with a quick “carbon capture/conversion 101” lesson?

Evans: Since the industrial revolution, many industries have both relied on carbon dioxide (CO₂) and created CO₂ as a byproduct of production. High levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere can increase the greenhouse effect and the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat, which is leading to the Earth’s surface temperature rising. From cement plants to waste incineration, companies across industries are looking for ways to capture CO₂ either for utilization or storage to prevent the release of additional CO₂ into the atmosphere.

Carbon capture takes CO₂ from the atmosphere or from the emissions of industrial processes so it can either be utilized immediately or transported to storage. Once captured, impurities can be removed, and the CO₂ can be converted into a liquid phase for transportation to utilization or storage. This clean CO₂ can be used for many applications – from making carbonated drinks to sustainable aviation fuels.

Waste360: What’s the payoff to companies who invest in carbon capture or carbon conversion? And what impact can they have?

Evans: There are monetary and environmental benefits. Governments frequently offer incentives like subsidies, tax credits, or grants to encourage companies to adopt carbon capture technologies as part of their efforts to combat climate change. Thus, companies should consider how carbon capture can help contribute to the development of a circular economy, where CO₂ is treated as a valuable resource rather than a waste product.

Waste360: Which industries are among the highest carbon emitters?

Evans: There are a variety of industries that have higher CO₂ emissions. These include cement manufacturing facilities, waste facilities, power plants, chemical refineries, iron and steel processing plants, and oil and gas. In these hard-to-abate sectors, we see carbon capture being implemented at the emissions source of the industrial process.

Waste360: How does carbon storage work?

Evans: Carbon storage is the process of extracting CO₂ from the exhaust of an industrial process and compressing it into a format that can be stored. Methods of extraction include direct air capture and pre-combustion, among others.

For permanent storage, the storage sites are porous geological formations deep underground that allow CO₂ to fill the gaps in the structure. Sites may be empty oil and gas fields or saline formations either on land or under the sea.

Globally, there is a large amount of capacity for storage, which is a key factor in determining the success of future carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). As more companies look to capture carbon, there is a trend toward using advanced analytical technologies that can ensure the purity of CO₂ to preserve the infrastructure of pipelines for safe transfer to storage.

Waste360: What does the market look like for carbon capture? What does the market look like for carbon conversion?

Evans: CCUS is a promising solution with the potential to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, which makes it a rapidly growing market. While we are seeing steady growth in the immediate future, we are seeing indications of very large growth toward the end of the decade and into the 2030s.

Today, industries that produce CO₂ as a byproduct in their processes – such as iron, steel and cement manufacturing – are investing heavily in technologies for CO₂ abatement and analytical tools that can help them continuously monitor gas emissions.

Waste360: What policies are evolving around carbon emissions?

Evans: In recent years, we’ve seen countries around the world regulate carbon emissions, which is the primary driver in adopting technologies for CCUS. For example, the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is a critical component of the EU’s policy to combat climate change as a “cap and trade” system to reduce emissions via a carbon market. Other countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and Germany have also brought in regulations around CO₂ emissions that are pushing companies and industries toward CCUS.

Waste360: What are some promising technologies that are evolving in the carbon capture space?

Evans: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technology can be used to analyze complex gaseous mixtures down to very low levels. FTIR technology can monitor and prevent the accumulation of harmful impurities in CO₂, which could otherwise combine and precipitate as acids during its transport to and from geological storage. This safeguards the integrity of vital CO₂ pipeline infrastructure.

There are several benefits of FTIR technology for carbon capture, including the ability to continuously measure and produce real-time data, extremely low-detection capabilities, ease of use with low maintenance, and automated sample analysis.

The same FTIR technology can also be used to simultaneously monitor the absolute purity of CO₂. This is important because it allows the user to calculate the total mass of CO₂ sequestered and receive government- sponsored tax credits.

FTIR-based technologies are innovative on-line CO₂ monitoring systems that provide fast, accurate measurements of harmful impurities in CO₂. These technologies can be incorporated into existing plant designs and allow users to quickly detect, speciate, and quantify any impurities observed in the gas stream –referring to CO₂ used in the production of carbonated beverages. It's crucial to monitor its purity using FTIR to ensure the quality and taste of the final product.

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s FTIR-based solution for carbon capture stands out in the industry. While other scientists leverage FTIR for carbon capture, Thermo Fisher's unique version is designed for standalone operation, eliminating the need for experienced operators to acquire data. This ensures efficient and accessible monitoring of carbon dioxide levels in various applications. It can be left to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week without the need for calibration. FTIR technologies can be easily implemented, and they offer immense value for users who need to continuously monitor emissions.

Waste360: What business types who are vested in carbon capture and/or conversion is Thermo Fisher working with?

Evans: Because carbon capture is a relatively new industry, many companies are working to determine emissions measurements, concentration thresholds, and the technologies available to meet the needs and specifications.  As a technology vendor, Thermo Fisher Scientific works with companies and labs around the world to help them choose the technology that’s right for their specific use case. We create tools that empower scientists to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.