Project Duration: 2023
Other Partners
Project Description
This thesis aimed to conduct a prospective environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of our innovative CO₂ separation process, AirPure, based on the continuous formation of CO₂ hydrates. The process is designed to purify CO₂-rich biogas streams originating from wastewater treatment plants. The captured CO₂ is subsequently converted into synthetic natural gas via a methanation reaction with hydrogen. The project focused on answering two central questions: what would be the environmental impact of applying our technology to biogas purification, and how would it compare to conventional biogas upgrading technologies. Additionally, the project assessed the potential national production of synthetic natural gas and its associated environmental impacts if all biogas in Portugal were processed using this technology.
Main Outcomes
•Life Cycle Assessment Model of the AirPure Technology: Development of a detailed LCA model to quantify the environmental performance of the AirPure CO₂ separation process throughout its life cycle.
•Comparison with Conventional Biogas Purification Technologies: Benchmarking of AirPure against established technologies (e.g., water scrubbing, PSA, amine absorption), evaluating relative advantages and trade-offs.
