An integrated bottom-up optimization to investigate the role of BECCS in transitioning towards a net-zero energy system: A case study from Gujarat, India

Bringing down energy system emissions to zero is a key step to restrict the global temperature rise to "well below 2 degrees C". Recent studies have extensively discussed the integration of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in existing energy systems to achieve net-zero emissions. India recently initiated a carbon dioxide-based enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) project in the matured oil wells of western India. Using this project, we propose a bioenergy-CO2-EOR system to study the techno-economic feasibility and potential of BECCS towards net-zero emissions from energy systems. We use mixed integer linear programming for bioenergy and CO2 source-sink matching. The proposed system breaks even, without any carbon price, at an oil price of around 56 USD per barrel (USD/bbl) if using CO2 from bioethanol fermentation and at around 90 USD/bbl for bioelectricity plants. A carbon price between USD 20 to 40 per tonne of CO2 makes the system feasible even below the oil price of 45 USD/bbl for the ethanol route. The system has net negative CO2 emissions after accounting for the lifecycle emissions of produced oil, assuming a sequestration rate of 0.5 tonne of CO2 per barrel of recovered oil. Further, the bioenergy-CO2-EOR system reduces crude oil imports, supports ethanol blending, provides additional income opportunities at local level, and reduces air pollution from crop residue burning in the fields. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.