Life Cycle Analysis for Direct Air Capture and Utilization
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF)
October 4, 2022
Greg Cooney
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)

Why do we need LCA when evaluating CDR?

Adapted from CDR Primer (2021)

fecm.energy.gov

2Why do we need LCA when evaluating CDR?
Materials
Chemicals
EnergyWater

Land
Adapted from CDR Primer (2021)

fecm.energy.gov

3Why do we need LCA when evaluating CDR?
Materials

Co-productChemicals

Transport

EnergyStorage

Water

Waste Mgmt

LandConversion
Adapted from CDR Primer (2021)

fecm.energy.gov

4Why do we need LCA when evaluating CDR?

Deutz and Bardow (2021)
NETL (2021)

fecm.energy.gov

5

LCA can help us make sense of GHG
mitigation approaches• LCA can be used as a frameworkto account for the net emissionsof proposed pathways• It can also be used to assess
potential tradeoffs in otherenvironmental impacts• A carbon utilization system islikely to require more energy to
produce something thanincumbent system• A lifecycle comparison of bothsystems is necessary to ensure
we’re not adding more carbon tothe atmosphere
Source: NETL (2022)

fecm.energy.gov

Application of LCA to CCUS Systems• CO2U systems are unique in thatthey combine two sectors (CO2source and CO2U product)• Variety of sources and uses
make assessment complex• Comparison of integrated system
to combination of systems thatyield the same function• Consistent LCA approaches arenecessary to ensurecomparability for robust
decision making
fecm.energy.gov

7While standards exist, there are key subjective
elements that require consideration when
applying LCA to DAC + Utilization• Clarity and consistency in functional unit
• System boundary definition• Negative emissions accounting• LCI data consistency/representativeness• Temporal dynamics for removal and emissions• Early TRL scaling uncertainty

fecm.energy.gov

DOE FECM Best Practice Document – Goals
1. Foster consistency of LCA of DACS systems
to enable more complete understanding ofpotential impacts of CDR
2. Assess sensitivity and uncertainty in results
to provide confidence in the study outcomesand potential risk envelopes for technology
performance
3. Understand potential tradeoffs and cobenefits of DACS systems
4. Leverage best practices from the LCA
research and practitioner community
https://www.energy.gov/fecm/best-practices-LCA-DACS
fecm.energy.gov

Specificity in function is essential to ensurecomparability and consistency
Potential Functional Units
Cradle-to-gate:

1. Mass of CO2 captured
2. Mass of CO2 captured from theatmosphere
Cradle-to-grave:
3. Mass of CO2 captured from theatmosphere and permanently
stored4. Mass of net CO2e captured
from the atmosphere andpermanently stored

fecm.energy.gov

Specificity in function is essential to ensurecomparability and consistency
Functional Unit

System Boundary

Calculation (kg CO2e/FU)

1

kg CO2 captured

Cradle-to-gate

c=1𝑎+𝑏 −𝑐
0.40+0.05 −1.00
kg CO2e = 𝑐+𝑑 == −0.37
1.00+0.50

2kg CO2 captured fromthe atmosphere

Cradle-to-gate

c=1𝑎+𝑏 −𝑐
0.40+0.05 −1.00
kg CO2e = 𝑐 == −0.55
1.00

3kg CO2 captured fromthe atmosphere andpermanently stored

Cradle-to-gravec=1𝑎+𝑏 −𝑐+𝑓
0.40+0.05 −1.00+0.01
kg CO2e === −0.54𝑐
1.00

4net kg CO2e captured
from the atmosphereand permanently storedCradle-to-grave

Scale up factor c’ = 𝐹𝑈 3 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡 = −0.54 = 1.85

−1−1𝑐 ′ 𝑎+𝑏 +𝑓 −𝑐 ′0.85 −1.85
kg CO2e === −111

fecm.energy.gov

Goal & Scope: System Boundary
CO2 Utilization
Raw Materials
CO2Transportation

Direct Air Capture
Process

EnergyCO2
Sub-surface
StorageCo-product(s)fecm.energy.gov

12CO2UProduct(s)System Boundary: Gate-to-gate
CO2 Utilization
Raw Materials
CO2Transportation

Direct Air Capture
Process

EnergyCO2
Sub-surface
StorageCo-product(s)fecm.energy.gov

13CO2UProduct(s)System Boundary: Cradle-to-gateCO2 Utilization
Raw Materials
CO2Transportation

Direct Air Capture
Process

EnergyCO2Sub-surface
StorageCo-product(s)fecm.energy.gov

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CO2UProduct(s)System Boundary: Cradle-to-grave
CO2 Utilization
Raw Materials
CO2Transportation

Direct Air Capture
Process

EnergyCO2
Sub-surface
StorageCo-product(s)fecm.energy.gov

15

CO2U
Product(s)System Boundary: Comparison
CO2 Utilization
Raw Materials
CO2Transportation

Direct Air Capture
Process

EnergyCO2
Sub-surface
StorageCo-product(s)fecm.energy.gov

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CO2U
Product(s)Functional Unit and System Boundary
DOE FECM Best Practices
Analyze DACS using this functional unit: Mass of CO2 captured from the atmosphereand permanently stored
Evaluate DACS with a cradle-to-grave boundary to fully account for the function of thesystem
For all dispositions of the captured CO2, which include utilization/conversion or EOR, thesystem boundary should encompass the downstream fate of the captured CO2 as wellas any associated activities
Depict the system boundary graphically using a process flow diagram to depict processes
included within the analysis scopefecm.energy.gov

Correctly interpreting negative emissions
In LCA, negative emissions can arisefrom one of two situations:

1. Removal of the emission
species from an environmental
compartment
2. Avoided emissions associatedwith the production of a productby another means
Source: NETL (2022)

fecm.energy.gov

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Interpretation: Negative emissionsb

Flow DescriptioncacConsumables
and NonConsumables

Direct Air Capture
Processfe

CO2 Transportand Subsurface
StoragedCo-product(s)Process FlowEmissions Flow

Co-product(s)Conventional
Productiongfecm.energy.govaSupply chainb

Uncaptured on-site fossilcCaptured atmospheric (net)*dCaptured on-site fossileTotal captured (atmospheric+ fossil)

fDownstream supply chain +operations + leakage

gCo-product cradle-to-gate*Net = Mass of Atmospheric CO2 In – Mass of Atmospheric CO2 Out19

Interpretation: Negative emissions
Scenario

Functional Unit

Calculation (kg CO2e/FU)

1No Co-Productskg atmospheric CO2
captured and storedc = 1; g = 0𝑎+𝑏 −𝑐+𝑓0.40+0.05 −1.00+0.01
kg CO2e === −0.54
𝑐1.00

2Co-Product Accounting:
Combined avoided andatmospheric removals

kg atmospheric CO2
captured and storedc = 1; g = 0.20
𝑎+𝑏 −𝑐+𝑓−𝑔0.40+0.05 −1.00+0.01−0.20
kg CO2e === −0.74
𝑐1.00

3Co-Product Accounting:Separate avoided andatmospheric removals

kg atmospheric CO2
captured and storedc = 1; g = 0.20
𝑎+𝑏 −𝑐+𝑓= −0.54𝑐−𝑔
avoided kg CO2e = 𝑐 = −0.20

removed kg CO2e =fecm.energy.gov

20Interpretation: Negative emissions
DOE FECM Best Practices
For systems with co-products, when system expansion is used to manage multiple outputs,
report avoided emissions and atmospheric removals separately in the results
When a DAC facility includes capture of CO2 from on-site fossil fuel combustion or othernon-atmospheric CO2, separately report that amount from the atmospheric CO2 captured

fecm.energy.gov

DOE/NETL CO2U LCA Guidance Toolkit• CO2 utilization LCA guidance andtool package for Carbon Utilization
Program primary research projects• Improving clarity and specificity
of existing ISO guidance.
• Ensuring accuracy of LCAs
developed by technical personnel
who are new to the framework.
• Minimizing effort needed tocomplete LCAs.
• Participation in global
harmonization community.
Toolkit available at netl.doe.gov/LCA/CO2U
fecm.energy.gov

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Contributions to Global Discussion• The FECM/NETL LCA Team has been participating innumerous global workgroups to ensure CO2U LCA isconsistent:

International CCU Assessment Harmonization Group Participants• International CCU Assessment Harmonization Group• American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) andSociety of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
LCA of Emerging Technologies Workgroup• The collaboration with the International CCU
Assessment Harmonization Group has resulted inseveral peer-reviewed articles in Frontiers in Climate:• Life-Cycle and Techno-Economic Assessment of Early-Stage
Carbon Capture and Utilization Technologies – A Discussion ofCurrent Challenges and Best Practices• Adapting Technology Learning Curves for Prospective TechnoEconomic and Life Cycle Assessment of Emerging Carbon
Capture and Utilization Pathways• Why Terminology Matters for Successful Rollout of Carbon
Dioxide Utilization Technologies

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Attributional and consequential LCA

Source: Ekvall (2019), Weidema (2012)
fecm.energy.gov

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Thank You
gregory.cooney@hq.doe.gov
Questions?
DACS LCA Best Practices:www.energy.gov/fecm/best-practicesLCA-DACS

DOE/NETL CO2U LCA Toolkit
www.netl.doe.gov/lca/co2u