Region prioritization for the development of carbon capture and utilization technologies

In recent years several strategies have been developed and adopted to reduce the levels of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions released to the atmosphere. The adoption of Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies may contribute towards carbon sequestration as well as to the creation of high value products. This study presents a methodology to assess the potential of CO2 utilization across Europe, and to identify the European regions with the greater potential to deploy nine selected carbon dioxide utilization technologies. The results show that Germany, UK and France at the first level followed by Spain, Italy and Poland are the countries where the larger quantities of available CO2 could be found but also where the majority of the potential receiving processes are located, and therefore with the greatest potential for CO2 utilization. The study has also revealed several specific regions where reuse schemes based on CO2 could be developed both in Central Europe (Dusseldorf and Cologne - Germany, Antwerp Province and East Flanders - Belgium and Slaskie - Poland) and in Scandinavia (Etela-Suomi and Helsinki-Uusimaa - Finland). Finally, among all the selected technologies, concrete curing and horticulture production are the technologies with the higher potential for CO2 utilization in Europe. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.