Evaluation of Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage Through Multi-criteria Decision Analysis : A Case Study of a Swedish Pharmaceutical Company

Abstract: The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the great threats of climate change. The chemical industry, including the pharmaceutical sector, is one of the significant contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), representing nearly 7% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. For this industry to reach net-zero emissions of CO2, measures beyond mitigation actions need to be taken. This thesis investigates the elimination of CO2 emissions in the Swedish pharmaceutical sector and evaluates the implementation of the rather new technology of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), using currently available amine-based post-combustion processes. This thesis presents a comprehensive assessment of different criteria based on the PESTLE (Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) framework and considers their relative importance from a company perspective. Two alternative scenarios based on the emissions goals set by the case company are developed and evaluated through this Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)-based PESTLE framework. BECCS deployment targeting net negative emissions would be preferable for the case company since it offers benefits in environmental, social and long-term economical aspects. From the economic aspect, the specific cost for capturing CO2 could be around 1281 SEK per tonne, higher than the present European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) price and typical investment cost for afforestation projects. Most opportunities are identified within the environmental and social aspects, but some economic, technological and regulatory challenges should be addressed to realise the BECCS implementation in the Swedish Pharmaceutical Industry.