Safety-driven design of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) supply chains: A multi-objective optimization approach

Abstract

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage supply chains (CCUS) play a pivotal role in achieving sustainability targets but necessitate meticulous risk identification and mitigation measures. Traditional safety assessments often occur post-design, constraining proactive risk management efforts. Hence, there is a pressing need to optimize safety performance during the design stages. To address this challenge, a framework for evaluating and optimizing CCUS supply chain safety performance using inherent safety index system (ISI) is introduced. Recognizing the trade-offs between total cost, environmental impact reduction, and risk mitigation, our approach considers multi-objective optimization to concurrently address these sustainability objectives and generate a Pareto set of solutions. Utilizing the augmented $\epsilon$-constraint method, we applied this framework to optimize CCUS networks and develop sustainable designs across three key objectives. The method was applied to a CCUS system that includes various CO₂ utilization pathways to minimize the total annual cost, CO₂ emissions, and safety risks. The resulting Pareto surface illustrates unique network configurations, each representing a distinct trade-off scenario. Through a case study, we optimized a CCUS network to achieve economic, environmental, and safety objectives. The most economically viable design, with a total annual cost of $97 million and a 40 % net carbon reduction, prioritizes CO₂ utilization for value-added products, while limiting CO₂ sequestration. Conversely, safety-focused designs shift utilization towards safer routes, including CO₂ sequestration and algae production. The proposed framework offers a systematic approach to developing sustainable CCUS supply chain designs, balancing economic viability, environmental sustainability, and safety.