Techno-economic assessment of low-cost adsorbents for CO₂ capture and mineralization in the UK aluminium industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70917/jcc-2026-014Keywords:
mineral carbonation, CO₂ capture, magnesium carbonate, serpentinite, techno-economic analysis, aluminium smelter, CCUSAbstract
Decarbonising heavy industry demands cost-effective, scalable carbon capture pathways that go beyond simple storage. This study investigates the technical and economic viability of capturing CO₂ emissions from an aluminium smelter and converting them into stable magnesium carbonate materials through ex-situ mineral carbonation. Two distinct process routes are compared: one based on serpentinite rock (ultramafic feedstock) from the Ballantrae region of Scotland, which co-produces magnesium carbonate, nesquehonite, and silica sand; and one based on seawater brine, which yields only nesquehonite. Following a systematic evaluation of adsorbent materials, the serpentinite route was selected as the primary case for full techno-economic modelling. Applied to the ALVANCE British Aluminium smelter at Lochaber—which emits approximately 187,200 tonnes of CO₂ per year—a bottom-up capital expenditure (CAPEX) estimate of £152 million was developed, with annual operating expenditures (OPEX) of approximately £62.4 million. Revenue projections incorporating UK Emissions Trading System (ETS) carbon credits at £75 per tonne, magnesium carbonate sales at £260 per tonne, and silica by-product revenue yield a simple payback period of approximately 11 years and an after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 16%. The seawater route does not achieve financial break-even within a 20-year project horizon under the same assumptions. The findings demonstrate that on-site mineral carbonation at industrial cluster facilities can offer commercially viable CO₂ abatement while simultaneously producing construction materials with a negative carbon footprint.
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