Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a set of technologies aimed at capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from point-source emitters to either store permanently or use as a feedstock to produce chemicals and fuels. In this paper, the potential benefits of CCUS integration into the energy supply sector are evaluated from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective by comparing two different routes for the CO₂ captured from a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC). Both the complete storage of the captured CO₂ and its partial utilization to produce dimethyl ether are investigated. Moreover, the assessment is performed considering the region-specific features of two of the largest CO₂ emitters in Europe, namely Italy and Poland. Results shows that the complete storage of the captured CO₂ reduces Global Warming Potential (GWP) by ~89% in Italy and ~97%, in Poland. On the other hand, the partial utilization of CO₂ to produce dimethyl ether leads to a decrease of ~58% in Italy and ~68% in Poland with respect to a comparable reference entailing conventional dimethyl ether production. A series of environmental trade-offs was determined, with all the investigated categories apart from GWP showing an increase, mainly connected with the higher energy requirements of CCUS processes. These outcomes highlight the need for a holistic-oriented approach in the design of novel implemented configurations to avoid burden shifts throughout the value chain.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) currently represent one of the main sources for microplastics (MPs) and other emerging contaminants entering the environment. Coagulation is a longstanding and cost‐effective process designed to enhance the removal of colloidal particles and proved to be efficient in the abatement of MPs. The present study investigates the feasibility of a progressive replacement of ferric chloride (FeCl ₃ ) with chitosan (CT) and sodium alginate (SA), starting from their use as coagulant aids. Coagulations tests were carried out to assess the performance of FeCl ₃ ‐CT and FeCl ₃ ‐SA systems in the removal of polystyrene (PS) microbeads, polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments with sizes lower than 500 μm. Results from experiments have shown that both CT and SA are useful to enhance the removal performance of conventional coagulation by improving the settling characteristics of flocs. The use of CT allows a reduction of coagulant dosage for removing PS and PE particles, while it turned out to be detrimental for the removal of PET fragments. Instead, SA at a concentration of 0.2 mg L ⁻¹ proved to be useful both to achieve higher removal rate at a medium dosage of coagulant and to improve the efficiency of the process at lower dosages.

Carbon capture could support deep decarbonisation only if the energy required for separation, regeneration, compression and refrigeration is supplied with low lifecycle emissions. This review approaches low-carbon and renewable energy integration into carbon-capture processes from the point of view of the technologies, integration problems and energy vectors encountered when entering the capture boundary: renewable heat (RH-CC), renewable electricity (RE-CC) and renewable or recovered cryogenic energy (CR-CC). For RH-CC, indirect solar heat (ISH) is the most retrofit-compatible route, whereas thermal or solvent storage improves flexibility, and direct solar solvent regeneration (DSSR) offers greater process intensification but remains largely model-based. For RE-CC, direct electric heating is the simplest option but retains the intrinsic regeneration duty. High-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) and mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) show the strongest near-term potential through heat recovery and upgrading, whereas electrochemically and mechanically assisted pathways must be scaled up and require complete energy balances. CR-CC can combine renewable-powered refrigeration, recovered cold energy and liquid–air energy storage (LAES) in high-efficiency multi-purpose solutions, although multi-product boundaries complicate comparison. Across all pathways, promising solutions of low-carbon energy penetration and high separation performance have been identified and classified; although full development depends on resource quality, temporal matching, host–process integration and electricity carbon intensity in site-specific solutions.

This study extends the application and validation of the Gibbs Free Energy Gradient Method (GMM) for modelling gasification processes, focusing on scaling up from pilot to commercial operations. The model simulates syngas production using poplar wood and olive pomace briquettes under various gasification conditions. Experimental data from a downdraft gasifier were employed to refine the model parameters, achieving accurate predictions of syngas composition with an average error below 8%. Sensitivity analyses highlight the impact of operating conditions, particularly temperature and air flow rates, on the syngas calorific value, hydrogen yield, and energy efficiency. These results emphasize the potential of biomass residues, such as olive pomace, for sustainable energy production in a circular economy context. The findings demonstrate the robustness of the GMM for predicting gasification performance and offer practical guidance for scaling up biomass-to-energy systems while optimizing efficiency and reducing waste.