Advances and future perspectives in post-combustion carbon capture technology using chemical absorption process: A review

Population growth and economic development are increasing greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating the implementation of sustainable practices. Post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) is an effective technology for reducing emissions. This review discusses chemical absorption being the most advanced method in PCC. It presents challenges and improvements in energy, cost, and environmental impacts of absorption processes. New solvents, renewable integration, innovative and hybrid configurations are reducing costs, with regeneration energy as low as 2 GJ/t CO₂ in recent pilot-scale tests. Novel machine learning algorithms show high accuracy in predicting outcomes for solvent screening, process modelling, and optimization. They significantly reduce processing and data acquisition time by 47 %. We present technological improvements, policy incentives, and emerging business models in carbon capture and storage (CCS) for a thorough review. Several countries are yet to establish robust regulations for CCS development. We identify the impacts of part-load operation of power plants due to renewable energy sources in the grid. This study combines technical insights, business considerations, and regulatory developments to benefit a broad audience, including policymakers, industries, and academia. Our findings underscore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, policy incentives, and investment driven by evolving business models in upscaling PCC technology. Finally, we present recommendations and research priorities for the successful implementation of chemical absorption-based PCC.