Energy-Efficient Carbon Fiber Production with Concentrated Solar Power: Process Design and Techno-economic Analysis

Carbon fibers, if generated from anthropogenic CO2 via algae-based carbon fixation and subsequent energy and cost-efficient carbonization, would be a sustainable CO2 sink. They could replace materials that currently are major greenhouse gas (GHG) sources, hence contributing significantly to accomplishing targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement. For the first time, our study presents an integration of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology into a carbonization reactor (CR) for carbon fiber production combined with extensive energy recovery. Based on a mass and energy flow model of the corresponding CSP-CR concept, techno-economic analysis (TEA) was carried out, first with static base case values for broad variation analysis, and in a second step with a dynamic economic model, embedded in a Monte Carlo simulation, to quantify risks from market and modeling uncertainties. First results indicate significant reduction potential of energy consumption and cost. Economic viability perspectives are promising and justify extended research and developments.