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Whilst CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) technology is widely regarded as being an important tool in mitigating anthropogenic climate change, care must be taken that its extensive deployment does not substantially increase the water requirements of electricity generation. In this work, we present an evaluation of the cooling demand of an amine-based post-combustion CO 2 capture process integrated with a coal-fired power plant. It is found that the addition of a capture unit translates into an increase in the total cooling duty of ≈47% (subcritical), ≈33% (supercritical) and ≈31% (ultra-supercritical) compared to a power plant without capture. However, as the temperature at which this cooling is required varies appreciably throughout the integrated power capture process, it is found that his increase in cooling duty (MW) does not necessarily lead to an increase in cooling water usage (kg H 2 O /MW). Via a heat integration approach, we demonstrate how astute cascading of cooling water can enable a reduction of cooling water requirements of a decarbonised power plant relative to an unmitigated facility. This is in contrast to previous suggestions that the addition of CCS would double the water footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detailed sustainability assessment of carbon utilisation processes is crucial. • Potential use of wind energy in transport and power sectors was analysed. • Six countries that vary in grid mixes and gasoline consumption were assessed. • At present, direct use of wind energy to decarbonise the power sector is advisable. Methanol from captured CO 2 provides a more sustainable alternative to gasoline due to its low carbon footprint, yet it requires a large amount of renewable energy that could be used instead to decarbonise the electricity mix. A techno-economic and environmental analysis of methanol produced from captured CO 2 and renewable energy is conducted to shed light on the transportation-power nexus. The investigated scenarios differ in how the carbon-free energy source – electricity from wind – is used to either decarbonise the electricity mix or produce green methanol to displace conventional fossil fuels. The assessment is carried out for six countries that differ in the composition of their electricity mix and gasoline consumption. The results of this holistic assessment show that, at present, decarbonising the electricity grid using renewable energy sources and carbon capture and storage would offer greater environmental benefits, without incurring large changes in direct economic costs, compared to producing methanol from the hydrogenation of captured CO 2. Though this insight might change in the future if the carbon intensity of the mix is reduced and green methanol becomes cheaper, it highlights the need to consider the transportation-power nexus in assessing alternative fuels and thereby prevent shifting of emissions from one sector to another over their life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]