Gasification for carbon neutrality: advances in pre-combustion CO₂ capture

The quest for cleaner and more sustainable energy sources has become imperative due to escalating carbon emissions and their impact on the environment. Coal-fired thermal power plants remain a dominant source of electricity worldwide but are also among the largest contributors to CO₂ emissions, underscoring the importance of developing effective mitigation strategies. With the critical need to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change, the study investigates the pre-combustion CO₂ capture processes as a promising strategy for reducing carbon emissions and fostering cleaner energy generation. The analysis focuses on conventional processes such as coal gasification, syngas cleaning, and chemical looping combustion, which enable CO₂ removal from high-pressure, CO₂-rich gas streams with reduced energy penalties compared to post-combustion capture. In addition, emerging process-intensification strategies, including plasma-assisted gasification and sorption-enhanced reforming, are examined for their potential to enhance hydrogen yields, improve CO₂ capture efficiency, and minimize operational costs. These technologies demonstrate significant promise when integrated with Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants offering opportunities to produce hydrogen-rich fuels while simultaneously capturing concentrated CO₂ streams suitable for storage or utilization. Findings highlight that pre-combustion CO₂ capture can achieve capture efficiencies above 90% with lower solvent or sorbent requirements, although challenges such as high capital costs, oxygen demand, sorbent regeneration, and scale-up limitations remain. Future development should focus on material innovation, pilot-to-demonstration deployment, and integration with renewable and circular energy systems. Overall, pre-combustion CO₂ capture represents a technically robust pathway to mitigate coal-based emissions and advance the transition toward sustainable, low-carbon energy futures.