Performance prediction and evaluation of CO2 utilization with conjoined electrolysis and carbonation using desalinated rejected seawater brine

The study of the simultaneous oceanic and atmospheric pollutant treatment process is proposed and evaluated based on the simulation performance. High contents of metal ions and low costs are some of the advantages in using desalinated rejected brine, which allows to have a stable feedstock source and to take some steps toward a sustainable electrolysis environment. By using metal cations present in desalinated wastewater, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology can overcome the limitations in present technologies. Mineral carbonation at ambient temperature using electrolysis has been designed. To evaluate the proposed process, a simulation compromising both electrolysis of brine and carbonation process is applied to estimate the energy consumption. As a result, about 91.3% of CO2 is captured from flue gas, and CaCO3 and MgCO3 are produced as final products. The simulation results reveal that operational cost is highly dependent on the electricity price, so different scenarios were consulted to assess the economic feasibility of the process. The proposed design was compared with alternative CCUS technology to comment on their limitations and viability of its application. [Display omitted] •Evaluation of the production of metal carbonates using desalinated wastewater•Reduction of CO2 and desalinated wastewater treatment can be achieved simultaneously.•Metal ion sources are recovered through electrolysis of desalinated rejected brine.•Precipitation of metal hydroxides was suggested for purification of the final product.•Economic feasibility of the designed system is analyzed with a simulation tool.