On the development of minimum marginal abatement cost curves for the synthesis of integrated CO2 emissions reduction strategies

Due to the high cost of climate action, planners and policy makers require consistent guidance on possible strategies that enable the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions at low costs. The development of such strategies needs to consider the many possible choices that exist across energy as well as CO2 capture, utilization and storage systems for a given location. In addition, the integrated systems analysis required to determine cost optimal CO2 reduction pathways should ideally be communicated in simple graphical formats to benefit their understanding by planners and policy makers of diverse educational backgrounds. For the development of strategies with a focus on CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) systems, a method has recently been proposed method to perform high-level cost analysis of CO2 reduction pathways through developing integrated minimum marginal abatement cost curves (Mini-MACs). This work extends the approach to consider detailed energy systems options. The method involves the development of additional marginal abatement cost curves for integrated energy systems using energy systems models that can consider alternative technologies including solar, wind and fuel switching and the dynamics of renewable energy supply and energy demand, which affects the sizing and costs of such systems. The method further involves the incorporation of the energy systems information into combined minimum marginal abatement cost curves that capture information across energy and CCUS options for low cost CO2 emissions reduction. The resulting Mini-MAC curve summarizes the lowest cost solutions available across energy and CCUS options to achieve varying levels of CO2 reduction. The method is applied to a case study considering multiple CO2 emissions sources, utilization options, storage as well as renewable energy and fuel switching options to illustrate its use.