Low-carbon and green refining: Integrating CO₂ capture and process simulation for net-zero fuel production

The transition to low-carbon and green refining has emerged as a cornerstone of global decarbonization strategies, particularly for sectors where direct electrification remains technically or economically challenging, such as aviation, shipping, and heavy-duty transport. Advances in both direct air capture (DAC) and point-source CO₂ capture technologies present new opportunities to decarbonize fuel manufacturing by coupling carbon removal with refining operations. Despite these advances, substantial uncertainty remains around which pathways can credibly achieve net-zero or net-negative emissions at scale. Current efforts have shown promise in combining process simulation, techno-economic assessment (TEA), and life cycle analysis (LCA), yet gaps persist in integrating real-world engineering data, scaling novel processes, and ensuring robust, transparent carbon accounting. As the industry seeks credible and verifiable solutions, harmonized methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential to translate research progress into deployable, climate-effective systems.This Research Topic aims to consolidate evidence and engineering methodologies that enable the integration of CO₂ capture and removal within refining and fuel synthesis operations to achieve verifiable net-zero or net-negative fuels. The goal is to identify robust design strategies, process configurations, and optimization methods that bridge laboratory concepts with industrial-scale implementation. Key questions include: how can DAC and point-source CO₂ be effectively integrated into refining systems? What process designs maximize energy efficiency, minimize cost, and reduce emissions? How can harmonized carbon accounting frameworks improve the credibility of sustainability claims? By aligning experimental results, field data, and simulation-based insights, this Research Topic seeks to advance both scientific understanding and real-world applicability of low-carbon refining.To gather further insights into the integration of CO₂ capture with refining and fuel production systems, we welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Integration of CO₂ capture (DAC and point-source) with refining, upgrading, and fuel synthesis, including heat/utilities integration and CO₂ conditioning, compression, and transport- Development and assessment of net-zero and net-negative fuel concepts, including biofuels, e-fuels, and hybrid routesProcess simulation, flowsheeting, and digital-twin approaches for design, debottlenecking, and optimization- Scale-up, operability, and dynamic process management under variable power supply and feedstocks- System-level optimization of energy consumption, emissions performance, and production cost- Transparent, harmonized carbon accounting (LCA/TEA boundaries, allocation, grid effects, uncertainty)- Methods improving reproducibility, standardization, and reporting practices for carbon-integrated refiningArticle types: We invite original research articles, reviews, perspectives, methods papers, case studies, and policy-oriented manuscripts. Contributions from researchers, engineers, industrial practitioners, and policymakers are strongly encouraged to support cross-sector collaboration and real-world impact. Topic editors: Luis Raúl Tovar Gálvez, Rogelio Sotelo-Boyás, Carolina Leyva Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82726/low-carbon-and-green-refining-integrating-co-capture-and-process-simulation-for-net-zero-fuel-production