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The hydration of CO2 suffers from kinetic inefficiencies that make its natural trapping impractically sluggish. However, CO2-fixing carbonic anhydrases (CAs) remarkably accelerate its equilibration by 6 orders of magnitude and are, therefore, "ideal" catalysts. Notably, CA has been detected in ureolytic bacteria, suggesting its potential involvement in microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), yet the dynamics of the urease (Ur) and CA genes remain poorly understood. Here, through the use of the ureolytic bacteriumSporosarcina pasteurii, we investigate the differing role of Ur and CA in ureolysis, CO2 hydration, and CaCO3 precipitation with increasing CO2(g) concentrations. We show that Ur gene up-regulation coincides with an increase in [HCO3-] following the hydration of CO2 to HCO3- by CA. Hence, CA physiologically promotes buffering, which enhances solubility trapping and affects the phase of the CaCO3 mineral formed. Understanding the role of CO2 hydration on the performance of ureolysis and CaCO3 precipitation provides essential new insights, required for the development of next-generation biocatalyzed CO2 trapping technologies.

This research provides new techno-economic insights into integrating flexible combined-cycle gas turbines with post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCGT-CCS) for low-carbon power systems. This study developed a versatile unit-commitment optimisation model of CCGT-CCS. This research highlights the model’s adaptability, accommodating diverse techno-economic configurations, feed gases (e.g., biomethane or fossil natural gas), carbon capture rates, and policy instruments. This generalisation empowers seamless application in various policy and market contexts, making the model a potent tool for researchers and policymakers. While the case study focuses on the UK, the findings are relevant for most low-carbon power systems with variable renewable supplies. Analysing the UK’s net-zero scenarios from 2030 to 2050, the economic viability of flexible CCGT-CCS was highlighted. Intertemporal flexibility proves highly valuable with greater electricity price volatility, with a total ROI range of 81–246 %, surpassing the CCGT-CCS plant’s ROI (7–64 %). A flexible solvent storage solution should be seen in the context of the overall system ‘flexibility’ requirements of a low-carbon power system. On a cost basis, solvent storage represents just a fraction of the capital costs of more “mainstream” energy storage technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries or hydro-pumped storage, while CCGT-CCS offers firm power. Overall, while seen as a rather technical solution, if abated fossil fuel generation is to be part of a future low-carbon power system, having this flexibility adds economic benefits not just to operators but also improves overall system security and complements high shares of variable renewables on the grid.