Co2 transaction system, co2 transaction method, and co2 transaction program

Abstract

This CO2 transaction system (1) comprises: a purchaser data acquisition unit (42) that acquires purchaser data including a CO2 purchase amount based on a usage amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 that has been used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition unit (43) that acquires seller data including a sales amount of green CO2; a matching unit (44) that performs matching between the purchaser and the seller on the basis of the purchaser data and the seller data; and a transaction management unit (45) that establishes a swap for virtually exchanging the fossil fuel-derived CO2 used by the purchaser and the green CO2 that has been emitted by the seller on the basis of the result of the matching, and registers the result of the swap in the purchaser data and the seller data.

Description

CO₂ Trading System, CO₂ Trading Method, and CO₂ Trading Program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a CO₂ trading system, a CO₂ trading method, and a CO₂ trading program.

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for producing fuels with low carbon intensity in order to achieve a carbon-neutral society. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fuel production system that recovers CO₂ (carbon dioxide) emitted during power generation in a biomass power generation facility and uses the recovered CO₂ to produce SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-119541

[0004] Among plants that produce synthetic fuels using CO₂ as a raw material, such as the above-mentioned SAF, there is also a method of producing synthetic fuels using not only green CO₂ derived from biomass but also CO₂ derived from fossil fuels (such as gray CO₂). When producing synthetic fuels using such CO₂ derived from fossil fuels, in order to reduce the carbon intensity of the synthetic fuel product, it is necessary to immobilize CO₂ (such as CCS (Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage)) equal to or more than the CO₂ emitted when using the fuel. For this reason, there has been a problem that the equipment cost for CO₂ immobilization increases.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and aims to reduce the equipment cost for reducing the carbon intensity of synthetic fuels, and to provide a CO₂ trading system, a CO₂ trading method, and a CO₂ trading program that can add value to green CO₂ that is emitted without being utilized.

[0006] A CO2 trading system according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises: a buyer data acquisition unit that acquires buyer data including the amount of CO2 purchased based on the amount of CO2 used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition unit that acquires seller data including the amount of green CO2 sold; a matching unit that matches buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and the seller data; and a trading management unit that, based on the matching results, establishes a swap in which the CO2 used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged, and registers the swap results in the buyer data and the seller data.

[0007] A CO2 trading method according to one aspect of this disclosure is performed by a computer, comprising: a buyer data acquisition step of acquiring buyer data including the amount of CO2 purchased based on the amount of CO2 used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition step of acquiring seller data including the amount of green CO2 sold; a matching step of matching buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and seller data; and a transaction management step of establishing a swap in which the CO2 used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged based on the matching result, and the results of the swap are registered in the buyer data and seller data.

[0008] A CO2 trading program according to one aspect of this disclosure causes a computer to function as the CO2 trading system described above.

[0009] This approach reduces equipment costs associated with lowering the carbon intensity of synthetic fuels, while also adding value to green CO2 that would otherwise be emitted without being utilized.

[0010] This figure shows the network configuration of a CO2 trading system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of CO2 trading performed by the CO2 trading system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the CO2 trading system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functions provided by the CO2 trading system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This figure shows an example of buyer data according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This figure shows an example of seller data according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the CO2 trading method according to one embodiment of this disclosure. This figure shows an example of information obtained from the seller terminal according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0011] Below, a CO2 trading system 1, a CO2 trading method, and a CO2 trading program according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The CO2 trading system 1 according to this embodiment (see Figure 1) is a system that facilitates a virtual exchange of CO2 between, for example, a business operator (purchaser) that manufactures synthetic fuels using CO2 derived from fossil fuels (gray CO2) and a business operator (seller) that emits CO2 derived from biomass (green CO2).

[0012] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the concept of CO2 trading conducted by the CO2 trading system 1. In Figure 2, the seller is shown as a business operator that runs a biomass thermal power plant 11, which generates electricity using non-fossil fuel raw materials such as biomass. Green CO2 is emitted as exhaust gas from the biomass thermal power plant 11.

[0013] In Figure 2, the purchaser is shown as the operator of the fuel production plant 20. The fuel production plant 20 includes, for example, a thermal power generation facility 21 equipped with a coal-fired boiler, a CO2 recovery device 22, a water electrolysis device 23, and an FT synthesis device 24.

[0014] The thermal power generation facility 21 generates electricity using fossil fuels as raw materials. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from the thermal power generation facility 21 is recovered by the CO2 recovery device 22 and sent to the FT synthesis facility 24. The water electrolysis facility 23 uses electricity from the thermal power generation facility 21 and / or externally supplied electricity to electrolyze water and steam to produce hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). The FT synthesis facility 24 synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons using the FT method (Fischer-Tropsch method). The FT method is a series of processes that synthesize liquefied hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen using a catalytic reaction, and iron and cobalt compounds are commonly used as catalysts. The FT method aims to produce synthetic oils and synthetic fuels that can be used as substitutes for petroleum. The FT synthesis facility 24 synthesizes liquefied hydrocarbons (CnH2n+2) from CO2 from the CO2 recovery device 22 and H2 from the water electrolysis facility 23. The FT synthesis apparatus 24 in this embodiment includes, for example, a reverse shift reaction catalyst, in which carbon monoxide and water are produced from CO2 and H2 in the reverse shift reaction.

[0015] In the fuel manufacturing plant 20, if the exhaust gas emitted from the thermal power generation equipment 21 were biomass-derived green CO2, the liquefied hydrocarbons synthesized in the FT synthesis equipment 24 would be certified as a carbon-neutral fuel (low-carbon intensity fuel), for example, as SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). Therefore, if it were possible to virtually exchange (swap) the fossil fuel-derived CO2 emitted from the fuel manufacturing plant 20 with the green CO2 emitted from the biomass thermal power generation plant 11, it would be possible to reduce the carbon intensity of the synthetic fuel produced in the fuel manufacturing plant 20.

[0016] Thus, the CO2 trading system 1 is a system for facilitating a swap between green CO2 emitted by the seller and fossil fuel-derived CO2 emitted by the buyer.

[0017] Figure 1 shows the network configuration of the CO2 trading system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the CO2 trading system 1 is connected to buyer terminals 70 (70a to 70c) and seller terminals 80 (80a to 80c) via network 3, and is configured to send and receive information to each other.

[0018] Figure 1 illustrates three buyer terminals 70 and three seller terminals 80, but the number of these connected to the CO2 trading system 1 is not limited to this example. In the following, when it is necessary to distinguish between buyer terminals 70a, 70b, etc., they will be referred to as buyer terminals 70a and 70b, respectively, and when it is not necessary to distinguish between them, they will simply be referred to as buyer terminals 70. The same applies to seller terminals 80 (80a to 80c).

[0019] As described above, the purchaser terminal 70 is an information processing device used by a business operator (purchaser) that operates a fuel manufacturing plant 20 that produces fuel (synthetic fuel) using CO2 derived from fossil fuels as a raw material. The purchaser terminal 70 may also be a terminal that manages various control data of the fuel manufacturing plant 20. The configuration of the fuel manufacturing plant 20 shown in Figure 2 is an example and is not limited thereto. In other words, any business operator that operates a plant that produces fuel using fossil fuels as part of the raw materials can be a purchaser. For example, the plant operated by the purchaser may be a plant that produces synthetic fuel using biomass fuel and fossil fuels. The plant operated by the purchaser may be a power plant that generates electricity using biomass fuel and fossil fuels. Purchaser terminal 70a is a terminal used by purchaser A, purchaser terminal 70b is a terminal used by purchaser B, and purchaser terminal 70c is a terminal used by purchaser C.

[0020] As described above, the seller terminal 80 is an information processing device used by the operator (seller) of the power plant 11, which generates electricity using raw materials that do not contain fossil fuels and emits green CO2. The seller terminal 80 may also be a terminal that manages various control data of the power plant 11. The biomass thermal power plant 11 shown in Figure 2 is just one example and is not limited to it. In other words, any operator that operates a plant that emits CO2 using raw materials that do not contain fossil fuels can be a seller. Seller terminal 80a is a terminal used by seller A, seller terminal 80b is a terminal used by seller B, and seller terminal 80c is a terminal used by seller C.

[0021] Each buyer A to C and each seller A to C is provided with an account and password, and these login details allow each buyer terminal 70 and each seller terminal 80 to access the CO2 trading system 1.

[0022] The CO2 trading system 1 may be connected to an administrator terminal (not shown), and may be configured to allow data input and management from the administrator terminal. The administrator terminal is, for example, an information processing device used by the operating company of the CO2 trading system 1. The system operating company may have an administrator account and password, and may be able to access the CO2 trading system 1 from the administrator terminal using this login information.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the CO2 trading system 1. The CO2 trading system 1 is a so-called server (computer), and as shown in Figure 3 as an example, its main components include a CPU (processor) 31, an auxiliary storage device 32 for storing programs executed by the CPU 31 (for example, a CO2 trading program), a main memory 33 that functions as a work area when each program is executed, and a communication device 34 for connecting to a network. These components are connected via a bus 38. The CO2 trading system 1 may further include an input unit 35 such as a keyboard and a display unit 36. The auxiliary storage device 32 stores, for example, an OS for controlling the entire CO2 trading system 1, various drivers for hardware operation of peripheral devices, applications for realizing the CO2 trading system 1, and various data and files. Examples of the auxiliary storage device 32 include semiconductor memory, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, etc.

[0024] The buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 are, for example, desktop PCs, notebook PCs, tablet PCs, tablet terminals, mobile phone terminals, smartphones, servers, etc. Since the configuration of the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 is publicly known, a detailed explanation will be omitted, but similar to the CO2 trading system 1 described above, they are equipped with a CPU, auxiliary storage device, main memory, communication device, input unit, etc. Furthermore, the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 are equipped with a display unit (liquid crystal display, organic EL display, etc.). Additionally, the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 may be equipped with a microphone and speaker. The auxiliary storage device stores, for example, an OS for controlling the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 such as Windows®, iOS®, or Android®, various drivers for hardware operation of peripheral devices, applications for realizing the functions of the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 described later, and various data and files.

[0025] Next, the functions of the CO2 trading system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functions provided by the CO2 trading system 1 according to this embodiment. A series of processes for realizing each of the functions described below are stored as a program (for example, a CO2 trading program) in the auxiliary storage device 32 of the CO2 trading system 1, and the various functions are realized when the CPU 31 reads this program into the main memory 33 and executes it. The program may be pre-installed in the auxiliary storage device 32 of the CO2 trading system 1, provided stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, semiconductor memory, etc.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the CO2 trading system 1 may include a trading database 41. The location of the trading database 41 is not particularly limited. For example, the trading database 41 may be located within the CO2 trading system 1 or on another server. In this case, the CO2 trading system 1 and the trading database 41 are configured to enable mutual communication for information acquisition, registration, and updating.

[0027] The CO2 trading system 1 includes a buyer data acquisition unit 42, a seller data acquisition unit 43, a matching unit 44, and a transaction management unit 45. The CO2 trading system 1 also includes a screen data creation unit (not shown) that creates various screen data to be displayed on the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80 in accordance with various information received from the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80, and a storage unit (not shown) that stores various information exchanged between the buyer terminal 70 and seller terminal 80.

[0028] The purchaser data acquisition unit 42 acquires purchaser data that associates the amount of CO2 to be purchased and the desired purchase price based on the amount of CO2 derived from fossil fuels used for fuel production. The purchaser data acquisition unit 42 acquires this information, for example, by receiving purchaser data from the purchaser terminal 70. The amount of CO2 to be purchased means, for example, the amount of CO2 that the purchaser wishes to swap for green CO2. For example, the amount of CO2 used when producing fuel at a fuel production plant operated by the purchaser may be measured by a sensor or the like, and the purchase amount may be determined based on this measured value. The amount of CO2 to be purchased may also be entered directly by the purchaser using the input unit of the purchaser terminal 70. Enabling input by the purchaser makes it possible to apply, for example, to cases where the purchaser wants to purchase only an arbitrary amount of green CO2. For example, this could be the case when the purchaser wants to purchase only the amount necessary to meet arbitrary regulations such as SAF certification. The desired purchase price may also be entered directly by the purchaser using the input unit of the purchaser terminal 70.

[0029] The buyer data acquisition unit 42 stores the acquired buyer data in the transaction database 41. Figure 5 shows an example of buyer data. As shown in Figure 5, the buyer data includes buyer identification information to identify the buyer, the amount of CO2 purchased, and the desired purchase price. The buyer data may also include location information of the plant operated by the buyer.

[0030] The seller data acquisition unit 43 acquires seller data that associates the amount of green CO2 to be sold with the desired selling price. The seller data acquisition unit 43 acquires this information, for example, by receiving seller data from the seller terminal 80. The amount of CO2 to be sold is determined, for example, based on the amount of green CO2 emitted at the power plant operated by the seller. The amount of CO2 to be sold can be arbitrarily set within a range less than or equal to the amount of green CO2 emitted at the power plant operated by the seller. This makes it possible, for example, for the seller to use some of the green CO2 to meet their own CO2 reduction obligation and sell only the surplus green CO2.

[0031] For example, CO2 emissions are calculated using the following method: The flow rate J (Nm³ / h) of the exhaust gas at the chimney outlet of the biomass boiler is measured. The CO2 concentration K (vol%) in the exhaust gas is measured by continuously performing component analysis of the exhaust gas. Then, the CO2 emissions are calculated by multiplying the exhaust gas flow rate J by the CO2 concentration K. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0032] CO2 emissions (Nm3) = J x K / 100 x time

[0033] Furthermore, converting Nm³ to kg yields the following:

[0034] CO2 emissions (kg) = J x K / 100 x time x 1.977

[0035] CO2 emissions may also be calculated based on mass balance. For example, as described above, the exhaust gas flow rate J (Nm3 / h) is measured, and the composition of the fuel (e.g., biomass) is analyzed to calculate the carbon content D (wt%). Then, assuming that all the carbon in the fuel burns to become CO2, the CO2 emissions are calculated using the following formula.

[0036] CO2 emissions (kg) = J x D x 44 / 12 x time

[0037] The amount of CO2 sold may be entered by the seller using the input section of the seller terminal 80 based on the calculation results of CO2 emissions as described above, or the value may be automatically entered by the control system that manages the plant. The amount of CO2 sold may be the total amount of CO2 emissions, or it may be a part of them.

[0038] The desired selling price may be entered directly by the seller using the input section of the seller's terminal 80.

[0039] The seller data acquisition unit 43 stores the acquired seller data in the transaction database 41. Figure 6 shows an example of seller data. As shown in Figure 6, the seller data includes buyer identification information to identify the seller, CO2 sales volume, and desired selling price. The seller data may also include location information of the plant operated by the seller.

[0040] The matching unit 44 performs matching between a purchaser and a seller based on purchaser data and seller data. For example, the matching unit 44 extracts sellers whose desired selling price is less than or equal to the desired purchase price, and identifies a combination of the seller who can be purchased at the lowest price and the purchase quantity from the CO2 sales volume and the desired selling price sold by the extracted seller.

[0041] At least one of the CO2 purchase quantity and the desired purchase amount has a priority set, and the matching unit 44 may perform matching based on the priority. For example, when the priority of the CO2 purchase quantity is higher than the priority of the desired purchase amount, identify a combination of the seller with the smallest number of sellers and the lowest purchase and sales amount and the purchase quantity thereof.

[0042] For example, in the case of purchaser A, seller A whose desired selling price is 17,000 yen or less is extracted. Furthermore, since the CO2 sales volume sold by seller A satisfies the CO2 purchase volume of 1,000 (t / day), as a matching result, a combination of purchaser A and seller A is identified. The matching by the matching unit 44 is not limited to the above example, and known methods are applicable. For example, it is possible to use known optimization processing. Also, matching may be performed using machine learning such as deep learning.

[0043] When the purchaser data and the seller data include the location information of the purchaser and the seller, the matching unit 44 may perform matching based on the distance between the purchaser and the seller. Specifically, when the distance between the purchaser and the seller exceeds a predetermined distance, the matching unit 44 may exclude it from the matching target.

[0044] The swap of CO2 is performed virtually, but assuming that CO2 is actually transported from the seller to the purchaser, the longer the distance, the greater the CO2 emissions generated during transportation. Therefore, considering the CO2 emissions that would be generated by transportation, if the distance between the seller and the purchaser is more than a predetermined value, it may be regarded as not a realistic CO2 transaction and excluded from the matching target.

[0045] Based on the matching results, the Transaction Management Department 45 establishes a swap that virtually exchanges the fossil fuel-derived CO2 used by the purchaser with the green CO2 emitted by the seller, and registers the swap results in the purchaser data and seller data stored in the Transaction Database 41.

[0046] For example, the Transaction Management Department 45 may output the matching results by the Matching Department 44 as transaction candidate information to the corresponding purchaser terminal 70 and seller terminal 80. For example, the Transaction Management Department 45 may display the matching results on the display screens of the respective terminals of the corresponding seller and purchaser, and may also display an input button for inputting a decision on whether to establish a transaction. This makes it possible to reflect the intentions of the purchaser and the seller in the establishment of the transaction. Further, when the transaction is established, the Transaction Management Department 45 may reflect the transaction in the purchaser data and seller data in the Transaction Database 41. As a result, for the green CO2 for which the transaction has been established, it is regarded as a completed transaction, and transactions by other purchasers are prohibited, preventing double transactions.

[0047] After the transaction is established, the Transaction Management Department 45 may issue a certificate stating the purchase quantity of the green CO2 purchased by the purchaser to the purchaser. This makes it possible to provide the purchaser with evidence that the CO2 swap has resulted in SAF or low-carbon intensity fuel.

[0048] Next, the CO2 trading method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The series of processes shown below are stored in the auxiliary storage device 32 provided in the CO2 trading system 1 as a program (for example, a CO2 trading program), and are realized by the CPU 31 reading this program into the main memory 33 and executing it. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the CO2 trading method according to the present embodiment. By repeatedly executing the processing shown in FIG. 7, a transaction in accordance with the wishes of the purchaser and the seller, in other words, a smooth realization of the CO2 swap is achieved.

[0049] The CO2 trading system 1 acquires buyer data from the buyer terminal 70 (SA1). The CO2 trading system 1 acquires seller data from the seller terminal 80 (SA2). The acquired buyer data and seller data are stored in the trading database 41.

[0050] Next, the CO2 trading system 1 performs matching based on the buyer data and seller data stored in the trading database 41 to identify the combination of buyer and seller (SA3).

[0051] Next, the CO2 trading system 1 notifies the relevant buyer and seller of the matching results (SA4). Then, it determines whether the transaction was completed or not, in other words, whether the matching parties agreed to the transaction (SA5). If the transaction was not completed (SA5: NO), the system returns to step SA3 and repeats the matching process. On the other hand, if the transaction was completed (SA5: YES), the system updates the buyer data and seller data stored in the transaction database 41 with the completed transaction information (SA6), and terminates this process.

[0052] As described above, the CO2 trading system 1 according to this embodiment includes a buyer data acquisition unit 42 that acquires buyer data associating the amount of CO2 to be purchased and the desired purchase price based on the amount of CO2 derived from fossil fuels used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition unit 43 that acquires seller data associating the amount of green CO2 to be sold and the desired selling price; a matching unit 44 that matches buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and seller data; and a transaction management unit 45 that establishes a swap in which the CO2 derived from fossil fuels used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged based on the matching results, and registers the swap results in the buyer data and seller data.

[0053] This reduces the equipment costs associated with lowering the carbon intensity of synthetic fuels and assigns value to green CO2 that would otherwise be emitted without being utilized. As a result, it becomes possible to promote the utilization of green CO2. Furthermore, by swapping (virtually exchanging) fossil fuel-derived CO2 with biomass-derived CO2, it becomes possible to consider synthetic fuel produced at a fuel production plant operated by the purchaser as being produced using biomass-derived CO2. This means that, for example, even if a biomass boiler and a fuel production plant cannot be installed on the same site due to constraints such as site area or land use, synthetic fuel produced at a fuel production plant including a coal-fired boiler (see, for example, Figure 2) can be considered as a low-carbon intensity fuel such as SAF (Sustainable Aero Fuel) by swapping fossil fuel-derived CO2 with green CO2.

[0054] Although the present disclosure has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiments above without departing from the gist of the disclosure, and such modified or improved forms are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0055] [Modification 1] In the embodiment described above, the buyer data includes the desired purchase amount, and the seller data includes the desired selling amount, and matching was performed taking these desired purchase and selling amounts into consideration. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the buyer data does not necessarily have to include the desired purchase amount, and similarly, the seller data does not necessarily have to include the desired selling amount. In other words, the buyer data only needs to include the amount of CO2 purchased, and the seller data only needs to include the amount of green CO2 sold. Matching may then be performed based on these amounts of CO2 purchased and green CO2 sold. The matching method can be a known method or the like. As an example, sellers whose green CO2 sales exceed their CO2 purchases may be selected as potential trading partners.

[0056] [Modification 2] For example, the CO2 sales volume mentioned above was defined as the CO2 emissions from a biomass boiler (either the whole amount or a part of it), but this is not the only example. For example, even when using biomass fuel, CO2 derived from fossil fuels may be emitted during the transportation of that biomass fuel. Also, CO2 derived from fossil fuels may be generated during the manufacture of auxiliary chemicals used when generating electricity from biomass fuel. Therefore, the CO2 sales volume will be the value obtained by subtracting the amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 emitted in the process of emitting green CO2, such as biomass power generation, from the green CO2 emissions (either the whole amount or a part of it). This makes it possible to handle green CO2 with stricter standards.

[0057] Specifically, the amount of CO2 to be sold may be determined using the following methods. For example, the CO2 trading system 1 obtains information on fossil fuel-derived CO2 related to raw materials (fuels, auxiliary chemicals, etc.) from the seller terminal 80. This information may be obtained together with the seller data, or it may be obtained as separate information from the seller data.

[0058] Figure 8 shows an example of information obtained from the seller terminal 80. As shown in Figure 8, the CO2 trading system 1 obtains, for example, the type of raw material, the annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels related to the raw material (α), the annual raw material usage (β), and the raw material usage (Q) from the seller terminal 80. The annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels related to the raw material (α) refers to, for example, green CO2 emissions (biomass power generation, etc.) and the annual CO2 emissions generated when manufacturing and transporting the raw material to the plant.

[0059] The CO2 trading system 1 calculates the amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 per unit of raw material (γ) by dividing the annual amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 emissions (α) related to the raw material by the annual amount of raw material used (β). Then, the amount of CO2 (all or part of it) obtained by multiplying the amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 per unit of raw material (γ) by the amount of raw material used Q (Q × γ) and subtracting this value from the CO2 emissions (P) is considered the amount of green CO2 sold.

[0060] [Modification 3] In the above-described embodiment, the case in which the purchaser directly inputs the desired purchase price from the purchaser terminal 70 was explained, but the system is not limited to this example. For example, the CO2 trading system 1 may set an appropriate price based on the trends in CO2 trading. Alternatively, the CO2 trading system 1 may calculate an appropriate price based on the trends in CO2 trading and notify the seller of it as a reference price.

[0061] For example, the CO2 trading system 1 calculates the maximum purchase amount of green CO2 that will result in a profit of at least a predetermined amount from the sale of fuel, based on the cost required to produce one unit of fuel at the fuel production plant 20 and the selling price of one unit of fuel (for example, the market price).

[0062] Specifically, in order to make a profit from selling the fuel produced at the fuel production plant 20, the sum of the cost required to produce one unit of fuel (e.g., electricity charges) and the purchase price of one unit of green CO2 must be less than the selling price of one unit of fuel.

[0063] Therefore, the CO2 trading system 1 notifies the buyer of a maximum purchase price (the purchase price of green CO2 at the break-even point, or a certain amount obtained by subtracting a certain amount from that price) as the desired purchase price when the buyer purchases green CO2, based on trends such as fuel sales prices in the market. This makes it possible for the buyer to easily set an appropriate desired purchase price by entering an amount lower than the notified maximum purchase price as the desired purchase price.

[0064] The CO2 trading system 1, CO2 trading method, and CO2 trading program described above in one embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0065] A CO2 trading system (1) according to a first aspect of this disclosure comprises: a buyer data acquisition unit (42) that acquires buyer data including the amount of CO2 purchased based on the amount of CO2 used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition unit (43) that acquires seller data including the amount of green CO2 sold that is not derived from fossil fuels; a matching unit (44) that matches buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and the seller data; and a trading management unit (45) that establishes a swap in which the CO2 derived from fossil fuels used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged based on the matching results, and registers the swap results in the buyer data and the seller data.

[0066] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, it is possible to reduce equipment costs for reducing the carbon intensity of synthetic fuels and to assign value to green CO2 that is emitted without being utilized. This makes it possible to promote the utilization of green CO2. Furthermore, by swapping (virtually exchanging) CO2 derived from fossil fuels with green CO2 that is not derived from fossil fuels, the CO2 used for fuel production can be virtually considered as green CO2, and the synthetic fuel produced at the fuel production plant operated by the purchaser can be considered as being produced with green CO2. This contributes to reducing the carbon intensity of synthetic fuels. Furthermore, fuel production plants can reduce fuel production costs because they can use inexpensive fossil fuels. According to this embodiment, for example, even if it is not possible to install a biomass boiler and a fuel production plant on the same site due to constraints such as site area and land use, by swapping CO2 derived from fossil fuels with green CO2, the synthetic fuel produced at a fuel production plant including a coal-fired boiler (see, for example, Figure 2) can be considered as a low-carbon intensity fuel such as SAF (Sustainable Aero Fuel).

[0067] In the CO2 trading system (1) according to the second aspect of this disclosure, in the first aspect described above, the trading management unit outputs the matching results from the matching unit to the relevant buyer and seller as candidate trading information.

[0068] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, it is possible to reflect the intentions of both the buyer and the seller in the conclusion of a transaction.

[0069] The CO2 trading system (1) according to the third aspect of this disclosure, in the first or second aspect described above, includes the desired purchase price in the buyer data and the desired selling price in the seller data.

[0070] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, if an agreement is reached between the two parties through price negotiations, economic value can be assigned to green CO2 that would otherwise be emitted without being utilized.

[0071] In the CO2 trading system (1) according to the fourth aspect of this disclosure, in the third aspect described above, a priority is set for at least one of the CO2 purchase quantity and the desired purchase price, and the matching unit performs matching based on the priority.

[0072] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, it becomes possible to perform appropriate matching according to priority.

[0073] The CO2 trading system (1) according to the fifth aspect of this disclosure, in any of the first to fourth aspects, includes in the purchaser data and the seller data location information of a fuel manufacturing plant operated by the purchaser and location information of a green CO2 emitting plant operated by the seller, and the matching unit excludes the combination of the purchaser and the seller when the distance between the fuel manufacturing plant operated by the purchaser and the plant operated by the seller exceeds a predetermined distance.

[0074] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, matching can be performed while taking into account the actual transportation of CO2 from the seller to the buyer. This makes it possible to exclude, for example, combinations of buyers and sellers for whom the exchange of CO2 is not practical.

[0075] The CO2 trading system (1) according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure, in the third aspect described above, calculates the amount of green CO2 that will result in a profit of at least a predetermined amount from the sale of the fuel, based on the cost of fuel production and the price of the fuel produced, and notifies the purchaser of the calculated amount as the maximum purchase amount for the green CO2.

[0076] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, the buyer can easily set an appropriate desired purchase price by entering an amount lower than the notified maximum purchase price as the desired purchase price.

[0077] The CO2 trading system (1) according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure includes a certificate issuing unit that, in any of the first to sixth aspects described above, issues to the purchaser a certificate proving the amount of CO2 purchased for which the swap was concluded.

[0078] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, it is possible to provide evidence that CO2 has been converted into SAF or low-carbon intensity fuel through CO2 swapping.

[0079] The CO2 trading system (1) according to the eighth aspect of this disclosure, in any of the first to seventh aspects described above, is characterized in that the seller is an operator of a plant that processes raw materials that do not contain fossil fuels and emits the green CO2, and the amount of green CO2 sold is the amount of green CO2 emitted by the plant minus the amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 emissions related to the raw materials.

[0080] According to the CO2 trading system (1) described above, by setting the sales volume of green CO2 to the value obtained by excluding the amount of CO2 derived from fossil fuels used to generate green CO2, it becomes possible to handle green CO2 with stricter standards.

[0081] A CO2 trading method according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure is performed by a computer, comprising: a buyer data acquisition step of acquiring buyer data including the amount of CO2 purchased based on the amount of CO2 used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition step of acquiring seller data including the amount of green CO2 sold that is not derived from fossil fuels; a matching step of matching buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and seller data; and a transaction management step of establishing a swap in which the CO2 derived from fossil fuels used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged based on the matching result, and the results of the swap are registered in the buyer data and seller data.

[0082] The CO2 trading program according to the tenth aspect of this disclosure causes a computer to function as a CO2 trading system described in any of the first to eighth aspects described above.

[0083] 1: CO2 trading system 3: Network 11: Biomass thermal power plant 20: Fuel manufacturing plant 21: Thermal power generation equipment 23: Water electrolysis equipment 24: FT synthesis equipment 31: CPU 32: Auxiliary storage device 33: Main memory 34: Communication device 35: Input unit 36: Display unit 38: Bus 41: Transaction database 42: Buyer data acquisition unit 43: Seller data acquisition unit 44: Matching unit 45: Transaction management unit 70 (70a-70c): Buyer terminal 80 (80a-80c): Seller terminal

Claims

1. A CO2 trading system comprising: a buyer data acquisition unit that acquires buyer data including the amount of CO2 purchased based on the amount of CO2 used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition unit that acquires seller data including the amount of green CO2 sold that is not derived from fossil fuels; a matching unit that matches buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and the seller data; and a transaction management unit that, based on the matching results, establishes a swap in which the CO2 derived from fossil fuels used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged, and registers the swap results in the buyer data and the seller data.

2. The CO2 trading system according to claim 1, wherein the transaction management unit outputs the matching results from the matching unit to the corresponding buyer and seller as transaction candidate information.

3. The CO2 trading system according to claim 1, wherein the buyer data includes the desired purchase price, and the seller data includes the desired selling price.

4. A priority is set for at least one of the CO2 purchase quantity and the desired purchase price, and the matching unit performs matching based on the priority, as described in claim 3.

5. The CO2 trading system according to claim 1, wherein the buyer data and the seller data include location information of a fuel manufacturing plant operated by the buyer and location information of a green CO2 emitting plant operated by the seller, and the matching unit excludes the combination of the buyer and the seller when the distance between the fuel manufacturing plant operated by the buyer and the plant operated by the seller exceeds a predetermined distance.

6. The CO2 trading system according to claim 3, which calculates the amount of green CO2 that will result in a profit of at least a predetermined amount from the sale of the fuel, based on the cost of fuel production and the price of the fuel produced, and notifies the purchaser of the calculated amount as the maximum purchase amount for the green CO2.

7. The CO2 trading system according to claim 1, further comprising a certificate issuing unit that, when the swap is concluded, issues to the purchaser a certificate proving the amount of CO2 purchased through the swap.

8. The CO2 trading system according to claim 1, wherein the seller is the operator of a plant that processes raw materials that do not contain fossil fuels and emits the green CO2, and the amount of green CO2 sold is the amount of green CO2 emitted by the plant minus the amount of fossil fuel-derived CO2 emissions related to the raw materials.

9. A CO2 trading method in which a computer performs the following steps: a buyer data acquisition step of acquiring buyer data including the amount of CO2 purchased based on the amount of CO2 used for fuel production; a seller data acquisition step of acquiring seller data including the amount of green CO2 sold that is not derived from fossil fuels; a matching step of matching buyers and sellers based on the buyer data and the seller data; and a transaction management step of establishing a swap in which the CO2 used by the buyer and the green CO2 emitted by the seller are virtually exchanged based on the matching results, and registering the swap results in the buyer data and the seller data.

10. A program for causing a computer to function as a CO2 trading system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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