Carbon Neutrality Applications in Green Technology: Case Studies and System Innovation

Abstract

As the industrial transition toward carbon neutrality enters a critical deployment phase in 2026, relying solely on incremental efficiency is insufficient to address the high energy intensity of heavy industries. However, current research frequently overlooks the "systemic friction" of standalone Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) units, failing to adequately account for parasitic energy loads and infrastructure deficits. To address this integration gap, this study employs the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) to evaluate the Systemic Innovation Framework through a comparative analysis of the Northern Lights project (Norway) and Baowu Steel's CCU integration (China). Findings indicate that coupling carbon neutrality technologies with industrial symbiosis significantly mitigates operational overheads. Specifically, Baowu's energy-carbon coupling reduced the capture energy penalty by approximately 18%, while Northern Lights' shared infrastructure model effectively lowered the Levelized Cost of Abatement (LCOA) through economies of scale. These results validate the necessity of transitioning from linear mitigation models to "Circular Carbon Hubs," providing a strategic roadmap for policy-makers to prioritize cross-sectoral infrastructure coordination over isolated technical upgrades.