Carbon+Capture+and+Storage

This page is a subcategory to Geoengineering.


 * Carbon Capturing and Storage** is a technology that is capable of capturing carbon dioxide from fossil fuel power stations. There are three types of carbon capturing methods that can be implemented in fossil fuel power stations so that the carbon dioxide can be stored which are post combustion capturing, pre-combustion capturing and oxy-fuel technology. The post-combustion process involves the method of scrubbing which results on the cleaning of exhaust gases through the usage of chemicals. Pre-combustion CCS is a process that happens before the fuel is combusted by transforming coal into a clean-burning gas and removing the carbon dioxed released by the process. Oxy-fuel is the method of burning the coal in an atmosphere with a bigger concentration of oxygen which results in a pure carbon dioxide exhaust gas. When the carbon dioxide, it is transformed into liquid and transported through pipelines so that they can be safely stored in geological formations, such as deep underground aquifers or in unused oil and gas reservers. About 90% of the carbon dioxide that is released from fossil fuel power plants are able to be captured through the usage of Carbon and Capture Storage technology. This technology is not cheap since it can consume 40% of a power plant’s energy used for running the scrubbing and transportation of the Carbon Capturing and Storage technology. The costs of CCS are high since the transportation, infrastructure, storage and monitoring are expensive to maintain.

 additional $40 per MWh to cost of generation  $60-65/tonne CO2 avoided
 * • Estimated CCS Costs for coal:**

Howard Herzog is a Senior Research Engineer for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that was awarded the 2010 Greenman Award by the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme and is responsible for the research and development of carbon capture and storage (CCS). In his study he concluded that "CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) is the critical enabling technology that would reduce CO2 emissions significantly while also allowing coal to meet the world’s pressing energy needs". []




 * Articles-**

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The NYTimes article "Growing doubts in Europe on future carbon storage" by Andrés Calas published in the 16th of january of 2012, demonstrates the obstacles that the new technology of carbon capturing that aims to reduce climate change has been facing in the world and how that has been affecting its implementation in continents such as Europe.====== []

This article from the Economist, "A shiny new pipe dream" demonstrates how Norway has invested recently 1 billion dollars in a new site of carbon capturing and storage to make the process cheaper and more effective. []

"Whatever happen to carbon capture in the fight against climate change", a Guardian article, informs that the CCS has been hobbled by the economic crisis, especially affecting European projects who now are far behind the US. It also highlights the new Norwegian plant that provides hope to the geoengineering and climate control community. []

This article on ABC news states how Greenpeace rejects the investment in carbon capturing and storage since it has been demonstrated to be commercially unviable in projects overseas. Greenpeace suggests that the tax money should be invested instead in renewable energy projects. []


 * Key terms-**


 * post combustion capture:** it is when CO₂ is captured after the combustion of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is separated from the flue gas through scrubbing, which allows it to be transported and stored.


 * pre-combustion capture:** it is when CO₂ is removed before the combustion of fossil fuels. It transforms fossil fuels into a gas composed of carbon dioxide and hydrogen which are separated through scrubbing. The hydrogen is used to fuel the power station while carbon dioxide is captured and transported so it can be stored.


 * oxy-fuel technology:** burns oxygen with the use of purely almost oxygen instead of in air. This would result in a waste gas composed basically of CO2 and water vapor. The vapor can be condensed out and the CO₂ transported to a storage facility.


 * scrubbing:** are several methods of controlling air pollution through devices that are capable of cleaning exhausts from power stations by removing particulates and gases. In the case of post combustion and pre-combustion capturing it absorbs and removes the carbon dioxide.


 * flue gas:** a gas that exists to the atmosphere through a pipe or channel used to dispose exhaust. In the case of carbon capturing refers to the exhaust gases produced by the combustion of fossil fuels in power stations.

Video gives background information on the emissions of greenhouse gases and explains the importance of carbon capturing to the environment- media type="youtube" key="aHtbDmzjYgg" height="360" width="640" include component="comments" page="Carbon Capture and Storage" limit="100"