Carbon Capture and Storage: A Game-Changer Technology in the Quest for Reducing

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a set of technologies that can greatly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from large point sources, such as coal and gas power plants, by capturing the CO2 produced from the fuel source and storing it in places where it will not enter the atmosphere. With widespread development and deployment, CCS has the potential to play an important role in addressing climate change by reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.

The CCS Process

The typical CCS process consists of the following three stages:

• Capture - The CO2 is separated from industrial and energy-related sources, primarily from the flue gases from power generation and industrial processes. The most common capture technologies are post-combustion, pre-combustion and oxy-fuel combustion. These processes are still under development with the goal of improving efficiency and reducing costs.
• Transport - Once captured, Carbon Capture and Storage is compressed to turn it into a dense liquid for efficient transport to a storage location. This is typically accomplished through pipelines, although in some cases ships may be used for offshore transport. Pipeline networks will need to be significantly expanded to enable large-scale deployment of CCS.
• Storage - The compressed CO2 is transported to a selected storage location and injected deep underground into geological formations for long-term isolation from the atmosphere. The most promising storage locations are depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep coal seams, and saline formations.

Viability of Carbon Storage

There is compelling scientific evidence that CO2 can be safely and permanently stored underground. Careful site selection and monitoring, measurement and verification techniques are used to ensure stored CO2 will be effectively isolated from the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years. This has been proven through natural phenomena such as natural CO2 reservoirs that have been safely sealed in geological formations for millions of years. Decades of experience from CO2 injection for enhanced oil recovery has also demonstrated the viability of underground CO2 storage. Several large-scale CCS projects have now safely captured and stored over 25 million metric tonnes of CO2, proving the concept of CCS at commercial scale.

Large-Scale Demonstration Projects

Many industrial nations have launched major demonstration initiatives to prove CCS at commercial scale. The projects underway span international partnerships between government, industry and research organizations. Some of the largest and most advanced CCS demonstration projects include:

-Boundary Dam CCS Project in Canada. The world's first commercial-scale coal power plant with CCS captures up to 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

-Petra Nova CCS Project in the US. installed CCS technology to capture CO2 at a coal and biomass plant. It captures 1.6 million tonnes annually.

-Northern Lights CCS Project in Norway. Plans to transport and store CO2 from industrial clusters in Europe starting in 2024 with capacity to safely store up to 1.5 million tonnes annually.

-Gorgon CCS Project in Australia. capturing and storing over 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually from a natural gas project.

-Port of Rotterdam CCS Project. Aiming to capture CO2 emissions from large industrial plants in the port and transport it via pipeline for storage under the North Sea.

These projects are pioneering innovative approaches for different industries and geographies worldwide. Their success is proving the opportunities for wider CCS deployment over the next decades.

Potential for Large-Scale Deployment

Numerous studies by internationally recognized bodies such as the IPCC and IEA have found that wide-scale deployment of CCS by mid-century is critical to achieve climate goals of the Paris Agreement while still permitting continued use of fossil fuels. Some projections estimate that by 2050 the global fleet of coal and gas-fired power plants equipped with CCS could total around 1500 GW capacity—capturing over 5 billion tonnes CO2 annually. Realizing this potential will require appropriate policy frameworks and substantial cost reductions through continued research, demonstration, and increasing deployment experience. Partnerships along industrial clusters and CO2 transport and storage hubs will be important to develop infrastructure efficiently and cost effectively. With the dedicated support of governments, CCS could deliver up to 19% of the greenhouse gas mitigation needed by 2050 according to the IPCC. CCS will play an indispensable role alongside other low-carbon technologies like renewable energy as the world works to decarbonize energy and industrial systems.

CCS is a group of technologies that have been proved feasible at commercial scale for capturing over 90% of the CO2 produced from fossil fuel power generation and various industrial processes. If applied widely, CCS can substantially reduce CO2 emissions globally in a way that also permits continued use of fossil fuel resources. Current demonstration projects worldwide are helping pave the way for large-scale deployment through overcoming technical challenges and reducing costs. With sufficient policy and financial support, CCS has great potential for scaling up as a critical solution for climate change mitigation in the coming decades as the world transitions to sustainable energy systems.

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Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/money-singh-590844163)