Quality of geological CO2 storage to avoid jeopardizing climate targets (original) (raw)

Quantifying Geological CO2 Storage Security to Deliver on Climate Mitigation

SSRN Electronic Journal

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) can help nations meet their Paris CO 2 reduction commitments cost-effectively. However, lack of confidence in geologic CO 2 storage security remains a barrier to CCS implementation. Leak rates of 0.01% yr-1 , equivalent to 99% retention of the stored CO 2 after 100 years, are referred to by many stakeholders as adequate to ensure the effectiveness of CO 2 storage 1-3. Secure storage must allow global average temperatures, driven by excess CO 2 , to decrease well below 2°C; these timescales are typically modelled to be 10,000 years 4. Thus, leakage rates must remain below an average linear rate of 0.01% yr-1 for that timespan.

Carbon dioxide capture and storage: Seven years after the IPCC special report

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 2012

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) entails separating carbon dioxide from coal-, biomass-or gas-fired power plants or other large industrial sources, transporting the carbon dioxide by pipeline, injecting it deep underground, and storing it indefinitely in geological reservoirs including depleted oil and gas fields, and saline aquifers. CCS is envisioned to reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions to the atmosphere when applied to large facilities that use fossil fuels. Applied to biomass, it may also lower CO 2 concentrations in the atmosphere while supplying energy. The publication of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2005) Special Report on CCS (SRCCS) raised the profile of CCS, particularly among the expert community dealing with international climate policy (Meadowcroft and Langhelle 2009). The expert community now commonly sees CCS as a major option for reducing global emissions of CO 2. The technology plays a major role in long-term scenarios where there is significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Clarke et al. 2009; IEA 2010a). For CCS to play such a major role, the separation, transport and storage would have to handle large volumes of CO 2 , and involve huge investments in facilities and infrastructure. The SRCCS conveyed some key insights. First, it clearly indicated that in principle, CCS is technically feasible. It also found that subsurface endowments of geological storage are probably massive, but regionally distributed and still highly uncertain.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Geological Sequestration of CO2

CO2 Sequestration [Working Title]

The European Union greenhouse gas emission reduction target can be achieved only by applying efficient technologies, which give reliable results in a very short time. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) into geological formations covers capturing CO 2 at the large point sources, its transportation and underground deposition. The CCS technology is applicable to different industries (natural gas processing, power generation, iron and steel production, cement manufacturing, etc.). Due to huge storage capacity and existing infrastructure, depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs are one of the most favourable storage options. In order to give overall cross section through CCS technology, implementation status and other relevant issues, the chapter covers EU regulation, technology overview, large-scale and pilot CCS projects, CO 2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects, geological storage components, CO 2 storage capacity, potential CO 2 migration paths, risk assessment and CO 2 injection monitoring. Permanent geological sequestration depends on both natural and technical site performance. Site selection, designing, construction and management must ensure acceptable risk rates of less than 1% over thousands of years.

Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage: Issues and Prospects

Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 2014

Almost 20 years ago, the first CO2 capture and storage (CCS) project began injecting CO2 into a deep geological formation in an offshore aquifer. Relevant science has advanced in areas such as chemical engineering, geophysics, and social psychology. Governments have generously funded demonstrations. As a result, a handful of industrial-scale CCS projects are currently injecting about 15 megatons of CO2 underground annually that contribute to climate change mitigation. However, CCS is struggling to gain a foothold in the set of options for dealing with climate change. This review explores why and discusses critical conditions for CCS to emerge as a viable mitigation option. Explanations for this struggle include the absence of government action on climate change, economic crisis–induced low carbon prices, public skepticism, increasing costs, and advances in other options including renewables and shale gas. Climate change action is identified as a critical condition for progress in CC...

Zero is the only acceptable leakage rate for geologically stored CO 2 : an editorial comment

Climatic Change, 2009

Leakage is one of the main concerns of all parties involved with the development of Carbon Capture and Storage. From an economic point of view, van der Zwaan and Gerlagh (2009) suggest that CCS remains a valuable option even with CO 2 leakage rate as high as of a few % per year. But what is valuable is, ultimately, determined by social preferences and parameters that are beyond economic modeling. Examining the point of view of four stakeholder groups: industry, policy-makers, environmental NGOs and the general public, we conclude that there is a social agreement today: zero is the only acceptable carbon leakage rate.

Diverting CO2 Emissions from the Atmosphere through Capture and Geologic Sequestration: The Journey So Far!

Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 2015

Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) emissions accumulating in the earth's atmosphere as a result of the use of fossil fuels for energy generation are causing an imbalance in the Earth's incoming and outgoing radiation. This has led to rising surface air and sub-surface ocean temperatures with impending devastating consequences. Most of the damage observed so far is irreversible and will persist for up to 1000 years even after emissions stop. It is now two decades since March 1992 when about 250 scientists and engineers gathered in Amsterdam for the First International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Reduction (ICCDR-1). The Earth Summit of Rio de Janeiro (1992) also lent impetus to the quest for CO 2 emissions reduction through the commitment of various governments to tackle the climate change issue. Of the portfolio of options available, a key means of reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is to capture carbon dioxide from large stationary sources, compressed either in supercritical form or sub-cooled liquid form, for underground storage. In this paper, we review the feasibility and development of knowledge and technology for CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) as well as present current status of global CCS development. In addition, we explore possible characterization of depleted oil and gas fields in the Niger Delta for CO 2 sequestration and propose that it is time Nigeria effectively starts a CCS programme especially as a Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) project. Besides earning carbon credits, Nigeria will be attracting increased flow of investment in a capital intensive sector, stimulating transfer of the most innovative technologies available in the power/oil and gas sectors as well as developing infrastructure.

Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

2005

This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report provides information for policymakers, scientists and engineers in the field of climate change and reduction of CO2 emissions. It describes sources, capture, transport, and storage of CO2. It also discusses the costs, economic potential, and societal issues of the technology, including public perception and regulatory aspects. Storage options evaluated include geological storage, ocean storage, and mineral carbonation. Notably, the report places CO2 capture and storage in the context of other climate change mitigation options, such as fuel switch, energy efficiency, renewables and nuclear energy.