New Delhi (ABC Live):Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is considered as an important potential carbon dioxide mitigation option. Large point sources, in particular, in the power and several energy-intensive sectors (e.g. oil and natural gas refining/upgrading, chemical industry, iron and steel production, cement production and fertilizer production) form the largest potential for applying carbon dioxide capture (IPCC, 2005).
z for example technologies such as those applied for many decades on an industrial scale in industries, including gas processing and ammonia production.
Captured carbon dioxide often needs to be transported to the storage site. Transport of carbon dioxide can involve one or a combination of transport modes (e.g. truck, train, ship or pipeline). 5. Carbon dioxide storage, as discussed in this technical paper, refers to storage in geologic formations, which encompasses the injection of carbon dioxide into porous rocks that may hold or have held gas and/or liquids.
Several types of storage are used and proposed, including: deep saline formations (aquifers); oil reservoirs, possibly with enhanced oil recovery (EOR); gas reservoirs, possibly with enhanced gas recovery; and deep unmineable coal seams combined with enhanced coal bed methane production.
Utilization of carbon dioxide, referred to as carbon dioxide capture, use and storage (CCUS), has been proposed as a possible alternative or complement to geologic storage of carbon dioxide.
CCUS requires the identification and development of utilization options that maximize the economic value of the captured carbon dioxide and at the same time lead to permanent retention of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that many uses of carbon dioxide are known, although most remain at a small scale (IEA, 2013).
Between 80 and 120 Mt CO2 are sold commercially each year for a wide variety of applications. Both natural and industry-sourced carbon dioxide is used. The largest share is the use in enhanced hydrocarbon production, which amounts to over 60 Mt CO2/year.
Other potential uses of carbon dioxide include use in: synthetic fuel production; 4 agriculture for enhanced crop production or algae growth; and production of chemicals and plastics (IEA, 2013).
The enhanced deployment of these uses and the successful development of a wider range of alternative uses will require further research and development (R&D).
CCS and CCUS should be considered as an element of an ultimate and necessary transition to net-zero emissions, as acknowledged by the participants at the TEM on CCUS.5 Such transition requires a balanced portfolio of both distributed and centralized clean energy options influencing future energy production and the subsequent energy mixes, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and other non-fossil fuel energy sources.
The specific role of CCS/CCUS within this broader transition to a low-carbon pathway results from its capacity to deliver timely and large-scale emissions reductions and a lowering of the total abatement cost and challenges through a more effective utilization of the existing and established asset base.
