Page 32 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2016 publication

32 Spring 2016 European Energy Innovation
HEADING CARBON CAPTURE & STORAGE

CO2: New problem, new solution.
But is the old solution better?

"Gamora: History repeating itself?
Warlock: History doesn't repeat itself, Gamora, but sometimes it rhymes."

– Dan Abnett

The COP 21 discussions last is not causation (an observation that foreseeable future; or until some other
December marked an historic sums up the climate debate); and solution can be developed.
commitment to restrain pending any revelations about Man’s
global temperature rise, ability to influence global climate, it It is immediately apparent that current
even as the meeting also achieved seems logical, superficially at least, to CCS technology is unsuitable as a
consensus on the need to reduce try removing CO2 from the apocalyptic means to deal with transport emissions
greenhouse gas emissions (for which, equation above. According to the – who would drive around with some
read “principally CO2”). Behind these IPCC, 35% of total anthropogenic gigantic balloon attached to the
observations lie two incontrovertible emissions in 2010 were derived from exhaust pipe of his car? Nevertheless, it
facts: the climate is changing; and power generation, and our proposition is eminently possible to retrofit capture
atmospheric CO2 levels are rising. And is made even more encouraging technology to fixed installations such
behind those facts lie increasingly by the bold claim of Britain’s CCS thermal power stations. Another
strident warnings from the IPCC about Association that up to 90% of the CO2 technique is to increase the amount of
the anthropogenic component of emissions from thermal electricity oxygen in which the fuel is burned. This
climate change and of the potential generation and industrial processes increases the efficiency of combustion
damage it may cause: can be prevented from entering the (incidentally producing more energy)
atmosphere. Using Carbon Capture and results in a higher proportion
Rising CO2 = Rising temperature = and Storage (CCS) with renewable of CO2 in the exhaust gases, making
Rising Sea Levels = Planetary disaster biomass, it says, may even remove CO2 its separation easier. Elsewhere, the
from the atmosphere. beverage industry already uses a
QED: Man’s carbon habit is destroying technique to capture CO2 in solution
the planet. CCS may be viewed as a three-stage and then release it by heating.
process, by which CO2 is first captured at Capturing CO2 does not therefore
A quick look at graphs of atmospheric the point of emission, then transported seem to pose huge problems.
CO2 and global temperature over to some designated storage site, finally Transport of gaseous CO2 does not
recent times is both impressive and to be injected so as to prevent its re- require much technological innovation
alarming. Nevertheless, correlation emergence into the atmosphere for the either, for millions of kilometres of

20 metres thick and 80 million years old: natural carbon capture and storage.

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