Development of a Science Gateway Software Platform for CCS Decision Support and Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

Despite significant progress over the past two decades, numerous economic, technical and non-technical challenges have hampered the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Recent advances in integrated assessment software have provided powerful new decision support tools to help overcome such challenges and to better evaluate investment and other risks in the integrated capture, transport and storage system. Specifically, the SimCCS software framework provides novel decision support capabilities for CCS project development. In this paper, we illustrate how the development of a new online science gateway platform of the SimCCS software termed SimCCS Gateway is now rapidly expanding the accessibility of this powerful tool. Applications in the SimCCS Gateway platform have been designed to facilitate engagement across the entire CCUS community, including commercial project developers, researchers in the technical and policy spheres, educational users (higher education and K-12) and the general public. The Gateway is providing an innovative new approach to technology transfer as well as outreach to communities in which CCS projects are being proposed and planned. Current applications include projects throughout the US and China, but nations such as Canada and Australia are poised for future implementation owing to availability of key datasets. In this way, the SimCCS Gateway software platform aims to provide a valuable new tool to facilitate the rapid deployment of CCS technologies around the globe.