Abstract
The global atmospheric concentration of anthropogenic gases, such as carbon dioxide, has increased substantially over the past few decades due to the high level of industrialization and urbanization that is occurring in developing countries, like South Africa. This has escalated the challenges of global warming. In South Africa, carbon capture and storage (CCS) from coal-fired power plants is attracting increasing attention as an alternative approach towards the mitigation of carbon dioxide emission. Therefore, innovative strategies and process optimization of CCS systems is essential in order to improve the process efficiency of this technology in South Africa. This review assesses the potential of CCS as an alternative approach to reducing the amount CO2 emitted from the South African coal-fired power plants. It examines the various CCS processes that could be used for capturing the emitted CO2. Finally, it proposes the use of new adsorbents that could be incorporated towards the improvement of CCS technology.
Highlights
Over the past decade, global carbon dioxide emissions have significantly increased by approximately 2.7%, which is 60% more than that of the late 20th century [1]
This review examines the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for mitigating CO2 emitted from coal-fired thermal power plants in South Africa
Since the post-combustion technology allows for possible retrofitting, it becomes a promising technology that can be implemented in the South African coal-fired thermal power plants with no associated increase in the price of electricity, because coal will still remain the primary source of electricity in the country, and carbon emissions from this sector will be reduced drastically
Summary
Global carbon dioxide emissions have significantly increased by approximately 2.7%, which is 60% more than that of the late 20th century [1]. CCS technology can contribute towards the reduction of carbon emissions, allowing the continual use of coal-dependent energy markets, like South Africa. The aim of CCS is to capture carbon emissions from point sources, such as coal-fired power plants and industrial processes, to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere [7]. The integration of clean and sustainable energy technologies in South Africa requires solutions that deal with high CO2 -emitting sources, such as coal-fired thermal power plants [12]. This implies that sustainability assessment of CCS technology is an important aspect of climate policy, especially in highly industrialized countries, like South Africa [13]. It recommends the use of new adsorbents that could be utilized towards the implementation of CCS systems in South African coal-fired thermal power plants and the retrofitting of capture devices into the existing coal-fired thermal power plants
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
