Carbon Capture And Storage Applications Research Articles

Scaling up a hollow fibre adsorption unit for on-board CCS applications using a real gasoline engine exhaust

Decarbonising road transport using on-board carbon capture and storage (CCS) is challenged by inherent space and energy limitations. Thus, to be technically and economically viable, robust and compact carbon capture units need to be developed. Hence, in this work, a scaled up hollow fibre adsorption unit was tested downstream of a real 90:10 gasoline-ethanol engine exhaust gas to evaluate its CO2 capture performance after 100 adsorption–desorption cycles. The scaled up hollow fibre adsorption unit consisted of 37 four-channel hollow fibre adsorption units coated with a thin carbon xerogel layer, referred to as the CX-coated hollow fibre module (HFM). It should be noted that this is the first study to report the results of a HFM tested under real conditions over 100 adsorption–desorption cycles and is one of the few studies that reports the desorption step. Furthermore, despite the presence of CO, THC, NOx, and H2O in the exhaust gas, the CX-coated HFM exhibited high CO2 capture stability and mechanical integrity. This was evidenced through the CX-coated HFM obtaining and maintaining an average total capacity of 1.2 mmol/g over 100 adsorption–desorption cycles, and showing no visible signs of deterioration or a loss of mechanical integrity.

Experimental Investigation of the Impact of CO2 Injection Strategies on Rock Wettability Alteration for CCS Applications

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been recognized as a pivotal technology for mitigating climate change by reducing CO2 emissions. Storing CO2 in deep saline aquifers requires preserving the water-wet nature of the formation throughout the storage period, which is crucial for maintaining rock integrity and storage efficiency. However, the wettability of formations can change upon exposure to supercritical CO2 (scCO2), potentially compromising storage efficiency. Despite extensive studies on various factors influencing wettability alteration, a significant research gap remains in understanding the effects of different CO2 injection strategies on wettability in deep saline formations (DSFs). This study addresses this gap by investigating how three distinct CO2 injection strategies—continuous scCO2 injection (CCI), water alternating with scCO2 injection (WAG), and simultaneous water and scCO2 injection (SAI)—affect the wettability of gray Berea sandstone and Indiana limestone, both selected for their homogeneous properties relevant to CCS. Using a standardized sessile drop contact angle method before and after CO2 injection, along with core flooding to model the injection process at an injection pressure of 1500 psi and temperature of 100 °F with a confining pressure of 2500 psi, the results indicate a shift in wettability towards more CO2-wet conditions for both rock types under all strategies with changes in CA of 61.6–83.4° and 77.6–87.9° and 81.5–124.2° and 94.6–128.0° for sandstone and limestone, respectively. However, the degree of change varies depending on the injection strategy: sandstone exhibits a pronounced response to the CCI strategy, with up to a 77% increase in contact angle (CA), particularly after extended exposure. At the same time, WAG shows the least change, suggesting that water introduction slows surface modification. For limestone, the changes in CA ranged from 9% to 49% across strategies, with WAG and SAI being more effective in altering its wettability. This study underscores the importance of selecting suitable CO2 injection strategies based on rock type and wettability characteristics to maximize carbon storage efficiency. The findings offer valuable insights into the complex interactions of fluid–rock systems and a guide for enhancing the design and implementation of CCS technologies in various geological settings.

Effects of thermal shocks on integrity of existing and newly-designed sealants for CCS applications

Sealants that can guarantee long-term wellbore sealing integrity are of great significance to the safe and sustainable storage of CO2 in carbon capture and storage (CCS). In this study, we investigate how abrupt cyclic thermal shocks affect the integrity of four sealants of different compositions. These sealants include two reference OPC-based blends (S1 and S2), one newly-designed OPC-based blend that contains CO2-sequestering additives (S3), and one calcium aluminate cement (CAC)-based blend designed for CCS applications (S4). We have measured the thermal properties of these samples, followed by quenching and flow-through experiments to apply strong cyclic thermal shocks on samples of the four sealants, where we heated the samples to 120 °C, and quenched them in, or flowed through water of 20 °C. Using X-ray tomography (32 µm/voxel) before and after the experiment showed that both S1, S2 (reference OPC-based) and S4 (CAC-based) broke after thermal-shocking experiments. Cracks and new voids developed in the samples. Post-treatment strength testing shows that thermal shocks reduce the unconfined compressive strength of these three sealants. This implies that these compositions may not be optimal materials for long-term wellbore sealing during CO2 injection and storage afterward. For all these three sealant compositions, quenching resulted in a greater reduction in strength (by 53 % on average) than flow-through experiments (by 29 % on average). On the contrary, we have not observed any cracks after either quenching or flow-through experiments in S3 sealant (OPC with CO2-sequestering additives). We attribute the intactness of this sealant after thermal shocks to its higher thermal diffusivity than the other three sealants. Heat transfers more rapidly in this sealant and the associated thermal stresses are mild and insufficient to cause any damage to its integrity, which makes this sealant a good candidate for wellbore sealing material that can effectively withstand strong thermal shocks encountered during CCS, though further studies are required.

MXenes vs MBenes: Demystifying the materials of tomorrow’s carbon capture revolution

Two emerging materials, MXenes and MBenes, have garnered significant attention as promising candidates for CCS applications. Both materials possess unique properties that make them well-suited for CO2 adsorption, such as high surface area, porosity, and tunable chemical functionality. This perspective article presents a comparative evaluation of MXenes and MBenes for CO2 capture, leveraging advanced computational simulations and experimental data to elucidate their respective adsorption capacities, kinetic performance, and stability. The simulations reveal that both materials exhibit superior CO2 adsorption performance compared to conventional CCS materials, with MXenes demonstrating a slight edge in adsorption capacity and selectivity. Furthermore, the potential of MXenes and MBenes for CCS applications is discussed, including their layer thickness, selective affinity to CO2, advantages over conventional sorbents, regeneration, stability, and durability. The findings provide valuable insights into the structure–property relationships of MXenes and MBenes in the context of CO2 capture and shed light on the technology readiness of these materials for specific CCS applications. Finally, this perspective article aims to advance the fundamental understanding of these novel 2D materials for CCS, paving the way for future developments in sustainable CO2 capture technologies.Graphical abstractHighlightsMXenes and MBenes are two-dimensional layered materials with the potential to revolutionize carbon capture and storage (CCS). MXenes have several advantages over other CCS materials, such as greater porosity, higher CO2 adsorption capacity, and easier and less expensive production. MBenes are more stable in humid environments and have higher oxidation resistance and thermal conductivity than MXenes, making them a better choice for CCS applications where the CO2 stream is humid, hot, and/or corrosive. MXenes and MBenes have the potential to make CCS more efficient, cost-effective, and versatile.DiscussionWhy are MXenes and MBenes ideal for carbon capture applications?In terms of carbon capture efficiency, how do MXenes and MBenes stack up against other materials such as MOFs, zeolites, and activated carbons?Which are better, MXenes or MBenes, for carbon capture?Why do MXenes and MBenes have a selective affinity to CO2 compared to other gases such as N2 and O2?What is the optimal number of layers for MXenes/MBenes for carbon capture, and does interlayer spacing affect performance?What is the best surface termination for CO2 capture?What happens to the CO2 after it is absorbed onto MXene and MBene surfaces, and how can one remove CO2 that has been adsorbed?What are the major challenges, besides scalability, that need to be overcome for these materials to be practical?How durable and stable are MXenes and MBenes?

The Insignificant Improvement of Corrosion and Corrosion Fatigue Behavior in Geothermal Environment Applying Boehmit Coatings on High Alloyed Steels

The efficacy of alumina-sol based coatings in a water-free atmosphere at high temperatures suggests a potential solution for enhancing the corrosion resistance of high-alloyed steels in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) environments. In this study, coupons of X20Cr13, designed for use as injection pipes with 13% Chromium and 0.20% Carbon (1.4021, AISI 420), were sol-gel coated with water and ethanol-based alumina. These coated coupons were then exposed to CO2-saturated saline aquifer water, simulating conditions in the Northern German Basin, for 1000 h at ambient pressure and 60 °C. Corrosion fatigue experiments were also conducted using specimens of X5CrNiMoCuNb16-4 (1.4542, AISI 630), a suitable candidate for geothermal applications, to assess the impact of the ethanol-based coating on the number of cycles to failure at different stress amplitudes. Unfortunately, the coating exhibited early spallation, resulting in corrosion kinetics and corrosion fatigue data identical to those of uncoated specimens. Consequently, the initially promising Boehmit coating is deemed unsuitable for CCS applications and further research therefore not advisable.

CO2 Joule-Thomson effect: Application on premium connections for CCS well

CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) is a major technology aiming to reduce greenhouse gases and reduce carbon footprint. In these applications, Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) and associated premium connections are used to inject industrial CO2 into stable geological formations such as depleted oil and gas fields or saline aquifers, in liquid or dense phase to permanently store it. While current standards (API RP 5C5, ISO 13,679) allow qualification of premium connections for Oil & Gas application, no standard exists for CCS applications. In that frame, a new test methodology was developed to evaluate the impact of Joule-Thomson effect on premium connection, in the scenario of a CO2 blow-out and intermittent operation of the injection wells, such as shut-in of the subsurface safety valve (SSSV) or injection phase. To confirm that premium connections remain tight and safe after being exposed to a rapid depressurization of CO2, they have been physically tested in a horizontal load frame. The test consisted in the filling of the sample with CO2 up to a minimum of 100 bar and a temperature below 30 °C to ensure liquid state, or above 32 °C to ensure supercritical state inside the sample, and then depressurizing the sample through an orifice of 2 or 4 mm until complete drop of pressure. Minimum measured temperature on outer pipe wall reached around -50 °C before dry ice CO2 formation. Maximum measured gradient of temperature observed was around 70 °C. No leakage nor connection damages were observed during the pressure release sequences. Sealability was then confirmed during the internal pressure and external pressure test performed afterwards.

The impact of thermal transport on reactive THMC model for carbon capture and storage

Addressing current limitations in Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) models is crucial for accurately simulating complex physical and chemical interactions in carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes. This paper presents a new fully coupled THMC model, specifically focusing on investigating thermo-chemo coupling (dissolution) effects for CCS applications. The model is a further extension of the mixture coupling theory, which incorporates entropy and mass balance equations, phenomenological equations, and Maxwell's relations to describe the intricate coupling between mechanical, hydraulic, chemical, and thermal properties. The model considers a two-phase flow, liquid and supercritical. By deriving new coupling terms from the phenomenological equations, the model provides capacity to account for energy losses due to friction between the two phases, along with energy losses arising from the transport of the solute and the evolution of porosity/permeability. Furthermore, the model incorporates an additional coupling term in the mechanical equation to represent the chemical dissolution effect on volumetric strain relief. Two terms added in the liquid equation account for the friction of newly dissolved minerals particles on liquid transport and the effects of porosity changes on liquid flow through dissolution. Finally, Thermal transport coupling is integrated into the model, as it is a crucial part of CCS applications. Numerical results demonstrate that increasing temperature significantly decreases porosity due to thermal expansion, but thermal energy triggers chemical dissolution which in the long run increases both porosity and permeability. Chemical dissolution has the most significant incremental effect on porosity over time, while thermal expansion has the greatest impact until thermal equilibrium is reached, with the direct impacts of pressure and strain on porosity falling in between. This research presents a comprehensive coupling framework that accounts for two-phase friction, the dissolution process, and changing permeability, which gives it potential utility in the planning process for CCS applications.

Subsea Injection Systems Enable Carbon Capture and Sequestration

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 32460, “Subsea CO2 Injection Systems for CCS Applications: Themes, Challenges, and Opportunities,” by Julian P. Tucker and Kamaldip Randhawa, Baker Hughes. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2023 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. _ The complete paper presents a discussion of challenges and opportunities relating to subsea system design for CO2 injection in carbon capture and storage (CCS) applications. The scope of the text includes field development considerations, systems operation and control, intervention, monitoring, and barrier testing. A global review of existing and planned CCS developments is used to identify common system characteristics and core functional requirements. The paper reviews topics associated with CO2 transportation, injection, and storage across multiple disciplines to provide holistic guidance and commentary specifically for subsea system design relating to CO2 injection for CCS applications. Value Drivers For widespread adoption of CCS, dedicated geologic carbon storage (GCS) must be a commercially viable activity. Simply put, the cost of storage per tonne of CO2 must be less than the price that can be charged for storage as a service. Financial incentives also must be present to support the carbon price for development to take place. Transitional incentives to close the gap between costs and the low value of CO2 emissions reduction also may be required to support development. In all cases, however, the common denominator is that the cost of storage per tonne must be as low as possible. This is driven by the capital expenditure and operating costs of a project (as well as post-injection-period obligations), which include the cost of CO2 transportation and injection systems and associated equipment. Types of Transportation and Storage Networks For dedicated GCS, several types of offshore storage systems are available that are linked to different types of emitters, transportation networks, and value chains. Storage systems linked to natural gas processing facilities may be considered single-point emitters. The overall architecture of these systems, however, will depend on where the CO2-rich production stream is processed and separated before reinjection. The most common method of CO2 transportation to offshore locations is through a subsea pipeline, which enables a continuous flow of CO2 and a high system availability. It is worth mentioning that some developments also have considered transportation to offshore storage sites by ship, with injection through an intermediate floating storage vessel. Once installed, a pipeline provides continuous injection with high availability, whereas a vessel will be affected by transit time, weather conditions, downtime caused by maintenance, and high operating costs owing to fuel use. Furthermore, challenges with field expansion also may result.

Investigation on the Amino Acid-Assisted CO2 Hydrates: A Promising Step Toward Hydrate-based Decarbonization

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a promising method for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while the use of fossil fuels is still needed. A hydrate-based technology has gained attention for CCS applications since it provides various advantages, particularly in terms of energy efficiency. However, the slow kinetics of CO2 hydrate formation without promoters has been a challenge for CCS on an industrial scale. In this study, amino acids including leucine, methionine, and valine were used as promoters to investigate their effect on the CO2 hydrate formation using a hybrid combinatorial reactor (HCR) configuration. The amino acids were tested at different concentrations. The results showed that the addition of amino acids had varying effects on CO2 hydrate formation kinetics. The highest rate of hydrate formation was observed in the methionine system. The amino acids and their concentrations had no significant impact on the gas uptake or the conversion of water to hydrates. All systems displayed a similar pattern of hydrate formation morphology. There was no foam formation during the hydrate dissociation, and the hydrate reformed in the reused solution had almost the same gas uptake as the fresh solution. Overall, the use of amino acids with the HCR approach may be a promising option for CCS applications.

Enhancing the realism of decarbonisation scenarios with practicable regional constraints on CO2 storage capacity

• Integrated assessment model scenarios substantially overestimate CO 2 storage potential. • A new storage potential estimate, the investable potential, is introduced. • Reduced CO 2 storage requires faster mitigation and greater use of renewable energy. • Scenarios prioritise very different CCS applications depending on storage availability. • The impact of cross-border trade in CO 2 and low discount rates are also explored. Most low-carbon scenarios produced by integrated assessment models deploy substantial amounts of carbon capture and storage (CCS). These models generally assume that CO 2 storage is a low-cost and globally ubiquitous resource. Here we challenge this assumption, introducing a CO 2 storage potential which accounts for the financial, contractual, and institutional barriers to CO 2 storage, which we term the investable potential. We provide a first estimate of this investable potential and utilise a global energy system model to explore the implications for global and regional mitigation pathways. Our results suggest that low-carbon scenarios which assume abundant CO 2 storage may substantially overestimate the role of CCS in deep decarbonisation, particularly in key regions such as China and India. Limited CO 2 storage leads to mitigation pathways with faster emission reductions and greater reliance on renewable energy for decarbonisation. We demonstrate that the optimal use of CCS depends heavily on the availability of CO 2 storage, with different use-cases prioritised at different scales of storage availability. Finally, we present exploratory analysis on the potential for cross-border trade in captured CO 2 to match sources and sinks. The results of this analysis can help calibrate expectations and inform policy decisions around the role of CCS in addressing climate change.

Fixed Amidst Change: 20 Years of Media Coverage on Carbon Capture and Storage in Germany

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are controversially discussed worldwide. Germany is no exception. Here, CO2 storage is banned, although successful pilot plants were installed in the late 2000s. However, the recent burgeoning political interest in this technology prompts us to investigate why and how the (public) image of CCS technologies has changed over time and with regard to different CCS applications. For this purpose, we examine the coverage of CCS in German newspapers over the last 20 years on the basis of a quantitative analysis of about 4000 newspaper articles. A sample of 571 articles with different political orientations was studied qualitatively to analyse reporting on different CCS frames and actors. We find evidence that the media debate is shifting towards the application of CCS for negative emissions technologies and carbon removal. However, the negative image of CCS connected to coal fired power plants persists, suggesting that public and political support remain a problem for a technology fixed in binary negotiations for or against it.

Social science for the next decade of carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been an object of social science research for nearly two decades now. However, CCS has moved beyond coal-fired electricity, and its roles in industrial decarbonization and atmospheric carbon dioxide removal are newly valued. Is the earlier social science research on CCS applicable to the current moment, or has the context and the object of inquiry changed? This paper assesses whether existing findings are fit-for-purpose, arguing that there are some useful insights, but they have not been applied well to CCS policy and development. The early period of social science research also faces topical and methodological limitations. The paper identifies four areas for social science research for this decade of broader CCS applications — researching CCS in the context of decarbonization, tradeoffs, and a just transition; shifting the focus from “whether” to “how” questions around deployment, including benefits and environmental justice dimensions; exploring new approaches to public engagement globally; and researching how understandings of CCS evolve within the current social media and information landscape.

Effect of Building Block Transformation in Covalent Triazine-Based Frameworks for Enhanced CO2 Uptake and Metal-Free Heterogeneous Catalysis.

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have provided a unique platform in functional material design for a wide range of applications. This work reports a series of new CTFs with two new heteroaromatic building blocks (pyrazole and isoxazole groups) through a building-block transformation approach aiming for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and metal-free catalysis. The CTFs were synthesized from their respective building blocks [(4,4'-(1H-pyrazole-3,5-diyl)dibenzonitrile (pyz) and 4,4'-(isoxazole-3,5-diyl)dibenzonitrile (isox))] under ionothermal conditions using ZnCl2 . Both of the building blocks were designed by an organic transformation of an acetylacetone containing dinitrile linker to pyrazole and isoxazole groups, respectively. Due to this organic transformation, (i) linker aromatization, (ii) higher surface areas and nitrogen contents, (iii) higher aromaticity, and (iv) higher surface basicity was achieved. Due to these enhanced properties, CTFs were explored for CO2 uptake and metal-free heterogeneous catalysis. Among all, the isox-CTF, synthesized at 400 °C, showed the highest CO2 uptake (4.92 mmol g-1 at 273 K and 2.98 mmol g-1 at 298 K at 1 bar). Remarkably, these CTFs showed excellent metal-free catalytic activity for the aerobic oxidation of benzylamine at mild reaction conditions. On studying the properties of the CTFs, it was observed that organic transformations and ligand aromatization of the materials are crucial factor to tune the important parameters that influence the CO2 uptake and the catalytic activity. Overall, this work highlights the substantial effect of designing new CTF materials by building-block organic transformations resulting in better properties for CCS applications and heterogeneous catalysis.

The Role of Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage (Ccs) in Emission Mitigation

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is an important option in the portfolio of emission mitigation technologies in scenarios that lead to deep reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions consistent with limiting increases in global average surface air temperature to 2 degrees Celsius (2C). Industrial CCS applications are more challenging to analyze than CCS in the power sector -- mainly due to the vast heterogeneity in industrial and fuel processes. Our study focuses on the cement industry and provides the estimated costs associated with several CCS options: coal-fired post-combustion capture (PCC), natural gas-fired PCC, and Cryogenic Carbon Capture (CCC). We explore regional cost estimates with variations in costs of capital and fuels to provide a basis for regional and global projections of industrial CCS deployment. We offer a methodology for incorporating the CCS cost information into energy-economic and integrated assessment models. Our methodology can be applied to other applications of CCS in the industrial sector. We illustrate our method by introducing the industrial CCS options into the MIT EPPA model, a global energy-economic model that provides a basis for the analysis of long-term energy deployment, and we discuss different scenarios for industrial CCS deployment in different parts of the world. We tested in the EPPA model the potential for industrial CCS under the assumptions that CCS is the only mitigation option for deep GHG emission reduction in industry and that negative emission options are not available for other sectors of the economy. Overall, industrial CCS enables the continued use of energy-intensive goods with large reductions in global and sectoral emissions. We find that in scenarios with stringent climate policy, CCS in the industry sector is a key mitigation option, and our approach provides a path to projecting the deployment of industrial CCS across industries and regions.

Intrinsic Thermal Management Capabilities of Flexible Metal-Organic Frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Separation and Capture.

We show that flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibiting "gate openings/closings" for CO2 can intrinsically suppress the exothermic heat released by adsorption and the endothermic heat gained by desorption, both of which reduce the working capacity of CO2 in a separation process under near-adiabatic conditions. We use the elastic layer-structured metal-organic framework-11 (ELM-11) [Cu(4,4'-bipyridine)2(BF4)2], which exhibits a two-step gate-adsorption isotherm, as a model system for flexible MOFs, and perform free energy analyses with the aid of grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations for ELM-11 structures that were determined by the Rietveld method using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. We demonstrate that the thermal management capabilities of ELM-11 showing the two-step gating for CO2 at lower and higher pressures are nearly identical and quite effective (41% and 44% at 298 K, respectively). Moreover, we show that ELM-11 has an extremely high CO2 selectivity for both CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 mixtures at 298 K that, in addition to the intrinsic thermal management capability, is a crucial factor for application to carbon capture and storage (CCS). The multigate closing pressures of ELM-11 are not necessarily matched to the operating pressures used in CCS; however, our findings, and perspectives based on free energy analyses regarding modification of the host framework structure to tune the gating pressure, suggest that flexible MOFs exhibiting multigate openings/closings are promising materials for further development into systems with intrinsic thermal management mechanisms for CCS applications.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell short stack performance testing - part B: Operation in carbon capture applications and degradation issues

The need to experimentally understand the performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) stacks under Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) mode operating conditions, hence with anode recirculation, has prompted this two-part study. The steady state performance of a 6-cell short stack of Y2O3 stabilised Zirconia (YSZ) with Ni/YSZ anodes and composite Sr-doped LaMnO3 (LSM)/YSZ cathodes is experimentally evaluated. In Part A, the electrical and environmental performance are assessed and the results are compared with the commercial full-scale micro-Combined Heat and Power system, which comprises the same cells.In Part B of this work, a specific set of stack operating conditions important to CCS applications is explored. The experimental inlet composition is changed in order to reproduce a simulated syngas in CCS mode operation for different fuel utilisation factors. Operation with the simulated anode recycle syngas leads to lower voltage when the anode recycle is lower, mainly due to higher internal reforming and polarisation losses. A clear voltage trend is observed when the amount of CO content in the inlet fuel is increased, signalling an improvement of the polarisation performance at constant current density and fixed inlet equivalent hydrogen content. Stack degradation is measured and results in line with manufacturer's data.

Fighting sustainability challenges on two fronts: Material efficiency and the emerging carbon capture and storage technologies

Technological and regulatory responses to large-scale environmental threats, such as depletion of the natural resources and climate change, tend to focus on one issue at time. Emerging carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that are in different stages of development offer a case that demonstrates this dilemma. This article approximates the implications of two emerging CCS applications on existing steel mill’s CO2 emissions and its use of material resources. The evaluated applications are based on the mineralization method and the comparative case represents two versions of a geological CCS method. The results of the evaluation indicate that if technical bottleneck issues related to CO2 sequestration with mineralization can be solved, it can be possible to achieve a similar CO2 reduction performance with mineralization-based CCS applications as with more conventional CCS applications. If the CO2 capturing potential of mineralization-based applications could be taken into use, it could also enable the significant improvement of material efficiency of industrial operations. Urgent problem hampering the development of mineralization-based CCS applications is that the policy regimes related to CCS especially in the European Union (EU) do not recognize mineralization as a CCS method. Article suggests that the focus in the future evaluations and in policy should not be directed only on CO2 sequestration capacity of CCS applications. Similarly important is to consider their implications on material efficiency. Article also outlines modifications to the EU’s CCS policy in terms of the formal terminology.

CO2 Capture and Storage in Coal Gasification Projects

In response to the global climate change problem, the world community today is in search for an effective means of carbon mitigation. India is a major developing economy and the economic growth is driven by ever-increasing consumption of energy. Coal is the only fossil fuel that is available in abundance in India and contributes to the major share of the total primary energy supply (TPES) in the country. Owing to the large unmet demand for affordable energy, primarily driven by the need for infrastructure development and increasing incomes and aspirations of people, as well as the energy security concerns, India is expected to have continued dependence on coal. Coal is not only the backbone of the electric power generation, but many major industries like cement, iron and steel, bricks, fertilizers also consume large quantities of coal. India has very low carbon emissions (∼ 1.5 tCO2 per capita) as compared to the world average (4.7 tCO2 per capita) and the developed world (11.2 tCO2 per capita). Although the aggregate emissions of the country are increasing with the rising population and fossil energy use, India has a very little contribution to the historical GHG accumulation in the atmosphere linked to the climate change problem. However, a large fraction of the Indian society is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – due to its geographical location, large dependence on monsoon-based agriculture and limited technical, financial and institutional capacity. Today, India holds a large potential to offer cost-effective carbon mitigation to tackle the climate change problem. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is the process of extraction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from industrial and energy related sources, transport to storage locations and long-term isolation from the atmosphere. It is a technology that has been developed in recent times and is considered as a bridging technology as we move towards carbon-neutral energy sources in response to the growing concerns about climate change problem. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is being considered as a promising carbon mitigation technology, especially for large point sources such as coal power plants. Gasification of coal helps in better utilization of this resource offering multiple advantages such as pollution prevention, product flexibility (syngas and hydrogen) and higher efficiency (combined cycle). It also enables the capture of CO2 prior to the combustion, from the fuel gas mixture, at relatively lesser cost as compared to the post-combustion CO2 capture. CCS in gasification projects is considered as a promising technology for cost-effective carbon mitigation. Although many projects (power and non-power) have been announced internationally, very few large-scale projects have actually come up. This paper looks at the various aspects of CCS applications in gasification projects, including the technical feasibility and economic viability and discusses an Indian perspective. Impacts of including CCS in gasification projects (e.g. IGCC plants) have been assessed using a simulation tool. Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM) – a modelling framework to simulate power plants – has been used to estimate the implications of adding CCS units in IGCC plants, on their performance and costs.

Techno-economic comparison between different technologies for CO2-free power generation from coal

Since coal will be widely used in the next decades, mainly in the developing countries such as China and India, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies will have a key role in the containment of global warming.This paper presents a techno-economic comparison between the most promising power generation technologies for a CO2-free power generation in a short-term future. In particular, three different power generation technologies have been considered in their conventional (without CCS) and CO2-free configurations: (a) ultra supercritical (USC) pulverized coal combustion, (b) oxy-coal combustion (OCC) and (c) integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). Process simulation, based on Aspen Plus and Gate Cycle commercial tools, allows to calculate plant performance, including the energy penalty due to the CCS system (10.9% points for USC and 8.7% points for IGCC). In parallel, a detailed economic assessment shows that, among the commercial-ready technologies, USC could be the most convenient solution for power generation without CCS (presenting a levelized cost of electricity – LCOE – of 38.6€/MWh, significantly lower than 43.7€/MWh of IGCC), whereas IGCC becomes competitive for CO2-free systems (with a LCOE of 59.6€/MWh, to be compared with 63.4€/MWh of USC). Moreover, oxy-coal combustion, which is currently not mature enough for commercial-scale applications, promises to become strongly competitive for CCS applications due to its relatively low levelized cost of electricity (62.8€/MWh).This kind of analysis typically presents strong uncertainties, due to the variability of several key parameters (e.g. fuel and CCS prices, determined by the fluctuation of the international markets, or an improvement of the technologies). Therefore, a sensitivity analysis has been done to determine the effects of these potential fluctuation or the improvement on the economic performance of the plant.

Why CCS? Milestone on Research and Regulation Coverages

<p>Further to Kyoto Protocol, again in 2009 G-20 Pittsburg Summit, Indonesia delivered the commitment on reducing 26% on its emission level. Moreover, as non-annex 1 country, Indonesia shows strong and bold commitment in supporting reduction on increased concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as burning the fossil fuels and deforestation. From the energy sector, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is known as a process of capturing waste carbon dioxide (CO2) from large point sources and depositing it normally at an underground geological formation. CCS becomes now as one of the possible supports to the country commitment. In Indonesia, the potential of CCS applications could be conducted in the gas fields with high content of CO2 and in almost depleted oil fields (by applying CO2-Enchanced Oil Recovery (EOR) The CCS approach could also be conducted in order to increase hydrocarbon production, and at the same time the produced CO2 will be injected and storage it back to the earth. Thus, CCS is a mitigation process in enhancing carbon emission reduction caused by green house effect from production hydrocarbon fields.</p><p>This paper will show a proposed milestone on CCS Research roadmap, as steps to be taken in reaching the objective. The milestone consists of the study for identifying potential CO2 sources, evaluating CO2 storage sites, detail study related to CO2 storage selection, CO2 injection, and CO2 injection monitoring. Through these five steps, one can expect to be able to comprehend road map of CCS Research. Through this research milestone, applications of CCS should also be conducted based on the regulatory coverage milestone. From this paper, it is hoped that one can understand the upstream activities starting with research milestone to the very end downstream activities regarding to the regulation coverage bound. </p><p><em><strong>Keywords</strong></em>: CCS, reduction of carbon emission, regulation umbrella </p>