7.+CARBON+CAPTURE+AND+SEQUESTRATION

=Chapter 7: AB=

= **__ What is Carbon Capture and sequestration and is it possible. __** = = = = - The idea or carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is compelling. In theory, the world could capture all or CO2 emissions by fossil fuel electricity plants and release the CO2 deep underground below the ocean. = = - It means we could still be able to use coal to produce energy without contributing to Global warming and the destruction of human civilization in the process. = = - So far no governments or companies have built a large scale demonstration project on sequestering large amounts of CO2 from power plants. = = - Although all the machines needed for sequestering have been made and tested but only on a small scale and all of them worked properly. = = - But all these components haven’t yet been implemented on a large-enough scale to build some degree of confidence necessary for the world to accept and to use to solve its climate crisis. = =**__ How CO2 sequestrated. __**= = - How is carbon dioxide sequestrated? When the coal is burned the carbon dioxide gas is separated from the other gases. = = - It is then pressurized which turns it into a liquid for and it is then pumped through pipes thousands of feet below the earth’s surface into the natural rock formations the high pressure and temperatures of this keep the gas in it super critical state. = = = =**__ False Promises __**= = - CCS might be available in a large scale enough to make a dent in our CO2 emissions = = - CCS could become one of the viable solutions for global warming = = - Some coal companies and coal burning utilities have promoted the idea that CCS is actually possible = = - The public and policy makers believe that CCS is available so they are persuaded to allow utilities to continue building coal fired generating plants = = - Coal companies care that there is a price put on CO2 because they believe it would allow electric generation technologies like natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar to capture their market share = = - Utilities now use CCS as an excuse for inaction = =**__ The Cost of Carbon __**= = - 75 percent of the estimated cost involved in CCS is in the energy required to capture CO2 from the exhaust emissions of generating plants = = - This brings up an enormous challenge because there is only little CO2 that is coming out of the plants exhaust and this small percentage means that high volumes of gas will have to be treated in order for the CO2 to be removed. = = - 99% of all coal fired plants in America use pulverized coal (when coal is mixed with air) and produces gasses that are made up of 10 – 15% CO2 = = - Huge sums of money are required on a frequent basis to keep the plant operating. = = - These plants are older and thermally inefficient which would cost them a huge energy penalty and many experts are saying using CCS on them should be practical and will reduce the CO2 emissions. = = - Older and newer power plants alike would require substantial new parts like turbines, Gas cleanup systems and other significant components. = = - These expenses will increase because the same factors that produced unsustainable hikes in construction of nuclear power plants have also been driving up construction costs for coal power plants. = = - Significant amounts of energy are needed to compress the CO2 into its supercritical state before it can be transported to the dumpsite via pipelines. = =**__ Safe Storage __**= = - More than half of where all coal fired power plants are located have been identified by geologists as a safe place for Carbon sequestration to take place. = = - Scientists are not sure whether to start embarking on huge carbon capture and sequestration problems because they are not sure how long the rock formatrio ns can hold the CO2 before it escapes into the atmosphere. = = - On the other hand some experts are saying that the CO2 underground will stay underground forever becaue the rock formations are tigntly packed and the CO2 will become a part of the rock formations =