Carbon Capture and Storage- A Solution in the Fight against Global Warming

08/06/2010

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) consists of recovering carbon dioxide from the source as soon as it is emitted and then trapping it in geological formations on land or at sea. According to the IPCC (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), this technique could be used to handle 20-40% of global carbon emissions by 2050. For the moment, the technologies available remain mostly experimental and need to be extended, particularly to reduce costs. However, with a growing number of projects focusing on this area worldwide, this type of solution could become more achievable on a large scale soon.

Nowadays, improving energy efficiency or using renewable energy are the favored methods for combating the increase in atmospheric carbon concentration. However, the scenario that many experts foresee is that energy demand will continue to grow between now and 2030; and that 80% of this growing demand will be met by fossil fuels, which have a high carbon footprint. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), carbon emissions will exceed 37 billion tons per year by 2030, compared to the current figure of 30 billon tons. Therefore, new solutions must be found and combined to combat atmospheric carbon emissions. CCS is one of them.

Carbon Capture, Transport and Storage- And Overview of Techniques

Capturing carbon emitted by smokestacks involves first and foremost separating it from other smoke components. This is a highly complex, technically challenging process.

Projects to Improve Technologies

Accelerating the rollout of geological carbon capture and storage means industrializing the processes involved. Pilot sites have been launched throughout the world to meet the technological and economic challenges this entails.