CO2 DeepStore - CO2 Capture and Storage

What is CCS? • The CO₂ Storage Process (Illustration) • Climate Change • CO₂facts

Carbon Dioxide is produced whenever fossil fuels are burned. In the UK in 2005, 208 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions were emitted as a result of power generation. This is 37% of the total UK emissions. Unlike transport or residential emissions, power generation represents very large point sources of CO₂. This opens an opportunity to collect these emissions (capture) and place them into secure long term geological storage deep underground in the huge network of microscopic pore space of sandstone rocks.

Carbon Capture and Storage has three phases:

Capture - using proven technology similar to that used in many oil refineries, the pre-combustion fuel or post combustion flue gas from power stations can be processed to remove the CO₂. This is then dried and compressed ready for transport.

Transportation - the captured CO₂ is then pumped along pipelines which transport it from the power stations to the storage location. Typically in the UK, this is likely to be in deep geological formations located offshore.

Storage - then using conventional oil field technology, the CO₂ is injected deep underground into carefully selected formations which have the capacity to store large amounts of CO₂ safely and indefinitely.

co2 diagram

With Carbon Capture and Storage power can continue to be produced from our depleting fossil fuel reserves, but without creating CO₂ emissions which cause climate change. This will create a window of opportunity of between 50-100 years during which the world can make a controlled change away from a carbon based economy.

There is a small additional energy penalty to operate CSS. Power is required to capture the CO₂, compress and transport it and finally to inject it deep underground. This means that more fuel will be required to generate the decarbonised electricity. The costs associated with capture, transportation, storage and the long term monitoring of the storage site will increase the price of electricity by between 1 and 2 pence per KWh. A small price to save the planet!