Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an energy transition and negative emissions technology storing CO2 directly in geological formations. Used properly, CCS will enable high-energy industries and high heat and emissions industries time to develop low carbon alternatives to burning coal, oil or gas. It will also provide a storage solution for upcoming concepts like Biofuel Energy and Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) which aim to reverse carbon emissions. However, capturing carbon and geostoring is energy intensive and hence has a cost. First generation capture technology, retrofitted to conventional power stations in which CO2 emerges as dilute, low-pressure flue gas pay a 30% to 60% energy penalty for the capture and burial of the CO2. This penalty will reduce with new generation capture, especially when fitted to pre-combustion or oxy-fuel power stations and other industrial plants but it will never be zero.
Currently, humanity releases to the atmosphere about 36 billion tonnes of CO2 per year but only captures and geostores about one ten thousandth of the annual emission. And yet CCS is being relied upon to capture up to one seventh of the annual emissions; a thousand fold increase is required. Geostorage of CO2 is no more a technical challenge than producing petroleum and the petroleum industry has already demonstrated this in CO2 enhanced oil recovery, a process that was first tried in Hungary back in the 1950s and which today sees in excess of 50 million tonnes of CO2 injected into oilfields each year.
Although the technical risk is small, the “carbon chain” risk is large in that successful storage requires so many sectors to agree a plan from the emitter, the capturer, the transporter, the storer and finally the guardian to ensure the CO2 doesn’t leak. Finance is also challenging. Who pays?
This workshop welcomes contributions from all sectors including but not limited to: Oil, Gas, Coal, Power, Capture, Transport and Construction companies. Contributions from policy makers and economists are also welcome. And finally, contributions from CO2 hub developers are especially welcome.
The aim of this conference is to explore how best to scale up a thousand fold geostorage of CO2. Prospective contributors should consider one or more of the following questions in preparation of their submission:
The virtual workshop will be over four days, three speakers per day followed by a Q and A session. Each day will cover a specific topic.
More details to follow shortly
Log in to Submit a Comment
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) does not endorse or recommend any products and services that may be cited, used or discussed in AAPG publications or in presentations at events associated with AAPG.