The use of coal will continue the world over because of its abundant and cheap supply, but Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) can be a crucial technology to check its global-warming carbon dioxide emissions, says a new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The CCS deployment will not only help check greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but also offer a commercial opportunity to businesses, adds the study
The Future of Coal couldn’t have come at a better time. Efforts to deploy CCS the world over have been picking up of late. CCS is a carbon abatement technology for the capture of carbon dioxide either before or after combustion of fossil fuels and storing it safely under the ground in depleted oil and gas fields. The technology can enable up to 90% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from new plants. Old plants can be also retrofitted with the technology. Burning of clean coal can improve results. The Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change and others have estimated that CCS technology has the potential to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide by up to 28% the world over, including in China and India, by 2050.
Says Jon Gibbins of the Imperial College, London, who is also a principal investigator, UK Carbon Capture and Storage Consortium, “The CCS is a new solution to break the link between fossil fuel consumption and global warming.” Adds Debbie Stockwell, policy adviser, carbon capture & storage in developing countries, Defra, “There is no viable alternative to the use of fossil fuels and the CCS ensures that carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption will stay in the ground.” Defra is the UK governments department for environment, food and rural affairs.
Using the CCS technology for power plants can be particularly helpful in checking global warming to a large extent because their emissions contribute one-third of global carbon dioxide emissions. India is the fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide and two-thirds of it comes from coal-fired power plants. Though India is tapping into renewables, most of the energy generation is likely to come from coal-fired power plants for decades to come.
There are unresolved issues, though. Technology is not new, but it is yet to be demonstrated commercially on a large scale anywhere in the world. Says Murari Lal, adviser, Reliance Energy, “Indian industry is open minded, but the technology has to be proven, robust and safe for people, agriculture and industry.” While the US is testing pre-combustion technology for coal power stations, Norway is focussing on post-combustion technology for natural gas power plants. Germany and Japan are also experimenting with technology. The EU is proposing to set up 12 CCS demonstration projects in the coming decade.
But its the UK that is vying to take a leadership position by aiming not only to test the technology for itself, but also to demonstrate it for emerging economies. Says John Ashton, special representative for Climate Change in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK government, “We are keen to accelerate the deployment of the CCS to check global warming.” The UK has an advantage particularly in project conceptualisation, design and management because London is not only a financial hub but also the biggest carbon market in the world. The country’s demonstration project plans to use post-combustion CCS technology to sequester gas in the North Sea by 2014. Says Rachel Crisp, deputy director, carbon capture & storage demonstration project team, department of business enterprise & regulatory reform, UK, “We want to not only demonstrate successful deployment of the technology, but also show our competence in capacity building for making carbon capture ready power plants.”
There are country specific issues, too. Lack of enough geological storage spaces like exhausted oil fields can prove to be hindrances for countries like India. Most importantly, the regulatory framework needs to be put in place to take care of liabilities arising out of leakages, if any. Experts like Gordon MacKerron, director, Sussex Energy Group, says there is no cause for concern. He says, “Since oil wells have stored oil for long, they should be able to store carbon dioxide, too.”
Research is also being conducted in India. The department of science & technology, Geological Survey of India and other stakeholders are evaluating options. Some have already taken first steps. NTPC has already signed up a project with International Energy Agency. ONGC is partnering with Norways StatoilHydro to explore carbon management, including carbon capture, projects. Most of the Indian industry leaders are adopting a wait and watch approach, though. Says V Raghuraman, a senior energy adviser with the CII, “The CCS is not a single stop solution for developing countries like India. We have to see ourselves as part of the solution rather than the problem, look at opportunities, and then weigh our options accordingly.”
The media trip to the UK was facilitated by the British High Commission in New Delhi.
Source: The Financial Express
Published on 24 March 2008