Hi guys! I’ve talked a lot about carbon emissions the past few weeks, specifically sharing how you can reduce your carbon emissions. Unfortunately though, it will most likely be impossible to get carbon emissions completely down to zero.
That’s where a technology called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) comes in, which has actually been around since 1972. To put it in simple terms, CCS captures CO2 before it is released into the atmosphere by power plants and injects it back underground.
For those who like to understand the science behind things, CCS occurs when exhaust from smokestacks is cooled and then sent to an absorber, where a solution containing chemicals called amines separates the CO2 from the exhaust, leaving behind carbon-free exhaust to release into the air. The CO2 is then separated from the amines and gets compressed into a liquid, allowing easy transport.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are already being put to work all around the globe, currently removing around 50 million tons of CO2 a year, which is around how much a country like Greece or Peru produces.
CCS also has many exciting applications. For one, it can be used in greenhouses to accelerate the growth of plants. We could also use it to grow algae and bacteria, which in turn can be used to develop biofuels. Imagine the possibilities within the agricultural sector!
Companies are also working on developing plastics, cement, fuels and even ordinary things like baking soda, bleach and ink out of CO2. It is clear that CCS could act as a two-for-one combo, increasing their appeal.
Eventually, we may even be able to develop CCS systems that take CO2 directly from the air, although this is still too far down the line to be put on a broad scale.
The biggest issue with CCS currently is location. Captured CO2 can only be stored in a place with porous rock and a layer of rock overtop to trap it in. Putting CCS in the wrong place can be extremely dangerous, causing earthquakes and other natural disasters to occur.
If CO2 does leak from its storage place, this can cause disasters including suffocation. However, properly stored CO2 has a retention rate of 99% over 1000 years, so we just need to make sure we are undergoing the proper steps.
Another challenge that comes with using CCS is building the proper infrastructure. We will need thousands of miles of pipes to transfer pressurized carbon, something we do not have right now.
The other drawback of CCS is the cost. It has been estimated to increase the price of power in a coal or gas power plant by nearly two times.
Other clean energy sources like solar and wind energy remain much cheaper. However, this is not to say the CCS will not have its place. I propose using a combination of all these renewable energy sources and carbon removal tools in order to be the most effective.
It will be interesting to see what combination of technology will prove to be the solution to climate change. I have high hopes for CCS and can’t wait to see where it goes!
Elena