Carbon capture and storage, more commonly known as CCS, refers to the
technology that attempts to capture carbon dioxide from a human-created
source—-often industry and power generation systems—-and then store it
in permanent geologic reservoirs so that it never enters the atmosphere.
The United States is the leading funder of large-scale CCS projects,
followed by the European Union and Canada. The new Worldwatch report,
part of the Institute’s Vital Signs Online series analyzing key global
trends, discusses a variety of new CCS projects and facilities
throughout the world. Among these is the Century Plant in the United
States, which began operating in 2010.
”Although CCS technology has the potential to significantly reduce
carbon dioxide emissions—-particularly when used in greenhouse
gas-intensive coal plants—-developing the CCS sector to the point that
it can make a serious contribution to emissions reduction will require
large-scale investment,” said report author and Worldwatch Sustainable
Energy Fellow, Matthew Lucky. ”Capacity will have to be increased
several times over before CCS can begin to make a dent in global
emissions.” Currently, the storage capacity of all active and planned
large-scale CCS projects is equivalent to only about 0.5 percent of the
emissions from energy production in 2010.
The prospects for future development and application of CCS
technology will be influenced by a variety of factors, according to the
report. This March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed
regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. As a result,
U.S. power producers would soon be unable to build traditional coal
plants without carbon-control capabilities (including CCS). The
technology will likely become increasingly important as power producers
adjust to the new regulations.
Globally, an international regulatory framework for CCS is
developing slowly, and the technology has been factored into
international climate negotiations. Its classification as a Clean
Development Mechanism—-a measure created through the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change that allows industrialized
countries to gain credit for emissions reductions they achieve through
funding development projects in developing countries—-has raised
objections, however, from those who argue that it risks prolonging the
use of carbon-intensive industries.
”CCS technology is worth exploring as one of a large array of
potential strategies for slowing the buildup of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere,” said Worldwatch President Robert Engelman. “But as this
report demonstrates, right now there’s little progress in realizing this
potential. A technology capable of permanently sequestering large
amounts of carbon will be expensive, and so far the world’s markets and
governments haven’t assigned much value to carbon or to the prevention
of human-caused climate change. Ultimately, that will be needed for real
progress in CCS development and implementation.”
Further highlights:
- There are now seven large-scale CCS plants under construction
worldwide, bringing the total annual storage capacity of plants either
operating or under construction to nearly 35 million tons of carbon
dioxide a year.
- According to the International Energy Agency, an additional $2.5-3
trillion will need to be invested in CCS between 2010 and 2050 in order
to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century.
- On average, $5-6.5 billion a year will need to be invested in CCS globally until 2020 for the development of this technology.
- About 76 percent of global government funding for large-scale CCS has been allocated to power generation projects.
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