The Future of Coal: Carbon Capture and

Storage

The Future of Coal: Carbon Capture and

StorageDmitri MalininFall 2006CBE 555

Dmitri MalininFall 2006CBE 555

Presentation OverviewPresentation OverviewPlan to Keep Carbon in Check

Background Overview of PlanHow Carbon Capture and Storage Fits

InAction Plan

Current Implementation of CCSCCS TechnologySummary

Plan to Keep Carbon in CheckBackground Overview of PlanHow Carbon Capture and Storage Fits

InAction Plan

Current Implementation of CCSCCS TechnologySummary

BackgroundBackground

Ominous harbingers of global warmingDriving governments and companies

to evaluate fossil fuel useCurrently the fossil fuel industries:

Dig up and pump out ~7 billion tons of carbon/yr

Society burns nearly all of it

Ominous harbingers of global warmingDriving governments and companies

to evaluate fossil fuel useCurrently the fossil fuel industries:

Dig up and pump out ~7 billion tons of carbon/yr

Society burns nearly all of it

BackgroundBackground

Danger boundary exists at doubling pre-Industrial Revolution carbon conc.

Avoiding danger zone would reduce chances of triggering, major irreversible climate changes E.g. Greenland ice

cap disappearance

Danger boundary exists at doubling pre-Industrial Revolution carbon conc.

Avoiding danger zone would reduce chances of triggering, major irreversible climate changes E.g. Greenland ice

cap disappearance

Future ScenariosFuture Scenarios

Future Separated into two 50-year scenarios:

1) Emissions rate continues to grow at pace of last 30 years for the next 50 years, reaching 14 billion tons carbon/yr in 2056

2) Emissions are frozen at the present rates of 7 billion tons/yr for the next 50 years, then cut in half for the subsequent 50 years

Future Separated into two 50-year scenarios:

1) Emissions rate continues to grow at pace of last 30 years for the next 50 years, reaching 14 billion tons carbon/yr in 2056

2) Emissions are frozen at the present rates of 7 billion tons/yr for the next 50 years, then cut in half for the subsequent 50 years

“Stabilization Triangle”“Stabilization Triangle”

The stabilization triangle represents difference between two emissions scenariosRepresents total emissions cuts that

climate-friendly technologies must achieve in the coming 50 years

Triangle divided into 7 wedgesEach a reduction of 25 billion tons of

carbon over 50 years

The stabilization triangle represents difference between two emissions scenariosRepresents total emissions cuts that

climate-friendly technologies must achieve in the coming 50 years

Triangle divided into 7 wedgesEach a reduction of 25 billion tons of

carbon over 50 years

Wedge FrameworkWedge Framework

Allowed to count as wedges only differences in two 2056 worlds as result of deliberate carbon policyBelief that cars will be more efficient

regardless of emission policy does not count

Allowed to only count strategies involving currently commercialized technologies

Allowed to count as wedges only differences in two 2056 worlds as result of deliberate carbon policyBelief that cars will be more efficient

regardless of emission policy does not count

Allowed to only count strategies involving currently commercialized technologies

Why Carbon Capture and Storage?

Why Carbon Capture and Storage?

Coal has become more competitive source of powerEnergy security concerns Increase in the cost of oil and gas

Carbon plant burns twice the carbon per unit of electricity as natural gas plant

Coal has become more competitive source of powerEnergy security concerns Increase in the cost of oil and gas

Carbon plant burns twice the carbon per unit of electricity as natural gas plant

Why Carbon Capture and Storage?

Why Carbon Capture and Storage?

Absence of concern World’s coal utilities could build few thousand conventional coal plants in next 50 years700 of these plants emit one carbon

wedgeProjection that 6 out of 14 billion

tons of carbon emissions will come from power generation, mostly from coal

Absence of concern World’s coal utilities could build few thousand conventional coal plants in next 50 years700 of these plants emit one carbon

wedgeProjection that 6 out of 14 billion

tons of carbon emissions will come from power generation, mostly from coal

Why Carbon Capture and Storage?

Why Carbon Capture and Storage?

New coal plants should be built with carbon capture technology in placeMore expensive to revamp existing

facilitiesOil prices driving down the cost of

transition Captured CO2 can be sold to oil

companiesThe higher price of oil, the more

valuable the CO2

New coal plants should be built with carbon capture technology in placeMore expensive to revamp existing

facilitiesOil prices driving down the cost of

transition Captured CO2 can be sold to oil

companiesThe higher price of oil, the more

valuable the CO2

Action PlanAction Plan

To routinely use carbon capture and storageRequires institutions that reliably

communicate a price for the present and future

Price estimate of ~$100-200/ton of carbon

Price range makes it cheaper for owners of coal plants to capture and store CO2

To routinely use carbon capture and storageRequires institutions that reliably

communicate a price for the present and future

Price estimate of ~$100-200/ton of carbon

Price range makes it cheaper for owners of coal plants to capture and store CO2

Action PlanAction Plan

Governments need to stimulate commercialization of low-carbon technologies to increase number of competitive options in future

Policies to prevent construction of long-lived facilities that are mismatched to future policyUtilities need to be encourage to

invest in carbon capture and storage, because of retrofit costs to older technology

Governments need to stimulate commercialization of low-carbon technologies to increase number of competitive options in future

Policies to prevent construction of long-lived facilities that are mismatched to future policyUtilities need to be encourage to

invest in carbon capture and storage, because of retrofit costs to older technology

Action PlanAction Plan

To keep atmospheric CO2 concentration levels below risk level requiresPower industry start commercial-

scale CCS within few years and expand rapidly thereafter

In combination with other “wedge” captures

To keep atmospheric CO2 concentration levels below risk level requiresPower industry start commercial-

scale CCS within few years and expand rapidly thereafter

In combination with other “wedge” captures

Geologic Storage StrategyGeologic Storage Strategy

Procedure for CCS involveSeparation of CO2 created by

generation of energy from coalTransport to sites where it can be

stored underground in porous mediaDepleted oil or gas fields or saline

formations (permeable geologic strata filled with salty water)

Procedure for CCS involveSeparation of CO2 created by

generation of energy from coalTransport to sites where it can be

stored underground in porous mediaDepleted oil or gas fields or saline

formations (permeable geologic strata filled with salty water)

Geologic Storage StrategyGeologic Storage Strategy

Carbon capture technologies have been deployed world-wideManufacture of chemicals Purification of natural gas

contaminated with “sour gas” Industry has significant experience

with CCS in:Natural gas purification in Canada CO2 injections to boost crude output

Carbon capture technologies have been deployed world-wideManufacture of chemicals Purification of natural gas

contaminated with “sour gas” Industry has significant experience

with CCS in:Natural gas purification in Canada CO2 injections to boost crude output

Main Concerns IssuesMain Concerns Issues

Sudden EscapeSudden release of CO2 could be lethal

Gradual EscapeNegates the purpose of putting it in the

ground 2005 IPCC report estimated that in

appropriately selected and managed reservoirs, fraction retained Likely to exceed 99% over 100 yearsLikely to exceed 99% over 1000 years

Sudden EscapeSudden release of CO2 could be lethal

Gradual EscapeNegates the purpose of putting it in the

ground 2005 IPCC report estimated that in

appropriately selected and managed reservoirs, fraction retained Likely to exceed 99% over 100 yearsLikely to exceed 99% over 1000 years

Technology Choices-Conventional

Technology Choices-Conventional

Conventional pulverized-coal steam cycleBurns coal in boilerHeat generated in combustion

generates steamSteam turns turbineElectricity from mech. energy with

generator

Conventional pulverized-coal steam cycleBurns coal in boilerHeat generated in combustion

generates steamSteam turns turbineElectricity from mech. energy with

generator

Technology Choices-Conventional

Technology Choices-Conventional

Modern plantsParticulates and oxides of sulfur and

nitrogen removed from flue gasDisadvantage of CCS

Flue gases contains substantial amounts of nitrogen

CO2 recovered at low temp. and press. from large volumes of gas

Processes energy-intensive and expensive

Modern plantsParticulates and oxides of sulfur and

nitrogen removed from flue gasDisadvantage of CCS

Flue gases contains substantial amounts of nitrogen

CO2 recovered at low temp. and press. from large volumes of gas

Processes energy-intensive and expensive

Technology Choices-IGCCTechnology Choices-IGCC

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) more cost and energy effective than conventional pulverized-coal steam cycle

Gasification systems recover CO2 from a gaseous stream at high concentration and pressure

Pre-combustion removal of pollutants Realize very-low emissions at reduced

cost and energy penalty

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) more cost and energy effective than conventional pulverized-coal steam cycle

Gasification systems recover CO2 from a gaseous stream at high concentration and pressure

Pre-combustion removal of pollutants Realize very-low emissions at reduced

cost and energy penalty

Technology ChoicesTechnology Choices

Captured CO2 transported by pipeline to suitable geologic storage sites and subsequent subterranean storage

Pressure produced during capture used to transport

Captured CO2 transported by pipeline to suitable geologic storage sites and subsequent subterranean storage

Pressure produced during capture used to transport

CostsCosts

Cost of CCS depend onType of power plantDistance to storage siteProperties of the storage reservoir Availability of opportunities for selling

capture CO2

Cost of CCS will dampen demand for electricityEnergy efficient and renewable energy

products more desirable to consumers

Cost of CCS depend onType of power plantDistance to storage siteProperties of the storage reservoir Availability of opportunities for selling

capture CO2

Cost of CCS will dampen demand for electricityEnergy efficient and renewable energy

products more desirable to consumers

SummarySummary

Need to implement initiative for holding carbon emission levels constant for next 50 years

Coal is abundant source of energy Need to control emissions from coal-

powered plants through CCS IGCC plant is most feasible choice for

CCS Cost of CCS will create drivers for

energy efficiency

Need to implement initiative for holding carbon emission levels constant for next 50 years

Coal is abundant source of energy Need to control emissions from coal-

powered plants through CCS IGCC plant is most feasible choice for

CCS Cost of CCS will create drivers for

energy efficiency

ReferencesReferences

“A Plant to Keep Carbon in Check”, Socolow & Pacala, Scientific American, September 2006.

“Can we bury Global Warming?”, Socolow, Scientific American, July 2005.

“What to do about Coal”, Hawkins, Lashof, & Williams, Scientific American, September 2006.

“A Plant to Keep Carbon in Check”, Socolow & Pacala, Scientific American, September 2006.

“Can we bury Global Warming?”, Socolow, Scientific American, July 2005.

“What to do about Coal”, Hawkins, Lashof, & Williams, Scientific American, September 2006.