As the MIT Energy Conference approaches, we would like to provide you with background material on carbon capture and sequestration. This technology is actively discussed in the power generation and global warming dialogue today and is sure to be an important part of solving energy challenges. Our carbon capture and sequestration panel organizers, led by Michael Hamilton, have assembled a fantastic array of content for you to learn more about the topic. To get started, below are links to several sites providing useful background information. Additional posts will provide you further context on the key issues involved. Enjoy reading and we look forward to seeing you at the conference!
Introductory Material
CCS at MIT: http://sequestration.mit.edu/
This is the homepage of the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies Program at MIT. The Program conducts research into technologies to capture, utilize, and store CO2 from large stationary sources. The research examines sequestration from multiple perspectives, including technical, economic, and political.
IPCC Special Report on CCS: http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/special-reports.htm
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produced its report on CCS in 2005 and is a good resource on all aspects of the technology, cost and policy. Of particular interest to those new to the field are the Technical Summary and Summary for Policymakers.
DOE CCS Program: http://www.fossil.energy.gov/sequestration/
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funds and conducts research into many scientific and engineering aspects of CCS. Despite the difficulties encountered by the FutureGen project, the DOE continues to support CCS.
CSLF webpage: http://www.cslforum.org/
The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) is an initiative comprising national government entities, whose goal is the development of improved technologies and policies for CCS. Most of the world’s major producers and consumers of coal are represented on the CSLF.
Greenpeace comment on CCS: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/tags/css
Environmental watchdog group Greenpeace released this statement in 2005 after the UK Government announced £25 million ($50 million) in funding for CCS research, development and demonstration.
MIT’s “Future of Coal” Study: http://web.mit.edu/coal/
This 2007 study focuses on the future of coal in a carbon constrained world, and evaluates the technologies and costs to make possible the capture and sequestration (CCS) of carbon dioxide from coal-fired power generation. The study concludes that coal will continue to play a large part in our energy supply despite likely regulations on carbon dioxide, highlighting the need for development of CCS technologies in the near term. Panel Moderator Howard Herzog is one of the authors of the report.
“After Washington Pulls Plug on FutureGen, Clean Coal Hopes Flicker”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120192661667637793.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
In January 2008, the US Department of Energy (DOE) pulled the government share of funding for the $1.8 billion FutureGen project, which would have been the US’s first full-scale power plant with carbon capture and sequestration. Left disappointed was the FutureGen Industrial Alliance, who was funding the reminder of the project and that features coal-fired utilities such as American Electric Power (AEP), who is represented on our panel. FutureGen was to demonstrate integrated gasification-combined cycle (IGCC) generation technology as well as pre-combustion solvent capture of CO2. Now, the DOE instead expects to allocate funding across several diversified CCS projects instead of one large project.
IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage: http://arch.rivm.nl/env/int/ipcc/pages_media/SRCCS-final/IPCCSpecialReportonCarbondioxideCaptureandStorage.htm
This is the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s comprehensive summary report of the technological possibility of capture CO2¬ and permanently sequestering it in geologic structures. Especially check out Chapter 5 on “Underground geologic storage” to learn why we know CO2 can be stored underground for thousands of years.
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