Transcript CCS&Envrion

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE
IN THE POWER SECTOR: R&D PRIORITIES FOR INDIA,
New Delhi 22-23 Jan 2008
THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL
IMPACTS OF
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE
________________________________________________________________________
Dr Murari Lal
Advisor & Head (EHS)
Reliance Energy Limited, NOIDA
January 23, 2008
Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change & CCS Technology
Since the industrial revolution we have seen an
increase in greenhouse gas emissions that has caused
the global climate to change. In the case of carbon
dioxide this is around 30% more than pre-industrial
levels.
This increase in greenhouse pollution is due to our
continued reliance on energy technologies based on
fossil fuels - a legacy of the industrial age.
Alternative
technologies
that
produce
fewer
greenhouse gases have, therefore, been at the forefront
of the debate on climate change.
Carbon capture and storage is the newest and perhaps
the most controversial of those technologies currently
being investigated.
What is CCS?
Geo-sequestration is one option for
trapping CO2 emissions from gas or
power plants. But not everyone agrees
– ABC (Australia)
Recycled geological structures to
reduce CO2 – Independent (S. Africa)
Carbon dioxide storage holds limited
promise: Approach could halve
industrial emissions by 2050 – Nature
G8 Plan of Action
14. We will work to accelerate the development and commercialization of
Carbon Capture and Storage technology by:
(a) endorsing the objectives and activities of the Carbon Sequestration
Leadership Forum (CSLF), and encouraging the Forum to work with
broader civil society and to address the barriers to the public acceptability
of CCS technology;
(b) inviting the IEA to work with the CSLF to hold a workshop on short-term
opportunities for CCS in the fossil fuel sector, including from Enhanced Oil
Recovery and CO2 removal from natural gas production;
(c) inviting the IEA to work with the CSLF to study definitions, costs, and
scope for ‘capture ready’ plant and consider economic incentives;
(d) collaborating with key developing countries to research options for
geological CO2 storage; and
(e) working with industry and with national and international research
programmes and partnerships to explore the potential of CCS
technologies, including with developing countries.
IPCC Special Report - presented at COP/MOP1
Although a number of technical issues
dealing with storage safety, monitoring and
longevity are still outstanding, the public
acceptance of geological storage is
probably the overriding issue - Royal
Society of Chemistry
• US Hopes to reverse oil decline by burying CO2 –
Reuters, March 13, 2006 / US Says CO2 Injection
could quadruple oil reserves, Reuters, March 4,
2006
• U.K. Favors `Clean' Fossil Fuel Over Nuclear
Power, Morley Says – Bloomberg, Sept 26, 2005
• “Nuclear plants are expensive and if you're looking at the energy
mix, then at the moment I think you'll probably get more value
from investment in clean coal.” – Elliot Morley, MP
• UK's clean coal energy solution: Un-mined coal in
Wales could be the answer to Britain's energy
crisis – BBC News, Oct 12, 2005
• It seems like absolutely amazing science fiction... but it's already
being done in Algeria and elsewhere, and highly productively Huw Irranca-Davies, MP
Greenhouse Gas Grave
Despite the critics, massive geo-sequestration projects are already underway in
Australia… Is burying hundreds of tonnes of carbon dioxide underground - a
novel way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or a large-scale attempt at
sweeping them under the rug?
Workers at a power plant
Renewable energy would reduce
our dependence on coal
CO2 Storage Potential
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Projects on Social and Political Aspects of CCS
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AGS – National opinion polls and stakeholders
CCP/CCP2 – Regulatory and regional assessments
Manchester/Tyndall – Focus groups and media
CATO – Informed preferences
CSIRO – Regional opinion poll and stakeholders
CMU/SFU/Calgary – Focus groups and national poll
WRI – Regulatory and policy gaps
DOE Regional partnerships – Media and stakeholders
ACCSEPT – Legal, regulatory and stakeholder
analysis
• C2S2RN – Loose network of groups working on CCS
India’s Environment & CCS
India's large reserves of coal are a major asset to the
country, accounting for 70 percent of India's current
production of electricity. However, excessive use of
this form of energy production—especially without
the use of strategies to mitigate its effects—will
continue to cause the quality of the country's air,
land, and water resources to deteriorate.
The "Business as Usual" Scenario without significant
changes in power sector policy in India will produce
775 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year by
the year 2015 (as compared with 1,000 million metric
tons per year now produced by power generation in
the entire European Union). However, India will be
producing SO2, NOX, particulate emissions, and ash
at three times the current levels and Ash disposal
facilities around power plants will require 1 square
meter of land per person.
India’s Environment & CCS
Currently the power sector in India is on the verge of
fundamental and significant reforms (a more liberal system
with market prices, competition, a greater role for the private
sector, and commercial incentives) that have profound
implications for environmental management.
It has been suggested that, in India, carbon emission from
thermal power plants can be brought down from 0.73 tonnes
per megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity generated to 0.49
tonnes per MWh through greater efficiencies.
During this time of transition, it is critical to determine how
best to take advantage of the technological innovations and
opportunities it presents to protect our environment and avert
threats to public health.
Carbon Capture & Storage
 Advanced technologies will play a critical role in achieving
significant greenhouse gas reductions.
 The adoption of advanced technology such as carbon capture
and sequestration has to be made economically attractive.
 The dynamic factors that influence technology adoption and
diffusion include technology, regulatory policy and framework,
business cycles, industry structure, and corporate strategy.
 The regulatory and legal frameworks that may affect adoption
include underground injection regulation, relevant international
and national laws, treaties and guidelines, property rights, and
liability concerns.
CCS – Is there a viable Choice for India?
Should investors in new coal-based power generation pre-design their facilities so
as to be carbon dioxide “capture-ready”?
Is it commercially viable to pay an upfront premium to pre-engineer the power
plant such that the investor has the option - i.e. the right, but not the obligation - to
retrofit carbon dioxide capture equipment in the future?
These questions provide the investor with three choices:
Build a pulverized coal-fired power plant today (lowest initial investment, but
highest cost to retrofit with CO2 capture).
Build a standard Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power
plant
Build an Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant with
pre-investment to ease retrofit to CO2 capture (highest initial investment, but
lowest cost to retrofit with CO2 capture).
Key Concerns about
Carbon Capture & Storage
Doubts as to whether CO2 storage can really be made permanent.
While oil and gas fields are reasonably well understood over periods of
a few decades, the long-term performance of seals and the character of
other formations such as saline aquifers / deep sea (biology & impacts)
is much less well understood. CO2 would need to be trapped
permanently - meaning at a minimum for tens of thousands of years
(long-term liability for the storage site).
Continuing our dependence on fossil fuels. There are many other
problems associated with fossil fuels, from the exploitation of
developing countries to health problems from air pollution, from oil
spills to the propping up of dangerous regimes. Even if carbon capture
and storage helps solve the climate problem, it may delay the uptake of
renewable energy sources that offer a more sustainable future.
Health effects. Slow leakage through soils and catastrophic leaks from
pipelines can all affect human and ecosystem (acidification and pCO2
impacts) health. Carbon dioxide in high concentrations asphyxiates.
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