RESOURCES 8: Carbon Capture & Storage

In this resources section you will find 1) an interactive carbon capture and storage project database produced by NETL, a short, 2) a paper that compares the of a novel natural gas oxycombustion technology (Allam power cycle) which claims will become a game changer in natural gas power, 3) a short ~17 min video that highlights the hype and challenges around carbon capture and storage, 4) a 2018 TedX talk on Direct Air Capture (DAC) by Dr. Jennifer Wilcox  who is currently the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) for Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, and last but not least, 5) a ~22 minute film by the Financial Times on the pros and cons for CCS,  and 6) last but not least, you will also find Dr. Wilcox's 2012 book on Carbon Capture.

 

Required Websites

• Carbon Capture and Storage Database Links to an external site. (NETL website)
  • NETL’s CCS Database provides the public with information regarding efforts by various industries, public groups, and governments that are being made towards development and eventual deployment of CCS technology. As of April 2018, the database contained 305 total CCS projects worldwide, with 299 sites identified. The 299 site-located projects include 76 capture, 76 storage, and 147 for capture and storage in more than 30 countries across 6 continents. While several of the projects are still in the planning and development stage, and many have been completed, 37 are actively capturing and/or injecting CO₂.

Case Studies

• Download Carbon Capture by Allam Power Cycle_A comparative Analysis.PDF Download Carbon Capture by Allam Power Cycle_A comparative Analysis.PDF
  • The Allam cycle, patented in 2013 by Rodney Allam, utilizes oxyfuel combustion and a supercritical CO₂ stream as the working fluid to produce high-purity liquid CO₂ and energy. Net Power demonstrated the Allam cycle at 50-MW plant in 2018, but the economics of a larger, 300-MW plant are not well documented. In this article, the economics of both post-combustion capture and the Allam cycle are compared with the more profitable, but less environmentally friendly, traditional Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC).

 

Media

• Video: The Big Problem with Capturing Carbon is that it Simply doesn't Pay. Links to an external site. 
  • This short video provides a technology overview of major players in the carbon capture market. It also highlights the challenges of carbon capture, storage and utilization. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) as an utilization pathway is questioned.
• Video: A New Way to Remove CO₂ from the Atmosphere 
  • Our planet has a carbon problem -- if we don't start removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, we'll grow hotter, faster. Chemical engineer Jennifer Wilcox previews some amazing technology to scrub carbon from the air, using chemical reactions that capture and reuse CO₂ in much the same way trees do ... but at a vast scale. This detailed talk reviews both the promise and the pitfalls.

• Carbon capture: the hopes, challenges and controversies | FT Film

  • Once a fringe idea, carbon capture and storage has become a key part of decarbonisation plans the world over. Supporters argue that we need a way to remove CO2 already in the atmosphere to stay below 1.5C of global warming. But does this technology risk providing big polluters a license to carry on as normal? The FT weighs the pros and cons.

Additional Resources

• Download Carbon Capture Book _ Jennifer Wilcox.pdf Download Carbon Capture Book _ Jennifer Wilcox.pdf 
  • The book covers: an introduction to carbon capture, compression and transport of CO₂, absorption, adsorption, membrane technology, cryogenic distillation and air separation, the role of algae in carbon capture, the role of CO₂ reduction catalysis in carbon capture, and the role of mineral carbonation in carbon capture.